Back when the kitchen was more than just a place to cook, you’d find these 15 iconic gadgets. And if you grew up with some or all of these, then you’ve got nostalgic stories to tell! These tools are the stars of countless cooking experiments, weekend baking sessions, and other golden memories tied to food. Ready to get into the kitchen time machine? Let’s go!
15. Cherry Pitter
One of the kitchen tools that won’t fail to remind you of summer days with grandma is the cherry pitter. Once the cherry season arrives, this little tool makes it easy to prepare the fruits for cooking, baking, or snacking. It’s especially useful when dealing with large quantities of cherries that could be used in cherry pies, jams, or other cherry-flavored desserts.
14. Corningware Dish
This humble kitchenware with blue cornflower pattern and a heat-resistant glass-ceramic material was a hallmark of kitchen aesthetic around 1960s to 1980s. Thanks to its ability to withstand extreme temperature changes (without breaking or cracking), it has become one of the most reliable tools out there and a mainstay in holiday feasts and Sunday dinner traditions.
13. Plastic Salad Spinner
Remember those family salad nights or the time when you were allowed to help in the kitchen? If you had this spinner, then you also remember the way it helps remove excess water from the leafy greens, creating that sense of accomplishment and pride. For others, having the salad spinner is a symbol of a shift towards healthier approach to meals.
12. Handheld Waffle Iron
Yes, before the electric waffle makers, we had this tool consisting of two cast-iron plates with a grid pattern. Back then, the process of making waffles is an event in itself. No buttons to push, just the direct act of cooking. Why else would you think that waffles from your childhood taste better? They’re made with patience, skill, and care, of course!
11. Recipe Card Box
This one is a real treasure in the kitchen. When there was no smartphone with saved online recipes, there was a box that carried all handwritten recipe notes. In the 1960s, the box was usually made with metal or wood, before the availability of plastics. The fancy ones had dividers to separate recipes by categories, like appetizers, main courses, and desserts.
10. Mortar and Pestle
Mortar and pestle are like two peas in a pod. They’re meant to be used together: the mortar is the bowl-shaped vessel where spices and herbs are thrown in, and the pestle is the tool you use to crush the ingredients inside the mortar. In an era of fast-paced cooking with food processors, mortar and pestle remind us about a time when cooking was more deliberate and a slow, thoughtful process.
9. Jell-O Mold
Now, let’s talk about the colorful gelatin you always had during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinners. If you remember it, chances are you also recall the Jell-O mold that gave the gelatin its intricate design. The memory of waiting for the mold to be removed and the excitement of trying new or unusual Jell-O recipes can be so nostalgic!
8. Hand-Crank Egg Beater
Baking with mom or grandma would necessitate the use of a hand-crank egg beater that was usually made of metal. This manual kitchen tool with an old-fashioned charm was used for tasks like beating eggs, mixing cake batter, and whipping cream. Around holiday baking times, using this tool also involved shared moments of bonding and learning.
7. Sunbeam Coffee Maker
The Sunbeam coffee maker was a staple in many American homes during 1950s to 1970s. Family members would often gather around the coffee maker, enjoying both the aroma and the drink. The lessons learned while using this coffee maker are often passed down from one generation to the next, including properly measuring coffee grounds and filling the pot.
6. Metal Grocery List
In the 1950s, there was a pocket-sized metal grocery list that helped run the household smoothly. It was a handy list made of metal, with little notches to check things off. It’s like a templated grocery list so it was hard to add or remove items. That’s why, later on, people just reverted back to pen and paper, or settled in using the notes app on their phones.
5. Nut Grinder
A nut grinder is a kitchen tool that’s specifically designed, well, for grinding nuts into smaller pieces. During grandma’s holiday baking, this tool would play a central role in making almond cakes, pecan pies, or nut-filled cookies. Honestly, it feels like a cherished ritual when we see our loved ones grind the nuts by hand for a special recipe.
4. Cheese Grater
Yes, it’s the metal grater in a box-shaped design! It’s primarily used for grating cheese, but you can also use it for vegetables and other foods, all thanks to different grating patterns (fine, coarse, and even large ones for slicing). Grating cheese by hand may seem like a chore, but for those who grew up with it, the tool is a reminder that the food has been prepared with extra care.
3. Foley Fork
This is no ordinary fork; it’s a specialized kitchen utensil used for mashing or pureeing, as in mashing potatoes or making applesauce. Many families remember using foley fork when making mashed potatoes the old-fashioned way. It’s also widely used to make applesauce, so the smell of simmering apples and the rhythmic use of fork became part of fond memories tied to home cooking.
2. Toast Rack
Ever wondered why the toast during your childhood never seem to get soggy? That’s probably because of the toast rack, if you had this small kitchen accessory. It’s designed to hold slices of bread in an upright position, allowing them to stay fresh and dry. Breakfast was actually a ritual in the 1940s and 1950s, when families would start the day together, with a rack of toasted bread, of course.
1. Hoosier Baking Cabinet
Even more vintage is this baking cabinet that probably had a storage for all the things needed for baking. There was a built-in storage for baking ingredients, flour sifter, pull-out drawers, pull-out work surfaces, and so much more. It centralized everything a home baker would need; it could also be the reason why people from 1920s and 1930s loved baking all the time!