If we lose power, we’ll need at least these 21 vintage kitchen tools as part of our ongoing meal prep efforts. I love going to antique stores and checking out items that I consider very useful if we have zero electricity. Actually, even if we don’t lose power, I still use these tools in my kitchen today. Plus, I think some of these items will bring back many good memories of when grandma was in the kitchen cooking or baking.
So many people tend to eat out these days rather than hone their skills as home cooks. They’re missing out on some fun and memorable times fixing family meals. I’m so glad my mother took the time to work with me to become a “cook from scratch” cook as I was growing up!
My Grandma Made Lefse
I can still picture my great-grandma making Lefse, one of our favorite Norwegian family treats made with leftover mashed potatoes. Oh, my goodness, I better make some of that today; my mouth is watering. I like Lefse with butter and brown sugar. Let me know what traditional treats you enjoyed eating together as a family.
As a child, I learned to cook from scratch. There were not many packaged items, except for bags of flour or sugar. We had baking soda and baking powder containers, and life has changed. We used the flour bags for kitchen towels or made aprons out of them.
Nothing was ever wasted. Some of these items we use today, but some families have never owned or used them. Let me know which vintage kitchen tools you love to use! I want to share my grandmother’s Lefse recipe today!
Norwegian Lefse
Ingredients
- 4 cups mashed potatoes
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 cup sweet cream
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup flour (approximately-enough to roll lefse thin)
Instructions
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Boil the peeled potatoes, and mash very fine and fluffy.
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Add the cream, butter, sugar, and salt. Beat again until light and fluffy. Add flour just before rolling out.
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Roll a piece of the dough as for pie crust, rolling as thin as possible.
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Bake in a frying pan until light brown, flipping to cook both sides. When baked, place them on a plate with a cloth between them to keep them from drying out.
21 Vintage Kitchen Tools
1. Big Stainless Steel Bowl
I still have the original two I got when Mark and I were married over 55 years ago. They are approximately 18 inches in diameter. I have used those bowls to make bread, cookies, and large salads and to clean the windows.
2. Potato Masher
I remember my mom having a pan like implement, and we all took turns turning the handle to “mash” the potatoes. My grandmother preferred a potato ricer for her fluffy mashed potatoes. Even a few chunks are okay in my mashed potatoes. I’m okay even with the peelings left on them as well. I use this tool: a Potato Masher.
3. Ebelskiver Cast Iron Pan
I grew up on Ebelskivers. They are round balls of pancake batter. My mom had a cast iron pan to make her Ebelskivers. They are so yummy! Ebelskivers by Linda
4. Cast Iron Fry Pans
Did your mom save the bacon grease after frying bacon? I still do! I swear, cast iron pans make the best scrambled eggs, cornbread, and homemade pizza dough, too! Wow, I love cast-iron pans! Pizza by Linda
I also enjoy cooking with my cast iron Dutch ovens. They come in handy when you want to cook outside without damaging your usual pots and pans.
5. Cast Iron Griddle
Who uses a griddle for pancakes, grilled cheese, and more? I think I have three cast iron griddles. I love them! Our last few kitchen stoves have had a built-in griddle in the middle of the stovetop. Of course, I prefer gas stoves and a griddle seems to be part of the natural makeup of those versions.
6. Hand Mixer
I can still remember Mom having an early version of “SunBeam” electric hand mixers sitting on the counter, and she was so proud of that baby, no more hand mixing. But she still used her wire hand-cranked mixer because it was easier to clean. My hands are such now that I’m glad I have both an electric hand mixer and a strong and versatile standing mixer when making my batches of pancakes and bread.
7. Whisk/Danish Whisk
Everyone needs a whisk to quickly stir those scrambled eggs, am I right? I use my beloved Danish Whisk all the time.
8. Egg Separator
I still remember my mom making seven-minute frosting after using an egg separator. I still have the yellow Tupperware one I’ve had for decades!
9. Can Opener
We can’t get by without a can opener. I love the hand-operated ones I still use sometimes today. But I also remember when the electric can opener came out. WOW, happy day! “Church Key” Can Opener or Hand Cranked Opener
10. Large Soup Pot
Everyone needs a soup pot for soup, stew, or boiling water for a large pan of spaghetti!
11. Pancake Turner
I can still picture the skinny silver pancake turners my mom had. We have larger ones to flip pancakes, fried eggs, or grilled cheese sandwiches. We also have a set of tongs of various sizes when we need to flip steaks, turn French Fries, or other items when the pancake turner isn’t as effective.
12. Wooden Spoons
I always have wooden spoons in the crock sitting on my countertop to grab when I need one. They come in handy when you’re cooking items in your coated pans or griddles and don’t want to scratch the surface.
13. Pastry Cutter
I wish I could say I make great pies, but I don’t; I buy them. But I still need one for my biscuits to cut in the butter. I also use my round pizza cutter all the time. Nothing works better to cut through those thin crust pizzas.
14. Biscuit Cutters
I’m addicted to collecting biscuit cutters at antique stores. I love all the different shapes.
15. Canisters On The Counter
Do you remember your mom or grandma having canisters on the counter with flour, sugar, tea, and coffee written on them? I even had some, but I switched to plastic buckets with Gamma lids. The plastic buckets aren’t as attractive and are stored on my Lazy Susans, but the contents stay fresh longer.
16. Rolling Pin
I can’t get by without a rolling pin or two. I use them for my cinnamon rolls, pizza crusts, pasta, and biscuits. Cinnamon Rolls by Linda
17. Spatulas
You can never have too many spatulas, right? They sure make scraping the bowls clean easier and with less food waste.
18. Meat Grinders
I love ham salad, and my mom and dad made pork sausage with a meat grinder. I finally found my parents’ homemade pork sausage recipe! Here’s a manual meat grinder: Meat Grinder
19. Terracotta Brown Sugar Bear
Terra Cotta Bear Sugar Bear – it’s terracotta and soaked in water. It’s then placed in the brown sugar canister to keep the sugar “moist.”
20. Coffee Percolators
I have a couple of coffee percolators to make coffee or boil water. The ones I have you can use over a small fire. They would be great with a rocket stove or a Kelly Kettle.
I don’t know too many people who still grind their own coffee, but it doesn’t hurt to have a coffee grinder in your kitchen tool inventory.
21. Vegetable Peelers
You can always use a couple of vegetable peelers, right? I use mine for carrots, potatoes, and cucumbers. We also have a cherry-pitter when we want to eat a bowl of fresh bing cherries or make a cherry pie. It is one if the kitchen gadgets that still brings back fond memories.
22. Hot Pads / Pot Holders
You can never have too many of these! We use them every day to pull items out of our main oven or countertop Breville toaster oven.
What Are Some Other Items That May Be Handy To Have?
Depending on how much space you have and how much cooking / meal prep you’re involved with, you may want to consider these tools too:
- Pyrex glass cookware
- Food Processor
- Multi-use toaster (toast-waffles-bagels-hash browns)
- Food mill
- Cookie press
- Cake breakers
- Cookie guns
- Condiment tray
- Mason jars for canning and pantry food storage
Final Word
This was a fun post for me to write today. Please share your memories of your vintage kitchen tools. I need to make a batch of cookies. What do you feel like baking this week? Thanks for being prepared for the unexpected. May God bless this world, Linda
Copyright Images: Vintage Kitchen Utensils AdobeStock_69903660 By Mara Zemgaliete, Vintage Tools AdobeStock_69944299 By Mara Zemgaliete
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