Vintage Household Gadgets Quiz
Instructions: Can you still identify the washboards, coffee grinders, and rotary tools that filled grandma's kitchen?
- 1.
What was a washboard used for in the days before electric washing machines?
AScrubbing laundry by hand against its ridged surfaceBDraining excess water from freshly washed dishesCKneading bread dough on a flat surfaceDGrating vegetables for cooking - 2.
A hand-cranked rotary egg beater was a staple in old kitchens. What did turning its handle do?
ASpun two wire-loop beaters to whip eggs or creamBPumped water up from a cistern beneath the counterCTurned a small grinding wheel to sharpen knivesDRotated a spit to roast meat over the stove - 3.
What was the main purpose of the old-fashioned box mangle (or clothes mangle) found in many laundry rooms?
ATo press and smooth wet laundry by rolling it between heavy rollersBTo boil and disinfect clothes in a sealed chamberCTo shake excess water from clothes before hanging them outDTo starch shirt collars using a heated iron insert - 4.
Which kitchen gadget was called a "meat grinder" and was typically clamped to the edge of a countertop?
AA hand-cranked device with a screw feed that minced meat through a perforated plateBA cast-iron skillet with a textured bottom for tenderizing steaksCA large wooden mallet used to pound cuts of meat flatDA wire-mesh strainer for rinsing raw meat under the faucet - 5.
What was a "sad iron" (also called a flat iron) used for in the 19th and early 20th centuries?
APressing and smoothing wrinkles from clothingBSealing the edges of homemade piesCCrushing ice chipped from the iceboxDHolding down pie crusts while baking - 6.
A "coffee grinder" in grandmother's kitchen usually looked like a small wooden box with a handle on top. What did turning the handle do?
ARotated steel burrs that crushed whole coffee beans into groundsBPumped hot water through a filter to brew coffee directlyCStirred a pot of percolating coffee to keep it from burningDOpened and closed a valve to dispense coffee from a large urn - 7.
What was a "butter churn" designed to do?
AAgitate cream repeatedly until the fat globules clumped together into butterBPasteurize raw milk by heating it to a precise temperatureCSeparate cream from whole milk using a spinning drumDMold freshly made butter into decorative block shapes - 8.
What was the purpose of an icebox (the kind that used an actual block of ice) in homes before electric refrigerators?
ATo keep food cold using a large block of ice placed in a top or side compartmentBTo freeze water into ice cubes using a hand-cranked mechanismCTo carbonate beverages by chilling them under pressureDTo store root vegetables at a stable cool temperature underground - 9.
A "cherry pitter" (or cherry stoner) was a handy old kitchen gadget. What did it do?
APushed a metal pin through a cherry to pop out the pit without crushing the fruitBPeeled the skin from cherries using a tiny rotating bladeCSliced cherries in half for use in pies and preservesDMeasured out precise amounts of cherry juice for canning recipes - 10.
What was a "carpet beater" (sometimes called a carpet whip) traditionally used for?
AStriking a hung carpet repeatedly to knock out trapped dust and dirtBSmoothing freshly laid carpet by pressing down the fibersCStretching a newly purchased carpet to fit the dimensions of a roomDApplying carpet dye evenly by tapping pigment into the fibers - 11.
What was the function of a "lard press" in old farmhouse kitchens?
ARendering and pressing cooked pork fat through a perforated plate to produce clean lardBCompressing leftover meat scraps into firm blocks for long-term storageCStamping decorative patterns onto molded blocks of butterDSqueezing juice from cooked fruit to make jellies and preserves - 12.
What was a "nut cracker" shaped like a metal or wooden screw clamp used for in old kitchens?
ACracking open hard-shelled nuts like walnuts and pecans without smashing the nut meatBSealing the metal lids onto glass canning jars during preserving seasonCClamping a meat grinder or food mill firmly to the countertop edgeDPressing garlic cloves through tiny holes to mince them finely - 13.
What was a "waffle iron" of the early 20th century typically heated by?
APlacing it directly on a wood or gas stove burnerBFilling it with hot coals from the fireplaceCPlugging it into an electric wall outletDSetting it in a pan of boiling water on the stove - 14.
What was a "corn sheller" used for on old farms and in rural kitchens?
