Modern-day kitchens are equipped with smart kitchen appliances featuring digital controls like refrigerators with a touch screen and ovens that can be operated using an app on your phone. While these tools and appliances simplify our lives to a great extent, some of us still miss the old-timey classics. While many vintage kitchen tools are now obsolete, some can still hold a special place in our kitchens and our hearts.
Looking at these nostalgic tools takes us back to our grandma’s kitchen. It was a beautiful and special place indeed. Don’t you miss the times when your grandma would make you sit on the kitchen counter while she rolled out some cookies? Do you miss her hosting the family for her famous lasagna every Sunday? Despite the innovations in the kitchen tools, some of our grandma’s clunky toothy tools are still workable and make the food even tastier.
Your grandma’s kitchen must have been packed with antique tools like novelty teapots and floral pelmets, some of which you must have inherited. These tools are probably tucked away in the far corner of your kitchen cabinets for years now. However, these shabby rustic tools that seem to be of no use can give you much more than a fascinating insight into the past.
Imagine you are cooking your grandma’s famous lasagna, and the recipe states that you need to have the meat cut into thin, even slices, but your slicing machine betrays you and doesn’t work. In such a situation, your grandma’s restored slicing machine, which you thought would never be helpful, can save you from the hassle. The moral here is that not all of those old-school tools should be forgotten or thrown out; some still deserve a place on your kitchen counter. So let us take a trip down memory lane with these vintage cooking tools that you should have in your kitchen:
1. Percolators
Are you craving a cuppa? We are sure you must be using your modern marvel, the standard drip coffee maker, to brew some for yourself. But why not use the percolators of yore? Until the invention of automated coffee makers, everyone brewed their coffee in traditional percolators. Honestly, percolators are so much better than drip coffee makers.
The percolators brew the coffee beans multiple times, which results in a robust, bold coffee. Hence, if you are hosting a party and have to make coffee for many people, then a percolator is the best choice. It helps you brew twelve cups of coffee at the same time.
2. Cookie press
A cookie press is the best tool if you wish to make the daintiest, cutest-shaped cookies. And the results are so professional that you will feel great while serving them. An advantage of the cookie press is that it is handier in icing cupcakes or filling deviled eggs or cream puffs. Hence, the best way to bake your favorite cookies with elegant sculptural shapes is with a cookie press.
For all those who have enjoyed creating shapes in playdough, using a cookie press it’s super easy for them since you already know how to extrude the squishy dough out of it, and it feels so oddly satisfying. However, for others, it may take a little time to get into the rhythm.
But once you get the hang of it, believe us, your friends will be astonished to see cookies you baked – they will look like treats that came straight from the tin but taste so much better.
3. Food mill:
You must be thinking about who needs a food mill when you have automated food processors. So let us share some valuable insight on how pureeing food in food mills is different from food processors.
Food mills are simple machines that can be easily washed and used for hot, cold, solid or semi-solid foods. Also, an advantage they have over food processors is that they easily strain seed and skin. Let’s suppose you are using a food mill to make a tomato puree; the skins will be easily separated, leaving you with smooth puree. Hence, with a food mill, you can control how rustic or refined your applesauce, vegetable soup or tomato puree will be.
4. Potato ricer:
A potato ricer is a super old kitchen tool that dates back to the nineteenth century. Joined with a hinge and plunger on one side, this simple two-handled tool extrudes the potatoes in a rice-like pattern, which is what gives this tool its name. Nothing can beat the smoothness of potatoes mashed in a potato ricer; it does a beautiful job of eliminating all lumps for a creamier, more refined texture. On the other hand, if you try to mash potatoes in a food processor, you will end up with a gluey and gummy paste due to the excess release of starch.
A potato ricer offers a better texture because it is gentle on the potatoes, which allows the swollen starch cells to preserve their integrity. Another benefit of using a potato ricer is that you can gently squeeze the liquids out from the grated vegetables, something that is near impossible from vegetables pureed in a food processor.
5. Pie bird:
You must have seen your grandma’s massive collection of pie birds. No doubt, this quirky little ceramic bird is hopelessly adorable, but it is also the secret weapon that every pie baker needs to add to their arsenal. You can embed this tool in your pie to vent out the steam, thereby effectively preventing your pie from getting soggy from all the juicy fillings or exploding due to the steam buildup. This will help you attain a nice crispy crust on your pie, which most of us enjoy.
Although you might not bake many pies, this handy and inexpensive tool is a must-have in the kitchen, and it looks pretty perched on your kitchen counter.
6. Meat tenderizer
There are apparent psychological benefits of having such a cathartic tool in your kitchen. Also, if you are planning to cook a steak, having a meat tenderizer on hand can give your food a restaurant-worthy flavor and texture that is missing from most home-cooked meals. Marinating and seasoning your meat before throwing it on the grill is not enough to get a juicy, mouth-watering steak.
The best way to achieve that is by using a meat hammer to tenderize the meat so the marinade and seasonings can thoroughly soak into it, enhancing its flavor tenfold. Furthermore, using a meat tenderizer will allow you to cut down your cooking time significantly.
Final words:
There are plenty of reasons why people still use these age-old kitchen tools. It could be the sentimental value they hold, their connection to the past, or their effectiveness in achieving the best results time and time again. Regardless of your reasons, it is time to bring these generations-old kitchen tools into daily use. Trust us; they can save you a lot of time and add an extra oomph to your cooking.
In addition, these vintage tools can give your kitchen a chic retro look. So if you do not have any of these tools passed down to you from your grandma, you can always buy them from an antique store or an online seller.