My grandmother's wooden cooking spoons. (She died in 1953.) My mom's yellow pyrex bowl from the 1950's. It's the largest one from what I call the "I Love Lucy" set. My mom didn't have the complete set (in the picture of the I Love Lucy kitchen, next to the mixer and on top of the fridge). Pyrex kept the shape but redid the colors in the 1960's.

Here is a link that might be useful: set often available on ebay!

This post was edited by DreamingoftheUP on Tue, Mar 11, 14 at 22:30

I frequently use my mother's SS Presto "cup a minute" coffeemaker, circa 1962.

gr8day!
I almost spit wine on my monitor.
Darn you! What a waste of wine.

DH 28 years! LOL!

LOL gr8day! Coming up on 31 years of marriage to a wife who doesn't cook, I'm thinking she would also say "my husband" ;) .... as far as cookware, 100 year old Griswold and Wagner cast iron, 50 year old Revere Ware, and the ol' trusty Osterizer blender wedding present from 1983...

ctycdm - I had an Osterizer mixer that we received as a wedding gift in 1983. It finally died 2 years ago. My new KA mixer can't compare - except that it does work but I miss the beast.

I am still using my mom's 1960 revereware. It has outlasted the set I received in 1986. Had her Mixmaster until just a few years ago when it started smoking when I was mixing cookie dough. Also had her oster blender from 1960. Still using a beautiful avocado green crock pot and the newer one I bought already died. I know my mom still has many 1960's pyrex pieces.
My grandpa had given me a set of used cast iron fry pans when I first got married and because I didn't know how to cook with them I gave them to my future brother in law. (He was and still is a much better cook than I. ) I now wish I had that set.
Outside the kitchen I have the oster electric trimmer that my dad used to give my brother a crew cut with every summer. I can still see my brother sitting in the doorway of the garage with tears in his eyes while my dad cut his hair. It was the 70's he didn't want a crew cut. My dad gave my boys crew cuts until his hands got too shaky. They loved that their grandpa gave them haircuts each summer.
Great thread-thanks for the memories.
Oh I have one of those 30 year husbands, too!

Great thread!
Corning Ware and Pyrex dishes (why did they stop making the good ones?)
Still have and use the first rolling pin we bought together after we got married and our Oneida flatware (Louisiana) that we use everyday.
Gerber carving set & steak knives
Cake pans with the thingie that moves around bottom to release the cake.

My grandmother had a cake cover made out of aluminum with a slick moveable catch on the bottom to lock it shut - I was so happy to get it when she passed away almost 40 years ago. So it must be close to 75 or 80 yrs old ?? because she had it for as long as I can remember and long before that. Her name is still written on it with her handwriting.

My mom still has her 60 yr old KitchenAid mixer and uses it!

The I Love Lucy kitchen reminded me, we still have a couple of percolators that are going strong. The Rival one has 1970s looking sunflowers on it and the other is an awesome mod style red/clear glass one that I need a cord for. Dunno who made it, I'm not home at the moment.

I'd really like a vintage Saladmaster to go with our kitchen since it's useful and age appropriate for our place. Those seem easy enough to come by on ebay at least.

Speaking of pyrex and coffee (sort of :-) anyone have an original vacuum pot? These were really popular post-WWII up to the 1960's. There were also metal ones and electrics. Pretty much the only common way to make infused coffee before the popularity of Mr. Coffee filters. My aunt had one and I liked to watch it in action. Unfortunately, she broke it and didn't replace it. I bought a (new) Yama model for myself. It works but doesn't have the looks!

For you youngins who've never even heard of such a thing, check out the 2 minute video linked to below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vacuum coffee pot in action

This post was edited by DreamingoftheUP on Wed, Mar 12, 14 at 9:25

A Black & Decker Spacemaker coffee maker, used daily for 30+ years. Also three of the four fluorescent tubes in the kitchen ceiling are almost 30 years old and used daily.

Anything Pyrex, but especially my Pyrex 2-cup measuring cup with all the writing almost worn off. Much heavier than current versions.

Sunbeam Mixmaster with the juicer attachment. Get it from my mom. Just had it rewired.

Chicago knives.

Japanese cleaver. Dad got it in Japan in 1951 for $2.00 -- a lot of money in Japan at the time. No idea who made it. Its marked on the side of the blade, but I don't read Japanese. Sharp as a razor and an excellent replacement for a French chef's knife. Steel (not stainless), but never rusts. Go figure.

Chinese wok from Hong Kong circa 1968 with bamboo steaming baskets (somewhat worse for wear) and bamboo cover..

Trend Pacific Bauhaus stoneware, one cup handle broken after 30 years of near daily use.

Copco pans, the old kind with enamel over cast iron. Missing one lid.

Corningware, cornflower pattern from the '60s, I think.

