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If you’ve been wondering lately why the heck you’ve hung onto that Dutch oven for so many years, you’re in luck.
Vintage and retro style is all the rage these days, and long-forgotten kitchenware is coming back in fashion. Not only are they stylish, but these items have the added bonus of actually being useful.
If you sold yours in a yard sale years ago, you can pick up most of these old favorites on Amazon using the links below.
1. Vintage jar opener
Millennials and hipsters have made Mason jars a kitchen cupboard necessity to hold everything from alcohol to overnight oats to stewed fruit. That raises a new/old challenge in kitchens everywhere: how to open these very cool containers. In most cases, jars are meant to be sealed tight, and their lids often get stuck on as a result.
Thankfully, a tool exists for that very situation. Metal jar openers were replaced by smaller, more convenient rubber disks in many a kitchen drawer, but the original vintage models are making a comeback. They might require a bit more grit and gusto to use, but man! Do they look nifty sitting on your kitchen counter.
Find it: Amazon
2. Dutch oven
Dutch ovens (as they’re called in the states — the cookware has many names internationally) have been around for centuries.
First used to cook all manner of hot meals over coals, these ceramic pots can be used to make stews, soups, and sauces; to roast meats; and to bake bread.
As minimalist decor has also come into style, kitchen owners are turning back to Dutch ovens as a convenient, multipurpose option. They fit on both the stove and in the oven. Or you can always go really old school and prepare your meals in your fireplace.
Find it: Amazon
3. Egg cooker
A supremely underrated breakfast appliance, egg cookers can poach four eggs at once, and boil or steam up to seven in their shells.
Some egg cookers come with drawer-like areas for making omelettes. Whatever you do with them, they’re sure to take the headache out of making an efficient, protein-filled breakfast, and you can impress brunch guests with some mean Eggs Benedict.
Find it: Amazon
4. Retro breakfast station
It’s unclear why exactly these went out of fashion in the first place, since they’re incredibly useful and easy to use.
Popularized in the ’50s, electric breakfast stations are a 3-in-1 contraption featuring a griddle, toaster oven, and coffee maker. You can fry your eggs and bacon, toast your toast, and brew up a pot of joe all at the same time, in the same place.
Perhaps because fewer young adults own homes and contend with small kitchens, these handy, multifunctional cookeries are seeing a resurgence in sales.
But whether you’re short on counter space, seek a more economical breakfast-making option, or simply enjoy the nostalgic look of the thing, a breakfast station is an excellent appliance to purchase (or hold onto if you’ve got one sitting around!)
Find it: Amazon
5. Pickling crock
Again, we can blame the hipsters for the rise in the homemade pickling trend. Of course there’s the classic cucumber, but these days millennials are pickling everything from cauliflower to jalapenos to cherries.
With proper pickling comes proper pickle products. A pickling crock is pretty much what it sounds like: a receptacle to put your soon-to-be-pickled goods and vinegar. (And don’t forget the salt!) These large jar-like containers, usually made of plastic or stoneware, come in either open or water-sealed varieties, depending on how long you plan to let your pickles … well, pickle.
Pickles are a known contributor to good heart health, so grab your crock and snack away. And at the very least, a variety of pickled veggies is sure to up your hors d’oeuvre game.
Find it: Amazon
6. Ice-cream mixer
Making homemade ice cream is a fun summertime activity for the whole family. (Or a year-round obsession … Who are we kidding?)
As many Americans limit their dairy intake and choose alternative milk options like almond and oat milk, ice-cream mixers provide the added benefit of allowing users to make their favorite dessert with whatever creamy base they prefer.
Yes, you can make ice cream using a regular blender or even by hand. But retro ice cream mixers have the whimsical, exciting feel of an appliance used just for this sweet frozen treat. If you want to bring the atmosphere of a ’50s-style diner into your home, these are just the ticket.
Find it: Amazon
7. Meat hammer
Also known as a meat tenderizer or meat mallet, this traditionally double-sided metal hammer is a great cathartic release, but is also a handy utensil for making sure your steaks and chicken breasts absorb your marinade properly and are easy to eat.
Newer, streamlined meat hammers have found their way onto the market, but the old-school ones tend to look a bit more impressive (or treacherous). In any case, there’s something supremely satisfying about whacking your dinner around in order to make it more delicious and easier to eat.
Find it: Amazon
