Clockwise from top left: Cosmo Casserole, Cosmo Pan and Cosmo Fry (All photos: Cosmic Cookware)
Pots and pans taking up kitchen space is not an unusual sight, especially when we visit our parents or grandparents. However, with houses having smaller built-up areas nowadays, homeowners no longer have the luxury of loading their kitchens with cookware of various shapes and sizes, as they need to make room for other essential items.
Merging practicality and aesthetics, Cosmic Cookware, founded by Melvin Chee, was launched in June last year to address this problem he identified during the pandemic.
“We realised people who did not usually cook at home now needed to do so, including myself. I never knew I would need these items at home. I had the basics, of course, but not the fancy ones,” he says.
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There is a lot of cookware on the market, in a large variety of materials, styles and prices. Consumers are often swamped with options, from iron and copper to stainless steel and aluminium pots and pans. “Personally, I didn’t know which of these would make the best purchase because there were too many choices,” Chee admits.
Wanting to create versatile pans that could cater to everyone’s demands, he named his company Cosmic Cookware. “Cooking is very subjective. Each demographic has its own needs and wants. But essentially, they all want cookware that offers unlimited opportunity for their [needs]. Cosmic is how we envisioned the brand to be when we developed it: ‘looks good, cooks good’.”
The company’s target audience includes individuals who are settling into a new home and require basic but promising tools for their kitchen. “In today’s context, new houses have limited space. Our cookware will not take up your whole cabinet. That’s why we think three pans would be sufficient for your kitchen, at least when you have just moved in. The design is very pretty and they can be stacked on the countertop as well.”
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Working closely with in-house designers who specialise in cookware and kitchenware, Chee and his team conducted a consumer interest study to find out what people really want. When designing Cosmic Cookware’s first product, Cosmo Pan, they engaged with a group of customers on social media for feedback, and decided on three colours, namely green bean, cream and navy.
“Although we only offer three shades, we make sure they are versatile and suitable for different kinds of cooks.” Having said that, launching pans with more colours and other materials is still something they constantly work on, as having a “variation of products is a way to keep people excited” about a brand.
Cosmo Pan was the company’s only product in its first 10 months. During that period, it was reinvented twice, following feedback and information that the team gathered in the market. “We know we can never create the perfect product. We can only continuously improve and enhance them over time.”
The pan has a diameter of 28cm and a high vertical wall to accommodate all kinds of dishes, from quick one-pan meals to stir-frys. Suitable for induction, gas and electric cooking, it is made with ceramic and aluminium and includes a well-established component called Swiss coating.
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“Most of the advanced cookware today uses Swiss coating. Because of the coating, we brand ourselves as a non-toxic pan seller. We think in the long run, it will help reduce a lot of health implications related to toxic cookware,” says Chee.
Cosmo Fry and Cosmo Casserole were introduced two months ago. The former, weighing 800g, is defined by its sloped and shallow sides, while the latter is for soups and stews. Those who love baking will appreciate Cosmo Casserole as it is oven-safe and can withstand temperatures of up to 230°C.
The team is still studying what other products can complement the company’s current offerings. “We don’t want homeowners to occupy their kitchen with 10 pieces of pots and pans. I know it’s quite contradictory considering we are a cookware company, but we want to create intentional products that can do a lot of things,” says Chee.
Cosmic Cookware knows the importance of gaining trust in the market. Hence, the brand focuses on creating purposeful content on social media such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok to raise awareness of the brand and reach out to potential customers, mostly millennials and Gen Z.
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“We work with celebrities and influencers who can vouch for our products for their quality. We have collaborated with chef Zam and will be teaming up with Khairul Aming for future projects. We also work with influencers on TikTok who are constantly creating recipes.”
Chee has experience in other businesses prior to starting Cosmic Cookware. Naturally, he learnt a lot from these endeavours and tried to implement those lessons in his company. “The way we think about launching new products is slightly different from how we used to. Back then, we thought of launching 10 products in 10 colours at one time. Today, we go with a more thoughtful approach and make sure to create products with the consumer in mind.”
The brand is looking to open a retail store by the end of this year. It aims to offer interactive experiences to customers, allowing them to learn about the processes used in creating its products.
This article first appeared on Aug 1, 2022 in The Edge Malaysia.
