Old-School Kitchen Tools That Still are Worth Having!
I grew up knowing both of my grandmothers, and watching them in the kitchen. Over the years, I’ve seen the great value of many of their tools, and have a good number of them in my home. Do you have any kitchen gadgets that are indispensible? Can you tell about them in the comments?
Mechanical Kitchen Scale
Measurements being really important in cooking, and even in eating, this is a very useful kitchen tool, similar to what my fathers mother used. She used it not only for cooking (many recipes called for a certain WEIGHT of an item, like “3 pounds of apples”. She also used it for portion control, as she developed diabetes in her early 60’s, and she used it to stick to portion sizes. I have one quite similar to this, and it is very useful. Being mechanical, you need to verify that the needle is at zero before weighing something; the adjustment is on a screw right under the bowl. On the plus side…. no batteries or electricity required! I’ve had one for many years, its indispensable. I often use a larger vessel than the original steel bowl to weigh items, just zero it out first. 5 kg scale: Amazon, $25.00 as of this writing.
Apple Peeler and Corer
Every time I saw one of these come out and clamp on the counter or table, I knew delicious treats were on the say. If you cook a lot of dishes that have apples, or like to eat them peeled, cored and sliced, this old-style tool will save you hours of labor. Like the other tools shown, the apple peeler, slicer and corers shown here are operated by hand. I have the old school type that clamps on, but you may prefer the suction cup base if you have a smooth counter or tabletop that will make a good seal. (I have tile counters and my antique kitchen table is oak; neither seals well!) Either way, it’s a good idea to get one that’s all metal, rather than plastic, it will last longer. Clamp Type Norpro Apple Peeler: Amazon, $23.09 Suction-Cup Apple Peeler, Amazon,
Manual Can Opener
Both of my grandmothers had manual can openers. After years of electric can openers, and a couple of short-lived newer ones that opened the cans from the side with no sharp edges, I got a basic Swing-a-Way brand can opener about 20 years ago. It’s still going strong. Give the blade and gear a quick scrub from time to time. AMAZON, $11.00 at this time.
Hidden Towel Racks
I have this triple towel rack mounted on a door under my kitchen sink, and the single towel racks inside a door under the bathroom sinks. The kitchen rack has a dishcloth on one arm, a kitchen towel on the next, and dishwashing gloves for when I need to use strong cleaners or super hot water. The towels are always handy, but not in the way when not being used. The single rack in the bathroom is for the cleaning rag that each person uses to wipe up the sink after using it. The towel is there, handy, and dries between usings. Triple Rack, Amazon $8.05 and Single rack, 12″, Amazon, $9.00
Pie Rack
Both of my grandmothers were master pie makers. They displayed those pies on a pie rack at meal time, and at parties. I can make a pie from scratch, and it’s ok, but always lacks the perfectly heavenly crust that those 2 fine ladies’ pies had. But I still have a pie rack. Besides bringing me warm memories of my own grandmothers, I use my pie rack to hold fresh fruit like apples, bananas, or oranges for snacking (just seeing them there make them prime candidates to snack on, as well as garden produce after washing it, as it dries, and if we have a get-together, to hold cupcakes, cookies and other goodies. If its wintertime, and or I don’t have enough produce, I might put a jar candle, small houseplant, or other decorations on the top level. I have a simple white melamine plate at each level for easy clean up. Not essential kitchenware, but fun to have anyway. Pie Rack: Amazon, $32.99 at this time
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