Church key P-38 can opener, original Marine issue, 1966. Still the best can opener. Still sharp enough to wound the unwary. My wife hates it, but I can open any can faster than her electric can opener, and since it's on my key chain, it never gets lost.

1948 Waring blender - two speeds, slow and jet assisted take off.

Revere muffin tins, my Grandmother's, I think.

I hope it is ok to bring up this old thread as it is very interesting.

i have my mother's pyrex cinderella bowl set from when she married my dad. I like them so much i have started collecting older pyrex...i love the nesting casserole sets too.

i also have my mom's stainless steel flavor seal pots she bought in 1953 before she married her first husband. They are fabulous, so thick and sturdy but big and family sized. I have since added a old salad master set, some lustre craft pots, and a vita craft pot that i found at the thrift for smaller pans.

and i know some people seem to hate them but i have some visionware i love...specially the double boiler to melt chocolate or wax...i prefer the pots with no long handle for other things tho cause i use them mostly in the oven and microwave.

and just yesterday at the thrift i found an old flint manual egg beater to replace my mom's that has a broken handle...it is perfect to mix instant pudding with.

AnyLeCreuset, any Pyrex, any spice of life Corning Ware. Actually, lots of stuff

Magic Chef mixing/pouring bowls! Perfect for pouring any kind of mix/batter but also good as an all-purpose mixing bowl.

Great grandma's rabbit club we still use to mash the potatoes.

i have a sewing machine from 1919 that might not be as versatile as my newer ones but definitely has the nicest straight stitch out of all of them.

My stainless Cuisinart pots and pans (my mother bought them in the late 80s.) Wusthof knives from the 70s. Le Creuset, Villeroy & Boch dishes, my list is pretty long actually. I have a lot of old stuff!

In 1974, Craig Claiborne wrote an article in the NYT about Bridge Kitchenware in Manhattan, one of the first cookware stores in the country serving professional cooks as well as the general public. After Fred Bridge, the owner, died his family continued the business. (The store eventually closed but is alive online.) Having just moved into my first apartment, I visited Fred and asked his advice about cookware. He recommended, and I purchased, a Sitram frying pan, made in France, stainless steel with a thick layer of copper sandwiched at the bottom. It is by far the best piece of cooking equipment I’ve ever owned and it looks as if I bought it yesterday. He also sold me a Wusthof chefs knife. (I bought a Sitram saucepan over Amazon a few years again and it’s poorly made; the bottom layer is peeling off.) I also have a Kitchenaid mixer from the 1970s that refuses to die (made by Hobart) and an Oskar mini food-processor— made in France by Sunbeam! And a few pieces of copper cookware manufactured in Brooklyn. Times sure have changed.

My mother loved Bridge Kitchen. We have tons and tons of Apilco from there- we could open a restaurant!

PS I have grown tired of my Cuisinart pots and pans. Mine were made in France. I will replace them with Fissler (we had Asta before the Cuisinart, so full circle on cookware I guess.)

My Sabatier carbon steel knives, Le Creuset, Dansk casserole, Pyrex, my grandmother's cast iron skillets (she was born before the Civil War!), my mother's 1940 rolling pen and sifter, a tin lined copper sauté pan from a Georgetown kitchen shop in the mid 1960's, my KA stand mixer, all my silver, china and crystal and all my upholstered furniture.

Kitchen cabinets in my current house are at least that old. (I feel a little bad about wanting to replace them.)

I remember Bridges and their wide Wustof Chef's knife. I would give it as a gift back then. Now I like to give the Global GS-5 5-1/2" Vegetable knife. Mine is 30 years or more old and they are the same. These guys have good sales.

It could be argued that I'm still useful after 35 years of marriage! I just tiled the backsplash, so I am good for something.

We still regularly use out KitchenAid mixer, a wedding gift from 35 years ago. Other than the coating coming off of the dough hook, it's been a workhorse. I'm sure most of our cast iron pieces are that old, especially the little corn-shaped cornbread pans, which we use every time we make cornbread.

This fixed angle sharpener with the addition of 3M 2500 grit paper allows you to set the correct angle to polish sharpen the Global blades. It's an Edge Pro knock-off now that the patent is expired.

Corning Ware - The good stuff that could go from freezer to oven or stove top.

A short Robinson stainless (circa 60s/70s) with rosewood handle pancake turner. It's thin, just a bit flexible and is angled correctly for flipping an egg or anything else. I cannot find any turner made today that even comes close.

My Hamilton Beach milkshake machine from the forties.

A Toastmaster waffle iron for real traditional American style waffles, not those thick doughy things they misnamed Belgian waffles.

My glass Pyrex double boiler.

My Hobart built Kitchenaid stand mixer.

Lots of early 70s Tupperware including an avocado green 10" cake taker that I use often and still looks brand new.

