11 Retro Kitchen Appliances for the Passionate Chef in You

The advent of technology has made cooking a faster process than it used to be, and that's all down to the ever-improving kitchen gadgets and appliances. However, much as we move forward every day, the inherent chef in you may still love to use some small retro kitchen items to enjoy a blast from the past. 

Retro gadgets are capable of making you feel sentimental; they are the souvenir of humans and their journey in the cooking space throughout the years.

If you would like to relive those good old days, you can go for retro gadgets that have modern technology but give you that pang of nostalgia you're looking for. Here are a few small kitchen appliances that'll fit well with your modern kitchen.

1. Nostalgia Coffee Maker

Coffee lovers, it’s time to take a trip down memory lane. Just as the brand name suggests, the Nostalgia Coffee Maker will give your kitchen a vintage look thanks to its plastic exterior, backlit LED display, and retro turquoise shade. 

The Nostalgia Coffee Maker can brew up to 12 cups of coffee per day, and that’s not all. You can schedule the brewing process using the programmable 24-hour clock and delay timer. The "pause and serve" function helps you brew an entire pot, but you don’t need to wait for the machine to finish brewing to get a cup of coffee.

The coffee flask comes with an anti-drip design, so you need not worry about coffee dripping on the ground while you’re pouring it in a cup. In case you’re late, the "keep warm" function will help the coffee stay warm for two hours. 

We often tend to forget about shutting off electric appliances. To avoid any hazards culminating out of such mistakes, the Nostalgia Coffee Maker has a built-in two-hour automatic shut-off feature. There are three simple controls to run this coffee maker: on/off, program, and hour/minute. 

2. Nostalgia Countertop Microwave Oven

Another quintessential Nostalgia piece to give your kitchen a retro feel. The Countertop Microwave Oven is one of the best retro small kitchen appliances to have, given its compact size, 800W cooking power, and a bunch of other interesting features. 

One of the best things about this oven is its 12 pre-programmed cooking settings. They provide optimal heating for specific dishes like popcorn, pizza, casseroles, chicken, and much more. You don’t need to set minutes separately to heat such foods. 

Talking about setting the minutes, you can use the turn-and-push knob to set them. The dial also allows you to choose a program setting. Delay clock, express control, and child safety lockout mode are some other features this countertop microwave oven offers. 

The LED display will show the current time as well as the foods for which pre-programmed settings are available.  

3. DASH Stand Mixer

If you’re looking to save space in your kitchen, the compact DASH Stand Mixer is the best bet to go for. Weighing only 5 lbs (2.2 kilograms), it can fit within most of the kitchen cabinets without hassle. A godsend for smaller kitchens.

The DASH Stand Mixer has a power output of 250W and is available in 9 colors. It comes with 2 beaters and dough hooks respectively. You can operate this mixer at six different speeds for different purposes, like mixing, beating, creaming, kneading, and whipping.

The Dash Stand Mixer is a great tool to use for kneading cookie doughs, beating eggs, whipping meringue, cooking soups and sauces, and much more. Apart from the mixer, you get a stainless steel mixing bowl, a 1-year manufacturer warranty, and a recipe book as accessories. The Dash Stand Mixer is also super easy to clean and will go well with your retro-themed kitchen. 

4. Frigidaire Beverage Cooler

The Frigidaire Beverage Cooler has a glossy finish and looks like a product straight from the 1970s. The shiny carrying handle lets you carry it anywhere with you. It is one of the best small kitchen appliances to have if you’re you love camping or traveling. 

You can use this compact Frigidaire Cooler to store beverage bottles, milk, yogurt, smoothies, cheese, fruits, or your lunch. The flush-back design allows you to place it anywhere in the kitchen or any other room without worrying about space occupancy. 

The Frigidaire Beverage Cooler can hold six cans or 4 litres of liquid. The fully insulated interior is easy to clean and cools up to 20 degrees. To operate the Frigidaire Beverage Cooler, you need to plug it into an outlet or 12V car chargers.

5. Smeg Kettle

The Smeg Kettle has a shiny look that gives it a retro premium feel when you use it. Available in an array of vintage colors, it is made of stainless steel and has the capacity to hold 7 cups of beverage. The sleek and compact design coupled with the polished chrome swivel base ensures it sports a charming look. 

The Smeg Electric Kettle takes up little space and suits any kitchen or countertop. It can hold up to 1.8 liters of water and boil it at different temperatures depending on the type of tea you wish to rustle up. 

The heating speed is also very quick; it takes only about a minute to heat half of the total volume. A built-in heat sensor will tell you when the water has reached its expected boiling point. 

