Kitchen Gadgets From The '50s That We Need Today Slideshow
Kitchen Gadgets From the '50s That We Need Today
Many kitchen gadgets made popular in the 1950s, like stand mixers and blenders, are still part of our essential kitchen gadgetry, but others disappeared from shelves and into obscurity. If our kitchens weren't buzzing with equipment and our drawers weren't filled to the brim, these would certainly make our list of must-have kitchen tools that we need to try.
For some, the tools on this list will seem as ridiculous as a corn kerneler, but others may find a goldmine of patents in need of reviving. From a better way to slice cakes to an enviable stovetop, we think the 1950s may have been the golden age of kitchen gadgetry.
Bakelite Set — Cake Breaker
Perfect for delicate angel food and chiffon cakes that were popular in the 1950s, this cake breaker gently pulled apart pieces of cake without pressing down and crushing it. Next time you mangle that moist cake you just baked, you will wish you had one of these retro cake breaker tools.
Colston Dishwasher
The size of a breadbox, this countertop dishwasher sure would be useful in cramped city apartments. Dishwashers didn't become a widely used appliance until the 1970s. Just imagine the many things your breadbox dishwasher could do.
For Chef David Burke's Dishwasher Thanksgiving Turkey recipe, click here.
GE Wall Refrigerator-Freezer
You could store perishables right in your kitchen cabinets with this disguised refrigerator. General Electric came out with this space-saving design in 1955, and boasted of its separate vegetable and fruit drawers, 11 cubic square feet, and whisper-quiet motor.
Green Bean Slicer
Do you crave evenly sliced haricots verts with dinner? Then you will wish you had this green bean slicer. Don't waste time with a knife — just run your beans through this hand-cranked tool for perfectly sliced vegetables night after night. This 1950s kitchen gadget was made by the Peter Dienes company in Holland.
Ice-O-Mat Ice Crusher
Don't you wish you had this machine for when you catch the snow cone bug? The vintage hand-cranked machine produced a fine crushed ice if cranked one way and a rougher chop when cranked the other way.
Tappan Fabulous 400 Stove
The Tappan Company really outdid themselves on this oven/stove design from 1959. The cutting board is built into the stovetop, so you can slice and dice as you toss all the ingredients for that home-cooked meal into the bubbling pots on top. We aren't sure how clean-up works, but it sure looks convenient.