I am never an early adopter, but I always check out the latest kitchen equipment and gadgets. I recently was dismayed to discover that I only own some of the gadgets that were highly recommended in a 1916 issue of Ladies Home Journal. I obviously have some catch-up to do.
A Hundred Years Ago 
I think I’m quite a few gadgets beyond these. 🙂
I agree – My kitchen cupboards and drawers are overflowing with gadgets. 🙂
The first item shown actually is an adaptation of a porcelain version that was available in the earliest American dinnerware. I had a set, but unfortunately sold it and don’t have a pic. It was Adamantine china, with a triangular shape and a brown transferware design. The Adamantine mark belonged to the Wheeling Pottery Company of Morgantown, West Virginia, and indicated pieces made between 1888 and 1893.
It’s so neat to see this set. For the women of 1916, it would have been “the latest thing,” and a cool update of an old-fashioned idea!
The porcelain version sounds really cool. I’ll have to pay attention to this and see if there are any of these when I go to flea markets and antique shops. West Virginia and western Pennsylvania had some well-know glass and porcelain factories in days gone by.
I think a pot holder would have been easier. 🙂
I had the same thought. In my opinion, hot food could easily be spilled when using a “hot pan lifter.”
Great post! I love the things that you find and share with us.
I’m glad you liked it. I have fun finding the things that I post.
I guess the original ideas may be the best. Some things you can’t improve on.
I actually was surprised how long ” glass fireproof casserole dishes” have been around.
I love the first one! Perfect for shrimp?
I agree – It would be perfect for shrimp.
I’m so clumsy in the kitchen. I think I would be better with a pot holder than the hot pan lifter.
I had exactly the same reaction. It’s interesting how different people prefer to use different methods when handling hot dishes. My children strongly prefer hot mitts over hot pads – but I think that my tactile sense is much better with hot pads and almost never use hot mitts.
I agree with Laura about being clumsy in a kitchen .. I use oven mitts for I’m great for burning myself other wise!😏 The casserole bowl is lovely,wouldn’t mind owning one of these. Wouldn’t a baked custard look wonderful being served in this dish..
I can almost see a custard in that dish. It would be lovely. I have an old rectangular casserole dish that has an embedded glass design similar to this one. I never use it because I worry that due to its age it wouldn’t be able to handle the heat in my oven. I’m now wondering if I’ve been too cautious. Maybe I should try making a hundred-year-old recipe in it.
I love that glass casserole dish!
It is pretty. They had some lovely designs back then.
Hahahaha! Definitely an early adopter if you are thinking about purchasing items that came out in 1916. 🙂
I meant, definitely not an…
I prefer to see which gadgets stand the test of time. 🙂
I agree with the previous comment – I love the glass casserole dish, too! It looks really pretty. Fun to see the prices as well.
There’s been a lot of inflation since 1916. The $3.50 casserole dish was probably quite pricey at the time. 🙂
I love the glass casserole also..the pot holder would not be for me ..I would drop that clumsy klutz which I am….I still have my nan’s mincer which belonged to her mum and I still use it 🙂
I’m with you – I’m sure that I’d drop the dish if I tried to use that hot pan lifter. It looks like it would be really hard to use.
me too – I have enough trouble with oven mits! ha ha
I especially like the lid lifter! Sometimes I see old kitchen gadgets at estate sales, and am tempted to buy them, just because. A few of them remind me of the things that were in my grandmother’s kitchen, and some of them are still useful. Others, not so much.
How true – some gadgets stand the test of time; most don’t. 🙂
I like these gadgets. I especially like the salad bowl. The would come in handy for more than salads: desserts and punch come to mind.
They certainly were creative back then. 🙂
They were creative – Sometimes I think that if the people who designed these items could get into a time machine that they would be able to design kitchen gadgets for Williams-Sonoma without missing a beat. 🙂
Wish someone made that pretty glass casserole dish now…it would be very nice for entertaining.
So do I. . . hmm, here’s a hint for someone designing kitchen equipment about what at least the two of us would buy. 🙂
Absolutely.
How cute is the hot pan lifter..I’m forever in a hurry to lift the lid off while cooking and could use something like this…cute post…PS: a huge gadget junkie myself…
I’m glad you liked this post. Gadgets are so much fun! 🙂
How funny! Just thinking of all the different gadgets a kitchen required over time and how they’ve changed. We just bought a heavy-duty grill pan with holes to put on our grill and we are enjoying it so much. It’s easy to cut up veggies and put them on without them falling in the grill. Could have used this accessory years ago!
I need a grill pan like the one you have. I’m always having problems with food falling into the grill. 🙂
I don’t know how I missed this! I love this. I wonder if my great grandmothers had these! 🙂
I’m betting that they did. 🙂