1970S DEVICES WE BOUGHT AND HARDLY USED IN THE INNER WEST

The 1970s were years that heralded an immense period of change. It was the post-Woodstock era, the time of the Vietnam war and conscription (until 1972). It was also the era when technology really started to take hold. Remember the first mobile phone or ‘bricks’ as many people called them?

A decade of technological advances

The 1970s saw a huge surge in technological advances. This was the decade when the world’s first microprocessor was developed and the invention of the floppy disk. It was also when microwave ovens were first widely available to domestic households.

And, who can forget those first clunky VCRs and the popular Sony Walkman? It was also the decade when new home appliances were constantly being invented and advertised so widely that almost everyone had to go out and buy them.

1970s appliances you probably never use

If you have a look through your cupboards, you probably have a few of these appliances from back in the 70s stashed away at the back somewhere. It’s unlikely that these have seen much use.

That’s because, in the 70s, kitchens were often bright and colourful and bench tops were cluttered with any number of garishly coloured appliances such as burnt orange, avocado green, and even gold.

These inventions were designed to make creating dishes such as Chicken à la King, Black Forest Gateau (never ‘cake’), cheesecake, Chicken Maryland, vol-au-vents, apricot chicken, and prawn cocktails easier. Especially, since many women were also working and didn’t have time to spend hours preparing the evening meal.

Can you remember inviting your friends over for a fondue party? While this was undoubtedly popular in the 70s, much of the younger generation wouldn’t even know what that was.

So, have a hunt through your cupboards and see if you still have one of these items:

• Electric can opener
• Fondue set
• Electric knife
• Popcorn maker
• Ice cream maker
• Vertical grill
• Crockpot
• Soda stream
• Deep fryer
• Electric food slicer
• Waffle maker
• Electric frypan
• Teasmade
• Stand mixer

Apart from taking a trip down memory lane, if you do have some of these oldies stashed away, you might want to think about finally getting rid of them as they’re just cluttering up your home.

More recently developed appliances that no one really needs

The 1970s weren’t the only years when kitchen appliance inventions went crazy. More recently, we’ve seen a spate of different appliances that we never knew that we needed. Or, did we? 

Consider items such as the Nutribullet that was supposed to instantly provide you with a healthier lifestyle. Did that work for you?

Other inventions such as vegetable spiralisers, juicers, rice cookers, breadmakers, and air fryers are all designed to make meal preparation faster and easier. But, the downfall is that most of them take longer to clean than the time they save you in preparation.

And, contrary to the 70s, these days kitchens are much cleaner, streamlined, and as uncluttered as possible as we embrace a more minimalist lifestyle that doesn’t involve hours and hours of cleaning.

We just don’t have room for multiple appliances anymore, especially as our coffee machines take pride of place on the kitchen bench or the dedicated and funky coffee bar.

Appliance manufacturers keep looking for new inventions that they can entice us to purchase. But, nowadays, these more modern appliances are designed for multi-uses so that our kitchens remain uncluttered but meal prep and cooking are a breeze.

What new appliance have you purchased recently? And, can you see yourself using it for years to come?

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