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My home's original kitchen cabinets were moved to the basement during a mid-1960's renovation. |
Showing posts with label vintage kitchen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vintage kitchen. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
What's in the basement?
I've been living with so much inherited stuff for so long that I no longer see it. While looking at pictures I'd taken in the basement to use as examples of my mother's selective pack-rat hoard I was surprised by what I hadn't noticed. There's a lot more to be done before presenting it here but I had to show off a little something that vintage decorators will appreciate.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The versatile, indestructible Mixmaster
Sunbeam's Mixmaster was almost indestructible. How many of us have the same sturdy old mixer used by our parents and grandparents? With proper maintenance this wonderful little machine will last for decades.
My parents used a Model 9 Mixmaster, produced in 1948. I couldn't pronounce the name correctly and instead called it a Mah-coo. Yes, I heard that story for years and years. The Mah-coo sits on my kitchen counter and still works.
In the early '50's my dad bought two optional attachments and I remember watching in the kitchen as he experimented with his new toys. When Dad tried the meat grinder- food chopper for the first time he used boiled potatoes instead of meat. I was more interested in trying to grab and eat the resulting potato-spaghetti. He also bought the drink mixer and made milkshakes with chocolate ice cream.
Other attachments shown in the instruction book provide insight into the evolution of the modern kitchen. For example, we take an electric can opener for granted but 60 years ago it was a marvelous innovation and was described with over-the-top enthusiasm. The description is also amusingly sexist, stating that women hate to open cans and have to rely on someone else to do this difficult task. Click on a picture to enlarge it.
Especially for my friend Thea... Because the instruction book generally disappears before the mixer wears out I've scanned a couple of pages related to care and maintenance.
The machine has to be oiled and greased from time to time. I've used products from the Singer Sewing Machine company to do both.
Additional information: Mixmaster collector, repairman and seller DecoDan has photos of his exceptional collection at http://www.decodan.com/Attachments .
My parents used a Model 9 Mixmaster, produced in 1948. I couldn't pronounce the name correctly and instead called it a Mah-coo. Yes, I heard that story for years and years. The Mah-coo sits on my kitchen counter and still works.
In the early '50's my dad bought two optional attachments and I remember watching in the kitchen as he experimented with his new toys. When Dad tried the meat grinder- food chopper for the first time he used boiled potatoes instead of meat. I was more interested in trying to grab and eat the resulting potato-spaghetti. He also bought the drink mixer and made milkshakes with chocolate ice cream.
Other attachments shown in the instruction book provide insight into the evolution of the modern kitchen. For example, we take an electric can opener for granted but 60 years ago it was a marvelous innovation and was described with over-the-top enthusiasm. The description is also amusingly sexist, stating that women hate to open cans and have to rely on someone else to do this difficult task. Click on a picture to enlarge it.
Especially for my friend Thea... Because the instruction book generally disappears before the mixer wears out I've scanned a couple of pages related to care and maintenance.
The machine has to be oiled and greased from time to time. I've used products from the Singer Sewing Machine company to do both.
Additional information: Mixmaster collector, repairman and seller DecoDan has photos of his exceptional collection at http://www.decodan.com/Attachments .
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