In the Kitchen with Eunice Byun, Material Kitchen
2020 was the year of banana bread, and many of us found ourselves in the kitchen more frequently (or for the first time ever). Whether you’re a self-proclaimed chef or just getting the hang of cooking, there’s two thing every kitchen needs—beautiful and functional tools, and a clean countertop. Enter Material Kitchen.
Founded by Eunice Byun and her partner David Nguyen, the pair are proving that sleek and functional kitchen tools are possible (and affordable!) Material Kitchen’s set of thoughtful, hardworking essentials will not only help you become a whiz in the kitchen, but are designed to keep your space organized and clean. We sat down with Eunice to talk about her organization tips in the kitchen, and some must-have tools. (AO’s favorite is the knife set – hands down the best knives she’s ever cooked with.) Read more below!
When did you start Material Kitchen and how did you start it?
My co-founder, Dave, and I officially resigned from our previous jobs at the end of 2017 - him from Chanel and myself from Revlon. Earlier that year, we had been talking about our newfound love for cooking and how hard it was to find a brand and products that felt like they were more “us” and wouldn’t be so disposable that we’d toss things after a year or so. Before we knew it, we were meeting after work and on weekends to game plan what this new brand could look like and what we’d want to create.
What was the impetus for starting the brand?
Overflowing kitchen drawers and cabinets! Dave and I were in awe of the sheer amount of stuff in this category that people accumulate but rarely love, and we wanted to change that. You should love what you have in your kitchen - both for its design AND its performance.
What is your favorite thing about what you do?
The sheer diversity of things you tackle in one day. From design to pricing to logistics to photo shoots, I love it all! It really feeds the whole right-brained, left-brained thing for me because I thrive on mixing it up.
What are your five best tips for organizing your kitchen?
It sounds simple, but store things as close to where you’ll use them in the kitchen as possible. This way, you’ll be more inclined to put things back where they belong because it’s the most convenient place for you to pull them back out again when using.
Which leads to this next one - put things away before the end of the day! I say “before the end of the day” because, well, life. My kids make sure that any free minute I have is occupied by them, so before my husband and I go to bed, we always make sure the kitchen has been “closed up properly.” It forces us to keep it all organized.
Get rid of things you never use. Donate them, share with a neighbor, but whatever you do, don’t hold onto things you think you’ll need that one time you make homemade pizzas and will need a pizza cutter (rocking a really sharp knife will do the trick!).
Buy simple drawer organizers. This allows you to see exactly what is in each drawer, so you know what you have (because that always seems to be half the battle!).
Create mini stations for things you do often (like making coffee or chopping vegetables). Store things near those areas so they are easy and within reach.
What is your favorite tool from Material Kitchen?
It’s like asking me to choose my favorite child! With all the stay-at-home stuff this past year, I’ve used The Coated Pan multiple times a day and it still brings me joy. A lot of ceramic coated pans stop working after a few months and ours just keeps going and going (many pancakes, eggs and stir-fries later). I love our newest colorway too, Dune, because it looks so chic on my stovetop.
Name your three must-haves in the kitchen:
A sharp knife. So many people do not have a sharp knife and think it’s hard to keep a knife sharp. Not true! It doesn’t matter what knife you’re using - if you are using it, at some point it will need a sharpen. You can get real wild and sharpen it with a whetstone or you can use a simple pull-through style one. You just need to sharpen your knives because accidents happen more with dull knives than anything else because you are exerting unnecessary pressure.
A salt well. See more about the importance of salt in one’s kitchen below. Having a salt well makes it so much easier to access and looks great on your countertop too.
A good collection of cutting boards. I personally like having both wood ones and a few I can throw into the dishwasher. A couple of sizes are important too because have you ever cut an apple on a gigantic board or tried slicing bread on a small board? Not enjoyable!
What tips would you give to a newbie in the kitchen?
Salt is your friend (Diamond Crystal kosher salt in particular). A lot of newbies are afraid to salt liberally but it is absolutely necessary and kosher salt is super forgiving. Salting meat (that has been towel-dried!) imparts flavor and helps tenderize it. Homemade vinaigrettes need good amounts of salt to help balance out the acidity and the oil.
Tips for cooks at home?
I think there’s a lot of fatigue in general with cooking at home these days. So I love non-recipe dishes - those things you know how to cook but can riff on based on what’s in your fridge. It could be a chicken dish with different vegetables or seasonings, or eggs (because breakfast for dinner is ALWAYS acceptable). Keeping it simple for the days you have no time or energy is key.
Favorite recipe:
I love some heat in my food (I’m Korean!) so Judy Kim’s NYT recipe of chile-oil noodles is on constant rotation in my household: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021319-chile-oil-noodles-with-cilantro