Retro kitchen essentials – the 14 timeless kitchen gadgets you’re bound to recognise

Vintage kitchen gadgets remind us of our childhood (and our grandparents’ childhoods before that). They’re also fun, functional and get the job done (even amidst bouts of loadshedding!).

How many of these 14 do you have in your kitchen?

1. While technically not a gadget, this one is definitely very vintage and the first thing that comes to mind – a vintage Pyrex casserole set with some sort of flower print pattern. Yes, you know exactly which set we’re talking about! They seem to withstand absolutely anything.
2. For those 50s-chic cookies, a cookie press is a must! You can spot cookies made with a good old cookie press from a mile away.
3. A pastry cutter cuts butter or lard into flour for crisp hand-made pastry. A pastry-making soirée wouldn’t be complete without one!
4. Manual hand mixers are something everyone recognises. Whip cream while working on your arm muscles at the same time – what’s not to love? Sure, the cream goes everywhere, but that’s part of the charm. And, with a little patience, it gets the job done.
5. A garlic press – that old battered one (most likely with a red-and-white handle) that’s older than life itself! Nothing lasts like an ancient garlic press.
6. You always get poached egg perfection with an egg-poaching pan and nothing screams egg-pan-poached like that classic dome-shaped egg.
7. Before electric food processors came about, a food mill was great for all those pureeing needs. A mini workout later and you’re all ready to go.
8. For the creamiest mash ever, nothing beats a potato ricer! In fact, this remains an essential for the anti-lumpy mash crowd.
9. Work for your cuppa! A manual coffee grinder is fun, gets the job done and will have you appreciating each cup so much more.
10. The classic metal veg steamer is a funny-looking contraption that somehow manages to fit into any absolutely any pot and we somehow all have one just waiting around for the electric steamer to conk out.
11. Aluminium ice trays from the 1940s are eternal, guaranteed to withstand even the toughest of ice cubes. If you’ve got one, give homemade ice cream a go!
12. A nutmeg grinder is way more effective than a normal grater for getting fresh nutmeg, which is a must.
13. Strong stove-top coffee wouldn’t be the same without a percolator. If you’re a bit of a coffee snob, you’ll definitely know exactly what this one looks like and how good the coffee is!
14. Crushed ice makes all the difference in some cocktails and drinks. You can achieve crushed ice at home easily (with a little elbow grease, of course) with a manual ice crusher.