7 Old-School Kitchen Gadgets That Defined The '90s

The 1990s were the decade that gave us boy bands, Pokémon, and an unreasonable fear of the coming millennium, but it was also the defining age of novelty gadgets. Long before smart small kitchen appliances started filling our homes, countertops and cabinets were brightened up by multi-functional tools designed to save time, remove fat, and part you from your hard-earned cash. The late-night infomercial prompted millions of amateur cooks to purchase items that claimed to make their culinary lives easier and their food so much better.

From popcorn makers that allowed you to enjoy an authentic movie theater experience in your living room, to a rotisserie oven that proudly displayed your rotating chicken as it cooked, the '90s were filled with fun kitchen appliances that many of us look back on with nostalgia. Though some, such as the revolutionary George Foreman grill, are still regularly used in kitchens today, many '90s classics made their way from the counter to the back of the cupboard, and sadly, eventually to the trash can. Let's take a trip down memory lane with a look at several old-school kitchen gadgets that defined the decade.

If you were a child in the 1990s, you probably grew up with the smell of freshly baked bread making its way through the house. That bread likely wouldn't have been made in the oven, but in a dedicated bread machine that was one of the star kitchen appliances of the decade.

Bread machines took the chore of making bread and automated most of it: Simply mix the ingredients together, pour them into the machine, and press the button. The bread maker would then knead the dough and cook the bread, and the hardest thing you needed to do was remove the freshly cooked loaf from the machine without burning your fingers. The convenience of this new appliance meant that making bread from scratch was suddenly an easy task, and with the delay function that most models had, you could even add the ingredients before work and return home to a soft, warm loaf ready to be sliced and slathered in butter.

By the turn of the century, the novelty of the at-home bread machine had started to wear off, and many bread enthusiasts had returned to baking their artisan loaves the old-fashioned way. The dough function of the bread maker means that they can still be used to knead the dough, and they can actually be used for foods that aren't bread, too, but for most people, the days of one-touch bread baking are long gone.

The highlight of movie nights throughout the 1990s was undoubtedly the hot air popcorn maker. Capable of creating what felt like dozens of buckets-worth of popcorn straight from the kernel, it was a novelty appliance that every '90s kid loved.

The big claim from brands such as Presto was that the hot air popper could make delicious popcorn without the need for any oil. The kernels were popped using only hot air, meaning that typically unhealthy and greasy popcorn could now be enjoyed as a healthy snack. Some models, such as the Presto PopCornNow, also had a self-buttering section, in case you were in the mood to make it slightly more indulgent, and Black and Decker released a version that fitted onto the kitchen cabinet. 

By the end of the '90s, popcorn making had moved firmly to the microwave, but for those who grew up with the noise of the popcorn maker from the kitchen counter, it is a nostalgic memory that can't be beaten. They may have ended up taking up far too much room at the back of a kitchen cupboard, but when sat in front of the TV, nothing felt more special than watching the fluffy bites of air tumbling down the chute.

If there was one kitchen appliance that revolutionized home kitchens in the 1990s, it had to be the George Foreman Grill. The Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine was a feature of infomercials from its release in 1994, and provided a unique manner to cook foods from burgers and steaks to vegetables and fish.

The signature sloping grill was designed to let fat drip away from food, mainly meat, during the cooking process, where it was collected in a plastic tray. With a big focus on low-fat food in the '90s, this meant that meats that were usually off the menu could now be enjoyed with a lower fat content. With boxer Foreman leading the campaign, the grill sold over 100 million units, spurred on by his demonstrations of the grill following his amazing heavyweight title win.

Another attraction of the grill was the variety of sizes it came in. From a small version that could cook two steaks or burgers at a time, to a family-friendly jumbo size that could handle multiple portions of meat and veg, there were plenty of options to suit, depending on the size of your family and kitchen. The grill is still available now and remains a convenient way to grill food, but its popularity is nothing like it was at the height of its '90s fame.