Mushcreek—Kitchenaid has an all-metal spiral dough hook that is much better than the old style hooks. I just bought one and it fits my K5A from the ‘70s. It works very well; dough doesn’t creep up the hook.

I haven't seen that one. I bought a cheap knock-off for $7 that seems to work fine. I mix a large batch of dough (4-1/2 lbs), so the equipment gets a workout.

My old family rolling pin -- great balance and feel. I still have most of my Henkel knives that are about 30 years old too. Most of the glassware and ceramics have long been broken, but I bet that if I hadn't broken them, the measuring cups and mixing bowls would still be doing kitchen duty.

I continue to be impressed with the durability of older fabrics and the construction of clothing from years ago. A few days ago I washed ( for the umpteenth time) the army jacket that my husband was given when drafted 51 years ago. I marvel at the ease of the zipper and the strength of the stitching, overall quality of work. I also have an old Singer sewing machine that is 63 years old that I would never trade for a new one. It continues to purr along. Oh, BTW I have a washing machine over 30 years old that I have vowed to keep repairing since the newer models take forever to wash and barely get your clothes wet.

My dishes. Had them for oh, 33 years or so I guess. Keep thinking I should replace them because they are so old...but then I think...why?

My Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Also about 33 years old. Works like a champ.

I have a couple of pots that are that old as well.

What a great thread! I still use my mother’s Corning Ware and her coppery measuring cups. I had a handyman here once that was doing his house in mid century modern and wanted to buy her bowls from me. I told him no way!

Love this thread. I have my grandmother’s cast iron skillet (which she used to make me fried bologna or grilled cheese and peanut butter sandwiches when I was little). I also have her big colander that we used to strain ravioli on the holidays. My family always has a full Italian meal along with a turkey dinner for every holiday. I have a lot of beautiful things from my grandmother’s house (oriental rugs, furniture), but it’s these every day tools that she used day in and day out caring for the family for 70+ years that bring me the most joy.

Mom's Texas Ware set of bowls. This isn't mine, but I'm not at home, so grabbed the photo online. But mine are the same.

And Mom's old pots and pans are still better than most. Can't remember the name at the moment and the company has been bought out, but they had a lifetime warranty and 50 years later they still honored it when a knob broke.

Still have Mom's old pyrex bowls, too. I don't baby them and they are still my favorites.

My coil top electric range is still going strong after 34 1/2 years. I just hope it makes it another month until I move. Other things - my toaster is a beautiful 1936 Toastmaster (with Art Deco design), waffle iron is a late 40's or early 50's Toastmaster. All my dinnerware is original Fiestaware that dates back who knows how long, much more than 30 years. A few pieces of cast iron and various Pyrex and Corning casseroles.

In the late 60's my mother bought some new "everyday" stoneware. It was Mikasa and the pattern was called "Amy." And then I had a daughter in 1971 and we happened to name her Amy. When my mother died in 1981 we got that stoneware and my daughter is still using it. Other very useful things I have from my mother are 2 Griswold cast iron skillets-one of which I gave to my daughter- and my mother's old rolling pin.

I have mother's manual citrus juicer. Her cookie cutters. An old set of teal melamine dishware, which I consider camping supplies. A couple of Corning casserole dishes. A nut cracking set we always used on lobster and crab shells. I also have the parental good China set I barely ever use, mostly because of the gold trim not playing well with dishwashers.

What a great thread! I have quite a bit of my mother's kitchen wares. I have a wooden fork she used everyday; the tines are worn significantly on one side from a lifetime of cooking. I love her Ovenex Starburst baking pans, things bake really well in them.

The same can be said for her old Pyrex pie plates. I have her set of 3 nesting Vollrath stainless mixing bowls, and I just discovered I can use them on my induction cooktop. I cannot imagine using anything else for mixing brownies, cornbread, or a small batch of cookies. From my Aunt, I have an old square cast iron frypan, perfect for grilled sandwiches. It has no maker's mark, and the iron is so smooth, it feels silky. My grandma's toaster, one of the old triangle shaped ones where you flip to the other side by lowering the doors, just had a new cord added but makes perfect toast if the operator pays attention. And I have an old Panasonic toaster oven made in the late 1980s from my mom, which I use almost daily. I love it so much when I saw its twin in a thrift shop a few years ago, I bought it to have a spare!

I have a yellow Tupperware egg separator that I won at a Tupperware party 50 years ago and I still use it a lot.

I have a crock pot that was a wedding gift in 1987. Still used weekly. Le Creuset that Mom started collecting for me in the mid-80's. I have a couple of utensils that have always been there, one is a plastic .. um .. not exactly slotted spoon .. more slots than surface. Seems to be the first thing I reach for, no matter what I'm cooking.

Not 30 years, but my range and dishwasher are 23, and the fridge is 30. Of course, now I've jinxed it and they'll all die cooking Christmas dinner.

