My grandson was helping me clean out the garage last month when he pulled out an old fondue set from a box. He looked at it like I’d handed him an artifact from ancient Egypt. “What is this thing?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.

That moment got me thinking about how much has changed in our kitchens over the past few decades. When I was raising my three kids back in the 70s and 80s, certain appliances were absolute staples in every home.

Now? They’ve vanished like smoke, replaced by sleeker gadgets or simply forgotten altogether.

My wife and I had quite a laugh reminiscing about all the contraptions that once cluttered our countertops. So I thought I’d take you on a little trip down memory lane to explore seven kitchen appliances that were everywhere in boomer households but would leave most Gen Z folks scratching their heads today.

1) The electric can opener

Walk into any kitchen in the 70s, and you’d likely spot an electric can opener mounted on the wall or sitting proudly on the counter. These things were considered the height of modern convenience.

I remember when my wife and I got our first one as a wedding gift. We thought we’d really made it in the world. No more struggling with those hand-crank openers that would sometimes slip and leave you with half-opened cans and sore wrists.

The electric can opener was loud, sure, and it took up valuable counter space. But back then, we opened a lot more cans. Canned vegetables, canned soup, canned everything. It was just how things were done.

These days, though, my grandchildren barely know what a manual can opener looks like, let alone an electric one. Everything comes in pouches, microwavable containers, or fresh from the farmer’s market. The times have certainly changed.

2) The fondue pot

Speaking of that fondue set I mentioned earlier, these were absolutely everywhere in the 70s. If you didn’t own at least one fondue pot, were you even hosting dinner parties?

Fondue nights were a whole event in our house. We’d invite the neighbors over, set up the pot in the middle of the dining table, and spend hours dipping bread cubes into melted cheese or fruit into chocolate. It was social, it was fun, and it felt incredibly sophisticated.

My daughter actually asked if she could have our old set for a “retro party” she was throwing. When she showed her kids how it worked, they couldn’t understand why anyone would want to cook at the table when you could just eat food that was already prepared.

Fair point, I suppose. But they’re missing out on the experience, if you ask me.

3) The percolator coffee pot

Before drip coffee makers and fancy single-serve pod machines took over, there was the percolator.

That distinctive bubbling sound and the rich aroma that filled the kitchen in the morning was the soundtrack of my early working years. You could hear it bubbling away while you got ready for work, creating a rhythm to the morning routine.

Sure, you had to watch it carefully so the coffee didn’t get too bitter. And yes, cleaning it was a bit of a pain. But there was something satisfying about the whole ritual.

Now when I make coffee for my grandchildren during their Sunday visits, they’re baffled by anything that doesn’t involve pushing a single button.

I’ve made peace with my modern coffee maker, but I won’t lie and say I don’t miss that percolator sometimes.

4) The electric knife

Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in the 70s had one thing in common: Dad standing at the head of the table with an electric knife, carving the turkey or roast with what we thought was surgical precision.

These handheld power tools made us feel like kitchen professionals. The vibrating blade sliced through meat like butter, and there was something undeniably satisfying about wielding one.

I used ours religiously for years. Turkey, ham, pot roast, you name it. I even used it to slice homemade bread, though my wife would always roll her eyes at that.

When my son Michael got divorced and I helped him set up his new apartment, he specifically told me not to bother finding him an electric knife. “I’ll just use a regular knife, Dad,” he said. Kids these days have no appreciation for the finer things in life.

5) The popcorn popper

Not the microwave kind. I’m talking about the electric popcorn poppers that sat on your stovetop or counter, complete with a butter melter on top.

Movie nights at our house always started with me setting up the popper while the kids argued over which VHS tape to watch.

You’d pour in the kernels, add some oil, plug it in, and watch through the plastic dome as the popcorn exploded and filled the machine.

The butter melter on top was pure genius. By the time the popcorn was done, you had perfectly melted butter ready to drizzle over everything. It was so much better than the microwave bags they use now, even if it did take a bit more effort.

I kept ours for years after everyone else had moved on to microwave popcorn. Eventually, my wife convinced me to donate it when we downsized.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t regret that decision every time I hear those artificial butter packets popping in the microwave.

6) The electric ice cream maker

Summer weekends when I was raising my kids meant homemade ice cream, thanks to our electric ice cream maker.

This wasn’t one of those fancy modern machines. This was the kind that required ice, rock salt, and patience.

We’d mix up the base, pour it into the canister, pack ice and salt around it, turn on the motor, and wait. The kids would take turns checking on it, their excitement building as the mixture slowly transformed into ice cream.

Was it easier to just buy ice cream from the store? Absolutely. But making it yourself was an experience.

Plus, you could customize the flavors, which led to some interesting experiments over the years.

My grandchildren have never made ice cream from scratch. When I suggested it during one of their visits, they looked at me like I’d suggested we churn our own butter. Maybe next summer I’ll surprise them with a new one and change their minds.

7) The rotisserie oven

Before air fryers became the trendy countertop appliance, there were rotisserie ovens. These bulky machines would slowly rotate a chicken or roast, creating evenly cooked, crispy-skinned perfection.

We got ours in the early 80s, and my wife used it constantly for Sunday dinners. There was something mesmerizing about watching that chicken turn round and round through the glass door, slowly browning to golden perfection.

The downside was these things were massive. They took up half the counter and were a beast to clean. But the results were worth it, at least back then when we had different priorities about convenience.

Now you can get similar results from an air fryer in half the time with a quarter of the space. Progress, I suppose. Though I still maintain nothing quite matched the flavor of a rotisserie oven chicken.

Conclusion

Looking back at all these appliances, I’m struck by how much our relationship with cooking and convenience has evolved.

We thought we were living in the height of modern luxury with our electric can openers and fondue pots. Now those same items sit in thrift stores and garage sales, relics of a different era.

I’m not saying everything was better back then. Modern appliances are faster, more efficient, and take up less space. But there was something about those old gadgets that made cooking feel like more of an event, more of a shared experience.

My grandchildren will never understand the satisfaction of a perfectly percolated cup of coffee or the anticipation of waiting for homemade ice cream to churn. And that’s okay. They’ll have their own nostalgic appliances to confuse their grandchildren with someday.