10 Kitchen Appliances From The '70s That Deserve A Revival

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Ah, the '70s — what a decade. It was a simpler time with brown- and avocado-colored kitchens. There were some questionable trends, like shag carpet under the kitchen table, but hidden among them were some surprisingly good kitchen gadgets that made cooking and serving easier, faster, and a lot more fun.

At the time, short TV commercials for kitchen gadgets were a fixture of daily viewing, and many '70s viewers were eager to order these nifty tools straight from their screens. Sometimes, you didn't even have to pay until it was delivered. You would simply hand over the cash once your new kitchen gadget arrived and bring it inside.

Or maybe you're not old enough to remember the era of cash on delivery very well. All you know is that there are some things your mom had in her '70s kitchen that deserve a revival. From electric carving knives to electric hot dog cookers, let's get a little nostalgic for these retro appliances.

Most kitchen appliances in the '70s were marketed toward women, but General Electric ran ads targeted toward men for its electric carving knife, and it saw sales soar in the late '60s. Invented by Jerome L. Murray in the early '60s, it typically had two blades moving in opposite directions. This device declined in popularity because you have to take it all apart and clean it after every use. But if you cut meat regularly, it may be worth buying one, like the Proctor Silex Easy Slice Electric Knife, to simplify the task.

While the first electric can opener dates back to 1931, several companies refined and mass-produced countertop models in the late 1950s. By the 1970s, they were in millions of kitchens across the United States. Popularity for them declined as households started using fewer canned goods, especially after pull tabs became common. However, this gadget still deserves a revival since manual openers can be difficult to use for people with disabilities or limited strength, and pull tabs aren't universal. You can still snag a new one today, like Cuisinart's electric can opener.

A couple of electric bun warmers were popular in the '70s: the Wards Signature and one made by Cornwall Corporation. The latter featured a basket for holding the buns, a warmer plate that fit inside the basket, and a warming cloth that went over the buns. While the gadget declined in popularity as microwaves became commonplace, zapped bread just isn't the same, especially if you want it to actually stay toasty during a dinner party. You can still find these baskets today, including non-electric versions like the Casadema Bread Warmer Basket.

Serving a similar purpose in the '70s was the electric food warmer, specifically Salton's Hotray. The surface was 16 inches by 28 inches — that's enough space to place a few items on it to keep them from getting cold, whether it was for serving family dinner or entertaining guests. This device also waned in popularity because of microwaves, but it'd still be a nice way to keep food hot as long as you're sitting at the table. Salton's appliance may be out of fashion, but you can find new models like Feppo's glass food warming tray.

There's something about fondue that just screams '70s. Most appliances came with little metal skewers to help you safely dip your bread into the hot melted cheese, but electric fondue pots decreased in popularity following the low-fat trend in the '80s. People were switching to what they thought were more nutritious options, and melted cheese wasn't on that list. If you have a hankering for the stuff today, though, you can't go wrong with one, like this Cuisinart Electric Fondue Set.

The electric frying pan, also known as the electric skillet or griddle, was actually invented in 1911 by Westinghouse, but it wasn't until Sunbeam released one in the early '50s that the kitchen gadget became a massive hit. The countertop appliance remained popular in the '70s, and came in colors like avocado and burnt orange. It seems the microwave and busier lifestyles pushed it out of popularity, but this device can help you dial cook at exact temperatures and even free up some stove burners when preparing large meals (like for holidays). There are plenty of options today, like the Elite Gourmet Electric Frying Pan.

Popcorn became a popular snack in the 1920s and '30s as movie theaters popped up across the States. But people wanted to make it in the comfort of their own homes, especially in the '70s as cable and color television became commonplace. The Van Wyck popcorn popper featured a Teflon-coated pan with a dome that kept the popcorn from popping all over your kitchen. While, again, the microwave made this neat little device seem unnecessary, a popcorn machine gives you control over the ingredients going into your movie night snack. They seem to be becoming trendy again, though; take the Dash Fresh Pop Popcorn Maker with over 35,000 customer reviews, for instance. 

The electric drink mixer dates back to early 20th-century soda fountains, but home versions became a trendy kitchen tool in the '70s. Devices like the Breville Dairy Bar and the Salton Drink Mixtir turned suburban kitchen counters into mini soda shops. The rising popularity of multi-use blenders eventually pushed single-spindle mixers out of the spotlight, but they deserve a revival. Spindle mixers like the Hamilton Beach DrinkMaster Retro Milkshake Maker aerate milk and ice cream into that uniquely velvety diner-style froth for milkshakes and whipped coffee treats.

This peanut butter maker by Salton was pretty popular in the '70s as a fun and easy way to make fresh peanut butter at home. You just put your peanuts in the bin, add the cover, and turn it on. You would have fresh, warm peanut butter in minutes. It also declined in popularity because of the blender, but it'd still be a nice appliance to have around if you like making all types of nut butters, although most models still on the market are intended for commercial use.

Finally, you might be familiar with the electric hot dog cooker, specifically Presto's Hot Dogger. You would place the hot dogs inside, close it up, and it would cook them in 60 seconds. At least that's what it was supposed to do. Unfortunately, this device had a tendency to shock its users. It also gave the hot dogs a metallic taste and sometimes burned them. While this fun appliance deserves a comeback for days you're craving a hot dog but don't want to fire up the grill, we'd prefer an upgraded model that won't shock us or mess up lunch, like the Nostalgia 2 Slot Hot Dog and Bun Toaster.