10 Forgotten Things That Were In Every '90s Kitchen

Hop into a time machine with me — we're taking a trip back to the '90s. Specifically, we're going back to kitchens in the '90s, where, as it turns out, we all sort of had the same exact stuff. The decor was loud, the cabinets looked the same, and everyone had the same goose statue, for some reason. Moms everywhere plastered their personalities all over the walls. And while their preferred themes may have differed, make no mistake, there was absolutely a theme (and it was one of, like, eight things).

Every era has its trends and popular decor, but the ones in the '90s were just so ... specific. And laying eyes on any one of these items today is enough to transport you back to eating an after-school snack and watching shows on the kitchen TV, or, perhaps, talking on a landline with an inexplicably long cord. And while some of these '90s kitchen trends hold a special place in our hearts (and maybe even deserve a comeback), others can very much stay back there, preserved in time (and far away from us now). Here are a bunch of forgotten items that were in every '90s kitchen.

Everyone had a very bulky television set in their kitchen in the '90s — how else would you be able to cook and watch "Lois & Clark" at the same time? People, of course, still have kitchen TVs, but things have changed. Back then, many kitchen TVs didn't have access to as many channels as, say, the living room TV. Regardless, you could eat dinner while watching your primetime shows or news, and life was good. It was the '90s version of staring at your phone as you eat dinner.

Every '90s kitchen had a corded phone in it, and usually, that landline was planted right on the wall. And if it was an older phone, it probably had the longest cord in existence attached to it. That way, whoever was using it could truly go anywhere in the room without having to stop talking on the phone. (And if you were in my family's '90s kitchen, there was a Rolodex right underneath the phone.)

In the '90s, people loved to display plates as decor in their kitchens. Plates sat upon little display stands on shelves and cupboards, plates were placed on the wall, and sometimes, many plates were arranged together in a group. What a wonderful time it was to look at plates mounted on the wall while also eating off a plate of your own. 

In the '90s, many kitchens had cabinets with glass fronts, so you could see everything inside (including more plates). These types of cabinets were also heavily featured in many '90s movie kitchens (like "Practical Magic").

Speaking of cabinets, if your kitchen didn't have glass-front cabinets, it probably had this exact shade of light brown cupboards and drawers. Sometimes it wasn't even just the cupboards and drawers that looked like this, but a general light brown hue that reached almost every point of the room.

CorningWare baking dishes were very popular in the '90s, despite being around since 1958. Usually, this bakeware was passed down in families (as they were in mine). This is understandable — the dishes were very high-quality (and currently a pretty hot thrift store find).

Regardless of whether or not she actually made tea, your mom probably had one of these exact sun tea jars in the '90s. And if there wasn't tea in there, it was probably filled with Crystal Light. (Since then, however, sun tea has been deemed unsafe due to its low temperature, allowing harmful bacteria to grow as it brews in the sun.)

Back in the '90s (and even before), jars of Welch's jam often came with cartoon characters all over them. In the '90s, there were jars themed after "Tom & Jerry," "Peanuts," "Pokémon," Dr. Seuss, The Muppets, and many more. Many families would save them to use as glasses — and many adults several decades later wish that they would've saved them (me).

Every kitchen in the '90s had a theme — and that theme was usually whatever your mom's personality was. There were a handful of very popular ones, and most of them were very simple. One theme was fruit — but you had to pick one (apples, grapes, and strawberries were all very popular). Another was "fat chef core" (cartoon plump chefs everywhere) or some sort of farmhouse-style situation — sometimes, it was simply "rooster." Sunflowers and shabby Americana (or shabby chic) were another popular choice of theme. Slightly cooler moms, however, rocked the Mary Engelbreit-themed kitchen.

This goose was everywhere in '90s kitchens (and can currently be found at your local thrift and vintage stores). It had a little cornflower blue bow and wasn't just a cookie jar or statue — it was also on wall hangings, glasses, plates, and more. Without a doubt, this goose was somewhere in your kitchen in the '90s, in one of its many forms.