The 32" fridge from the 60s that came with the house when we bought it back in 1992.

I thought it ancient then, lol! Early on it would make a sort of shot gun sound every so often, and I was sure it was going to die soon, but it never did, and I haven't heard a sound from it in decades. We never replaced it with a wider model, as it lived between the DW and a wall. And I wasn't ever going to replace it with another 32" wide fridge (in a 3000 sqft home).

And low and behold, the available space for the fridge in our temporary kitchen in the dining room is just 34" wide, delaying the inevitable for just a short while longer.

Now it just needs to last another month or two until our remodel is ready for the 36" french door built in that's on order. I can't wait!

I've got quite a few, in addition to some things of my Mom's that date back to at least 1950 when she got married to my dad. Her first marriage was in 1930, so possibly even earlier. I use her Mirro cookie press every year for my spritz cookies. Before I found hers in a box in my basement, I had worn out/thrown out at least 4 new ones.

Wish I had more of her things, but lots got thrown or donated by others when she died. Including her precious recipe box.

Many of my kitchen wedding gifts from 1981. Revere ware, baking tools....

I have my paternal aunt's Sunbeam mixer. I have no idea how old it is. She was born in 1903.

Anyone who is looking for the better-made vintage ware, try antique malls. All my pyrex came from them. Several of the ones I frequent have dealers who specialize in vintage kitchenware.

I'm trying to find a good working wooden barometer like my grandfather's. He fished so used it all the time. It was a fixture on our mantel. It had many more gradations than the ones you see now. I keep checking Ebay but haven't seen anything close, plus, none of the sellers can tell me if theirs work.

Also, actively use a number of things that were used my grandma who died 30 years ago. The best hand beater, pastry cutter, cookie cutters, cast iron skillets and my favorite is her set of Fransiscanware Desert Rose dishes from the 40s.

I managed to actually get our annual Christmas Eve lobster stew dinner accomplished (held this year on the 23rd due to DS's short visit). I needed a lot of help from my two DGS's age 17 and 15, but I did pull it off. So I guess I'm still a little useful after WAY more than 30 years! I'm 74.

Great thread! My beautiful collection of vintage French White cookware. The best of my collection was a pair of 6 quart French White crock pots I bought at Service Merchandise long, long ago. Sadly and inexplicably, Corningware stopped making Ceran glass about 20 years ago and has been churning out stoneware French White ever since. Stoneware is just not as luminous a shade of white any longer. Ceran is clean-looking, beautiful, resists thermal shock and there is never a question about how it is made or what is used in its manufacturing process. No ring of unglazed stoneware on the underside. Just thin, amazing Ceran glass. Glass cooktops are ceran. Beautiful!

Guardian Service Cookware! I inherited Mom's about 20 years ago. There is only one lid left, since many owners gave them up for "the war effort" during World War II. That dates the set to sometime between 1930-1956, so at least 64 years old.

I still use a few of the pieces. Great for braising a roast.

Isn't that great!

This has turned into a wonderful discussion! I have my mother's old juice extractor; it is in excellent condition and works perfectly but it is lemon yellow rather than white. And despite decades of being used regularly, it shows no sign of rust or discoloration.

Oh, and I have Mom's old cast iron frying pan as well. She got it at her wedding shower party in 1948.

I also have my original Oster blender from the early 1970s. This thing is a real workhorse and so far has handled everything I have thrown at it with no sign of slowing down.

And when I bought my mobile home (in a wonderful senior park), it came with the original 1978 O'Keefe & Merritt electric wall oven. The upper door was slightly ajar and two different contractors told me that to close it and cook I needed to slide the latch over to completely close it. Idiots! Only if I wanted to burn the house down along with the chicken. I soon found that there is a vintage appliance repair store in town. They came out for $65 and told me all it needed was one small part. Twenty dollars and a few minutes later--perfection. They also said it was a top notch oven, had probably not been used more than a half-dozen times, and to never get rid of it. I promised, LOL.

And the washer and dryer are the same age. They were missing a couple of dials and the turnstyle in the washer needed a new part but once done, again perfection. They work perfectly.

I've bought beautiful Staub dutch ovens for my newly married daughters, they will have these for the rest of their lives. The royal blue and sapphire blue colors are brilliant!

KA Mixer, All-Clad stainless pots and pans, Cuisinart, Pyrex glass measuring cups. @cupofkindnessgw, I have Staub in blue and just bought my Daughter a dutch oven in grenadine! The oldest item I have in my kitchen is an item that belonged to my husband's great grandmother. This is a wooden bowl and flat chopper that she used to make gefilte fish. It came over 'on the boat' from Russia in around 1915. Who knows how old it was then! I've never used it, but I like the story. I'm sure it's totally functional.