Everything AND the Kitchen Sink
Kitchens of the 1920s were revolutionary in their capacity for electricity and the access to running water. Kitchen appliances were life changing and labor changing, in the daily operations of the kitchen, propelling the kitchen into the modern age.
GE Monitor Top Refrigerator, 1929, The Cape Fear Museum
Electricity facilitated two methods of food preservation within the 20th century kitchen that modernized how Americans eat. Refrigeration and freezing of foods maintained food’s flavor and also added a layer of food safety to the middle-class palette. Before refrigeration, proper food storage at correct temperatures led to food poisoning and other bacterial issues. Seasonal preservation was no longer an issue because refrigerators, freezers and iceboxes of the 1920s could maintain temperatures year-round.
Sanitary Beater, 1920s, National Museum of American History
Hand beaters were used to beat eggs and emulsify fruits and vegetables. This appliance contains a removable spring for added leverage. The main component is made of glass. Originally would have had paper label printed with: "RAPID FIRE SANITARY BEATER, a marvelously quick producer of results. Beats an egg to proper consistency in fifteen seconds, meaning a great saving in time and labor. Very effective as a cream and mayonaise whip and for making egg nog, Custards, Floating Island and Sauces. Mixes refreshing cool drinks in a few seconds time. Do not operate too fast and keep inside of jar free from water. A pinch of salt helps."
Unbranded Two Slice Butterfly Toaster, 1920s
In the 1920s, Americans bought more than a million electric toasters. Early electric toasters browned only one side per rotation, as did this unbranded example. These electric toasters provided a quicker means for the 1920s housewife to prepare breakfast for the family.The automatic toaster debuted in 1926; it toasted both sides and popped up the finished slice.
La Touraine Coffee, 1920s
Moving into the 20th century, first coffee transitioned from an exotic and stimulating drink to a staple in every modern household’s morning. Far from taking place overnight, this shift in perception and consumption. Combined with the prohibition of the 1920’s, coffee was on a meteoric rise. Folgers had several notable advertisements such as their classic slogan “the best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup;” however, Maxwell House was the dominant advertiser of the era. In 1924 their advertising budget was $276,894.
The New Banana Cookbook, United Fruit Company, 1920s
In the 1920s, bananas accounted for 3.3 percent of total U.S. imports, and by decade’s end, 50% of U.S. imports from central America. Cookbooks and booklets gave middle-class housewives the chance to add variety to their daily menus. By the decade, the export of desert bananas was a lucrative, well established business for the United Fruit Company and other fruit corporations. In 1929, exports from the banana producing areas of tropical America reached a then world-record of 29 million bunches, up dramatically from the 8.4 million of 1912.
Toast and Its Various Uses Cookbook, 1920s
With the advent of the electric toaster, pamphlets promoted the addition of toast to daily meals. This pamphlet states, “Toasting adds to the flavor and nourishment of good bread, its use should be encouraged.” In the 1920s, the growing obsession with toast—and saving time—found expression in sliced bread.
Utility companies went door to door peddling electric toasters, percolators, egg boilers, waffle irons, and even grills for tabletop breakfasts—in order to sell more electricity. They promised that "each electrical outlet in your home is a potential source of comfort and leisure."