If you've always thought that the one thing your modern kitchen is missing is the ability to cook a rotisserie chicken on your countertop, this next '90s appliance would have been the perfect solution. Most people who were around in the '90s will remember the Ronco Showtime Rotisserie, famously presented by the charismatic Ron Popeil in late-night infomercials. His signature slogan, "Set it and forget it," became one of the most iconic catchphrases of '90s commercials.

The oven itself was a practical option that allowed users to watch their chicken rotate as it cooked through the glass window on the front. The design of the oven meant that the fat dripped away from the meat, meaning a rotisserie chicken could be enjoyed even by the health-conscious. For those worried that they may become bored of chicken, there was no need to worry. The infomercials highlighted that a variety of meats could be roasted, including pork, lamb, and even seafood such as salmon and shrimp. The novelty of having a showstopping rotisserie oven spinning chickens for all to see on your countertop waned as the '90s faded from view, but at its peak, it was the must-have appliance and is remembered fondly by those who enjoyed Ron's late-night patter.

It seems crazy now to think that in decades past, we were desperate to part with our money in exchange for a utensil that would slice vegetables and shoot them into a bowl, but the 1990s salad shooter is proof that we did. With a 1994 commercial showing slices of veggies launching themselves out of the appliance onto an unsuspecting salad, the salad shooter was a little ridiculous, but it seemed to solve a slicing issue of the time.

The '90s were an important decade for healthy eating trends, and a novelty gadget that allowed you to whip up a flavorful salad in a fraction of the time fit perfectly. Though salads are not exactly the most time-consuming meal when it comes to prep, removing the hassle of actually chopping the vegetables made it even more straightforward.

In case anyone needed some extra functionality to be convinced, the Salad Shooter could also shred cheese for topping a pizza, or potatoes for crispy hash browns, making it a multifunctional appliance even for days when salad wasn't on the menu. In the end, many people realized it was one of those appliances that takes more effort to clean and reassemble than it would have to chop the veggies by hand in the first place, so it ended up relegated to the back of many kitchen cupboards.

If you have a vague recollection of a bulky plastic circular appliance in your childhood kitchen that magically produced apple chips and the occasional beef jerky, it was likely the Ronco Food Dehydrator. Another appliance that capitalised on the 1990s health trends, the dehydrator allowed users to dry their own fruit and other items in the comfort of their own home, giving them personalisation when it came to chewy, healthy snacks.

Preparing the food was easy, and the infomercials showed children loading up the trays with fruits such as bananas and strawberries to show just how simple it was. It may sound like the perfect idea, but there was a rather big catch: time. Dehydrating is a slow process compared to cooking, and while some fruits can be dried in a few hours, many took dozens of hours to transform from juicy fruit to dried, chewy snack. Dehydrators are still popular with some in the health niche, but as a mainstream appliance, their heyday is most certainly over.

While many of the most iconic 1990s kitchen appliances were brand new gadgets that exploded thanks to late-night infomercials, others made a more subtle entrance — having been released in the 1970s and 1980s but becoming mainstays of '90s kitchens. The Tupperware Quart pitcher was a great example of a '90s fixture that remains in the memories of those who grew up with them, despite no nostalgic TV commercials to burn them into our brains.

Tupperware was only sold at the famous Tupperware parties, and the '90s were the last decade when in-person meetings to sell the plastic goods were significant social events. This particular pitcher has a definite old-school ring to it: sturdy, built to last, and available in a variety of retro colors, including the classic harvest orange. With its signature push-button lid, it was regularly filled with Kool-Aid and served at family parties, making it a nostalgic appliance for those of us who grew up in the decade. In spite of the fact that most of them would probably have survived well into the new millennium, the move toward sleek, lightweight kitchen items meant that this classic Tupperware ran out of steam in the Noughties, but the sight of this classic pitcher still triggers nostalgic memories of garden parties and movie nights.