ARemoving dried kernels from a dried ear of corn quickly by hand or crankBRemoving the green husk and silk from a fresh ear of sweet cornCGrinding dried corn kernels into cornmeal flourDCutting corn kernels off a fresh cob for cooking - 15.
A "bootjack" was a V-shaped wooden or iron device kept near the back door of old homes. What was it used for?
AGripping the heel of a boot so you could pull your foot out without bending downBStretching a new pair of leather boots to fit a wider footCScraping mud and manure off the soles of boots before entering the houseDPolishing the toes of boots by rocking them back and forth on a buffing pad
Answer Key
A washboard is a ribbed or corrugated board — usually wood, zinc, or glass — used to scrub clothes against while washing them by hand in a tub of soapy water. Families relied on them for laundry well into the mid-20th century.
Turning the handle of a rotary egg beater spins two interlocked wire loops at high speed, beating air into eggs, cream, or batters. These ingenious gadgets were invented in the 1850s and remained the go-to kitchen tool until electric mixers became common.
A mangle (or wringer) used two rollers pressed tightly together to squeeze water out of freshly washed laundry and leave it smooth. Early box mangles used a weighted box rolling over a barrel-shaped drum. They saved hours of hand-wringing work.
A countertop meat grinder clamps firmly to the table edge. You feed chunks of meat into the hopper, turn the hand crank, and a rotating screw (worm gear) pushes the meat through a die plate with small holes — producing fresh ground meat long before grocery stores sold it pre-ground.
A sad iron — "sad" coming from an old English word meaning solid or heavy — was a heavy cast-iron pressing iron heated on the stove or fireplace and then used to smooth wrinkles from clothes. Housewives typically kept several heating at once so they could swap them as they cooled.
A classic box coffee grinder holds whole beans in a small hopper. Turning the top handle rotates two steel or cast-iron burrs that crack and grind the beans; the fresh grounds fall into a small drawer at the bottom. The adjustable gap between the burrs controlled how coarse or fine the grind came out.
A butter churn converts heavy cream into butter through mechanical agitation. As the dasher (a plunger or paddle) is worked up and down — or a barrel churn is rotated — the fat globules in the cream break apart and then clump back together, separating solid butter from liquid buttermilk.
An icebox was an insulated wooden cabinet — lined with tin or zinc — with a compartment at the top or side that held a large block of ice delivered by the iceman. Cold air from the ice settled into the lower food compartment, keeping perishables cool. The melting ice drained into a pan underneath that had to be emptied daily.
A cherry pitter works by positioning a cherry in a small cup and then pressing a lever that drives a thin rod straight through the fruit, neatly pushing the pit out the other side while leaving the cherry whole. This made the tedious job of pitting pounds of cherries for jam or pie much faster.
Before vacuum cleaners, cleaning a carpet meant hauling it outside, hanging it over a fence or clothesline, and beating it vigorously with a flat wicker or wire carpet beater. The impacts dislodged embedded dust and grit that a broom simply could not reach. Saturday carpet-beating was a familiar chore in most households.
A lard press (also called a sausage press or lard squeezer) was used after rendering — cooking down pork fat — to squeeze the remaining fat out of the solids called "cracklings." The clean, white lard pressed out was a prized cooking fat used for frying, baking biscuits, and making pie crusts.
The screw-style nut cracker works by placing a walnut or pecan in the jaws and tightening the screw until the shell cracks — allowing the nut meat inside to come out in larger, usable pieces rather than being smashed to fragments. Cracking nuts by hand for holiday baking and candy-making was a cherished family tradition.
Early 20th-century waffle irons were simple hinged cast-iron molds placed directly over a stove burner to heat up. The cook would grease the patterned plates, pour in batter, and flip the iron partway through cooking. Electric waffle irons did not become widely available in American homes until the 1930s.
A corn sheller strips dried, hard kernels from a dried cob — a job needed before feeding corn to animals or sending it to the mill for grinding. The hand-held cast-iron sheller had an oval opening; forcing a cob through it scrubbed off all the kernels in seconds. Larger crank models could shell bushels of corn quickly.
A bootjack has a V-shaped notch at one end; you stepped on the flat heel, hooked the notch under your boot heel, and then lifted your foot — the device held the boot firmly while your foot slipped free without stooping. They were essential in working households where heavy mud-caked boots were worn every day.