6. Nostalgia Breakfast Station

Another Nostalgia product to take you to the old epoch. Be it coffee, toast, or any egg dish, all you need is this portable 3-in-1 station to prepare your breakfast items. 

It’s one of the best small kitchen appliances to have if you are camping or frequently going out on picnics with your family. This way, you don’t need to carry a separate coffee maker or an oven along for preparing food on outings. 

You can fit 4 slices of bread or a 7-inch pizza in the toaster; it can also be used to cook other food items like casseroles and cookies. You can toast, grill, or warm items using the control panel. 

The griddle is large enough, removable, and non-stick, so that makes the cleanup process a breeze. The third item is the coffee maker; you can brew up to 3 cups of coffee at a time and it comes with a carafe, scoop, and a reusable filter. 

7. Magnetic Retro Kitchen Timer

The Magnetic Retro Kitchen Timer is a great gadget to add a retro touch to your kitchen; the best thing about it is that it has an analog timer - the perfect item to have in a vintage kitchen. 

The fact that it is magnetized means you can stick it to any other appliance: a fridge, oven, or coffee maker. The 55-minute analog clock is crystal clear and will make sure you never burn another pizza. 

The retro kitchen timer has a pretty robust build quality and a strong magnetic base that will make sure it stays tightly attached to any appliance. If you turn down the clock all the way to 0, the alarm will go off the moment it completes 1 hour. However, the sound of the ring isn’t too loud, so make sure you’re close by when the timer is about to stop. 

8. Air Fryer Oven Cooker

Health-conscious consumers are always looking out for ways and means to improve their diet. If you’re one such enthusiast, the Air Fryer Over Cooker will surely appeal to you with its useful features.

The hallmark of this appliance is the rapid air circulation technology, which results in healthier food at a faster rate. Thanks to this feature, you don’t need to add oil to your food. The air fryer prepares fried dishes with 85% less fat as opposed to traditional frying. It can hold food for one or two people at the most. 

You can control the temperature using the knob while cooking your recipes. From chicken wings and fries to appetizers and desserts, there’s hardly a thing this Air Fryer Oven Cooker can’t do. 

The detachable non-stick basket is pretty easy to clean, which is ideal for couples or individuals who wish to save time washing utensils. The air fryer is lightweight and compact in size, and that’s the perfect combination to look for if you’ve plans to carry a cooking appliance for a travel journey or an outing. 

9. Dash Rapid Egg Cooker

The bright mint color and the shiny finish of this Dash Rapid Egg Cooker will surely take you down memory lane. This Dash Rapid Egg Cooker can cook up to 6 eggs in one go. You can cook an array of different dishes like scrambled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, omelets, and much more. 

This egg cooker can get the job done within minutes. The fact that it is compact and lightweight allows it to fit in any place in a small kitchen or a dorm room. This array of features easily make it one of the best retro small kitchen appliances you need to have in your kitchen. 

The Rapid Egg Cooker comes with a 1-year manufacturer warranty, along with an omelet tray, poaching tray, boiling tray, measuring cup, and a 6-egg holder tray. 

10. Nostalgia Slush Drink Maker

The Nostalgia Slush Drink Maker comes in a retro shiny red color that gives it the quintessential retro appearance. However, the technology it uses is as modern as it gets. 

The freezing chamber can hold 32 ounces of slush drinks at one time, which means you can easily use it for large gatherings. Put the crushed ice and salt in the container; the dasher and the non-stick canister will consistently produce slush drinks. 

The Slush Drink Maker has 3 simple switches: "freeze", "off", and "dispense". When you turn on the switch, the spout starts dispensing the slush drink. The cup is detachable, so you can easily have single servings in it without much hassle. Cleaning the Slush Drink Maker is a breeze, thanks to the drip tray. 

11. Retro 4-Slice Toaster

If high-end toasters aren’t what you’re looking for, make sure you give this Retro 4-Slice Toaster a try. The round edges and unique design give this stainless steel toaster the quintessential vintage look, while the shiny color with sleek black chrome buttons adds a modern touch. 

The toaster slots are 1.5 inches (3.81 centimeters) wide, so you can easily make foods like bread, bagels, waffles, and much more. Avoid making any oily or watery dish with this retro oven.

It’s common knowledge to see people complaining about crumbs getting lodged in the grooves along with the toasting slot. However, the absence of grooves in this toaster eliminates that issue and makes cleaning easier. Moreover, the toaster also has two trays to collect the crumbs.

For even roasting, make sure you’re toasting at least two pieces of bread at a time. If you push the "Bagel" button, it will only toast the cut side of the bagels. The 4-slice toaster comes with a one-year warranty which can be extended to a further six months if you write an email to the company saying you like the toaster. They’re even generous enough to offer a discount for your next buy along with the warranty extension!