26 Appliances Kitchens Used to Have That Modern Homes Got Rid Of Entirely

The Most Overrated Kitchen Gadget—What I Use Instead

It’s become one of the hardest-working small appliances in my kitchen.Credit: Simply Recipes / Getty ImagesGrowing up, nearly every Chinese family I knew had an electric kettle sitting on their kitchen counter. It stayed plugged in all day, so hot water was always just a button press away for tea, instant noodles, or a cup of warm water. I didn’t fully appreciate all that an electric kettle had to offer until I was living on my own and bought a …

26 Appliances Kitchens Used to Have That Modern Homes Got Rid Of Entirely

Mid-twentieth-century kitchens represented completely different assumptions about cooking, food preservation, and kitchen labor than contemporary houses reflect. Appliances once considered essential have vanished from kitchens entirely, replaced by consolidated functions, newer technologies, or the simple realization that they were never actually necessary. These disappeared appliances tell the story of changing lifestyles, shifting demographics…