Boomers Still Have These 8 Tools In Their Kitchens

There is a certain kind of kitchen wisdom that doesn't come from a YouTube video or a cooking app. It is felt in the weight of a well-seasoned iron skillet, the click of a flour sifter's trigger, and the reliability of a vintage glass measuring cup. Boomers started their adult life with tools that were built to last, and some of those tools are still hiding in kitchen drawers or on the countertops of this elder generation's homes. Hiding in boomer kitchens across the U.S., you might find items you can't even identify like a pastry tool, a church key, or an electric knife that looks like something out of a horror movie.

Many people claim that boomers are set in their ways. This might not necessarily be a generational thing; it may just be an age thing. To be honest, sometimes being set in your ways can be good, especially in the era of overconsumption — wanting to hold on to reliable kitchen tools is really eco-friendly. What home chef who's worth their salt doesn't have a favorite knife or even a favorite burner on the stove (bottom right)? When something works for you, and can be relied upon to help you consistently create amazing dishes, why wouldn't you hold on to it for years? While there are quite a few old school kitchen tools people don't use anymore, there are some you might find in your favorite boomer's kitchen that deserve a second chance.

Boomer bakers often used recipes that called for sifting of flour or other dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. The reason this was so commonplace during their youth and early adulthood was because flour was often not milled in factories and could contain wheat debris or even bugs. Many people believe it's unnecessary to sift flour these days because of higher-quality milling practices. Honestly, it's still a good idea, especially if your flour tends to sit in the pantry for a while in between uses. Sifting can help break up clumps that happen when flour compresses if it sits on a shelf for too long.

The wing corkscrew is an example of a tool that has staying power because of the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." These manual corkscrews are reliable and pretty easy to use, plus they take up less room in a kitchen than some of the fancy, modern versions. When a tool is this reliable and inexpensive, why would you upgrade?

Having a recipe box in the kitchen might not just be about not trusting technology. The family recipe box often contained recipes written in the hand of the original cook that have been passed down for generations. Boomers are holding on to this treasured item not just because they refuse to come into the 21st century, but because a recipe box is more like a family album than a collection of cuisine. It's something sentimental.

While the origin of why these types of bottle openers/can punches are called church keys is somewhat of a mystery, the handiness of this tool isn't. It's no wonder these are most likely sitting in the silverware drawer of boomer kitchens across the country: they're small, effective at their job, and serve two simple purposes. The church key is a true example of a well-designed dual-purpose kitchen tool.

While this kitchen tool may have only seen the light of day a couple of times a year during holidays, the electric carving knife was much-loved by boomer dads. Maybe it was the fact that this knife was the closest thing to a power tool in the kitchen, or it was simply that it made the most perfectly thin slices of roast you can imagine, but the electric knife still holds a place of reverence in many boomer kitchens.

The legend of the glass Pyrex measuring cup will probably outlast its boomer owners. Generally purchased when boomers set up their homes in the '70s or '80s, these glass measuring cups were built to last. And sadly, many of the younger generations are on the hunt for the original version, because the new version is very flawed and has a tendency to experience thermal shock and break. You know you have a treasured, vintage Pyrex glass measuring cup if the brand name is in all capital letters, and you should hold on to it for dear life.

Another item that really didn't usually see a lot of heavy action until the holiday season is the cookie press. The cookie press was a clever device that you put a creamy sugar cookie dough into, attached your favorite shape cutout, pressed the end onto a cookie sheet, and pulled the trigger. They made some delicious holiday cookies. It's very likely that's why boomers hold onto their cookie presses; they are full of cherished memories.

If you've lived in a home that had this frustrating kitchen tool, we feel your pain. While this type of potato masher was very useful and a favorite of boomers for making loads of fluffy, buttery spuds, they were also a menace for the kitchen tool drawer. It never failed that the potato masher would get turned the wrong way in the tool drawer and become a new form of child safety lock. This might be the very reason that countertop tool crocks became so popular.