The Once-Popular Countertop Appliance That Dominated '70s Kitchens

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What's your favorite countertop appliance? For years, niche appliances have come and gone with the latest trends. Whether that's an Instant Pot, a Ninja blender, an air fryer, an ice cream maker, or a juicer, there's always some fun new piece of tech that comes along to make life in the kitchen easier. It's hardly a new thing, either. Once upon a time, even a microwave or an electric kettle was an innovative new gadget. Back in the 1970s, kitchens across the country were home to electric skillets designed to make cooking just about anything much easier.

The earliest version of the electric skillet was invented by Westinghouse in 1911, but an inability to adjust the temperature made that version inconvenient to use. It wasn't until Sunbeam made a model with temperature controls in the 1950s that the device really caught on. Over the next two decades electric skillets rose to prominence but later began to fade from the mainstream.

Their convenience and ease of use made electric skillets game changers. You could remove the power cord and wash one in the sink. You'd also consume less electricity in this smaller pan than when using the whole oven. If you wanted to cook some eggs, maybe a typical frying pan on the stovetop would be just as efficient. But if you were making a one-pot dinner with a small roast and some potatoes, you could use the electric frying pan and not trouble yourself with heating the oven.

Many electric frying pans were deep and had domed lids, providing a large cooking area. They plugged in with an adapter that had a thermostat attached so you could adjust the temperature. at least some of them could reach as high as 420 degrees. Many models had legs, so they could double as a serving dish on the table, too. There were plenty of ways to use an electric skillet, including making roasts, fried chicken, casseroles, and more. It could go from cooking a meal to keeping appetizers warm at a party just by moving it to a different room and adjusting settings. A downside, however, was the fact most were heated by a simple coil on the bottom, so they could develop hot spots and heat unevenly.

During the 1970s, home cooking technology began to outpace the electric frying pan. Electric ovens became more efficient, especially thanks to self-cleaning functions. Convection ovens allowed food to cook faster, and the microwave oven became ubiquitous. Other innovations, from induction heating to smooth cooktops, meant that the electric frying pan was no longer as convenient as it once was.

Electric frying pans are still available. One of the best-selling models on Amazon, the Presto Foldaway Skillet, has over 15,000 reviews. If you like the idea of using less energy and having less cleanup, we've covered some of the best electric skillets so you can check them out for yourself.