Your Oldest Working Appliance

I was in my kitchen making myself a Slim Fast ice smoothy in my blender and got to thinking about how hold my blender is.

My Osterizer Blender "Imperial Touch n Pulse 10" is 33 years old! It's a 10 speed that can do everything from stir to frappee. It was a house warming gift to my mother back in 1974 when I was 12 years old. I use the blender nearly everyday.

I also have a Sunbeam Electric Mixer that is the same age. It was also a house warming gift to my mother at the same time. It's variable speed and makes the best whipped potatoes!

My toaster is a 1950's chrome model that my Aunt gave to my Dad when my parent's separated. After my Father died I got it and put it into my "Hope Chest" for when I moved out from home. I've had to replace one element in it and the end of the cord. It still works like a dream.

My Sewing machine is a Singer. It was also my Mother's that I inherited back in 1978 when she died. She bought it back in 1964. The only expense in all of that time was $66.00 which I paid to have it cleaned back in the early 1990's.

My Electric Knife is a Sunbeam which was given to me in 1978. It was a duplicate wedding gift to my Brother and his then wife. And rather than returning it, they gave it to me to have for when I moved out a few years later. It works well, but the only time I ever use it is when I make a roast.

So how old are your oldest working appliances that you use. If it sits in the garage and gathers dust or hasn't been used in years, please do not included it. Include just the appliances that you have in use.

My mom had a GE hand mixer for 25 years. It finally broke last year. I'll tell you it was better than any modern hand mixer!

My mom recently gave to me (with great ceremony) her mother's old stand-up mixer, the one I remember Grandma creaming butter and sugar together in, generating the most wonderful smells! It's believed to be a 1948 model, and it works like a dream!

I think my parents replaced their microwave just 1-2 years ago. The previous one, they bought when my younger brother was born, in 1980. Growing up, my friends were always amazed to see a microwave without digital display.

My appliances aren't that old, except for my sewing machine. I think it's from the 60s or 70s. I'll see if I can find the warranty card for it again.

Originally Posted by Duchess15

I'll tell you it was better than any modern hand mixer!

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That goes for almost all older appliances. They were built to last, and they sure do. I'm amazed when I see people throwing out an old appliance in favour of buying something new.

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

If it sits in the garage and gathers dust or hasn't been used in years, please do not included it. Include just the appliances that you have in use.

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Bollocks.

*wanders off to steal an old appliance off someone else*

The microwave dates from 1989. I think we have a couple of blow dryers that are a few years older.

Does the hand cranked meat grinder count? I think it was an antique when my Mom got it so that would make it older than 50 years.

Originally Posted by gemlady

Does the hand cranked meat grinder count? I think it was an antique when my Mom got it so that would make it older than 50 years.

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That was the first thing i was going to say, but we rarely use it. Picked it up from a school fete a few years ago. Its from about the 50s/60s

Originally Posted by gemlady

Does the hand cranked meat grinder count? I think it was an antique when my Mom got it so that would make it older than 50 years.

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Yep, that is an old appliance, or was considered an "appliance" back in the day. Now it's more of a "gadget" than an appliance. My Mom used to have one of those too. I remember her clamping it onto the edge of a table and cranking out ground beef or whatever.

I might have you beat on the blender. Mine is an Osterizer from the late 1960's, early 1970's. It works better than the newer model I bought to give this one a rest.

My Singer sewing machine was purchased by my mom in 1952 and still works great. I have an old treadle sewing machine that was my DH's grandmothers that still works, although I don't use it that much. That one is probably from the 1930's.

When I had my kitchen redone, I ditched the 1972 oven and range top. The oven would turn itself off after 20 minutes anyway.

Our electric knife and microwave are from the seventies and they still work fine except they look like they walked out of the Brady Bunch. My grandma used to have this old green stove that must have been from the early 1960s.

I am going to say our stove...its pea green, I'm guessing from circa 1960's???? The refrigerator was too, but it died late last year. Then our rent went up after we got a new one--coincidence? I think not!!

I have my parents toaster that they got at their wedding which was 35 years ago. It still makes great toast.

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Yep, that is an old appliance, or was considered an "appliance" back in the day. Now it's more of a "gadget" than an appliance. My Mom used to have one of those too. I remember her clamping it onto the edge of a table and cranking out ground beef or whatever.

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We have one of those!! And I just used it last week!

I guess our 1940's toaster doens't count, because we're not using it. We tested it out and it worked, so DH polished the chrome...then it was too nice to use.

The oldest working "appliance" is my grandfather's old pocket watch from around 1920 (no one has been able to give me a positive date).

I have the mixer my parents got as a wedding present in 1962 (I think it is Sunbeam). It still works great, and I still have both original ceramic bowls, and the original beaters. I wouldn't know how to make Christmas cookies or pumkin pies without it! I thought about replacing it with a new one, but...why? It is hidden from the cats though!

I also have a flour sifter that was my great-grandma's. I have no idea how old it is, but it is a Christmas tradition. I normally don't sift flour, but whenever I make peanut butter cookies for Christmas, I at least have to take it out and use it once. It wouldn't be Christmas without it. Maybe I'm silly but that's how I learned to bake.

As far as household appliances go- most need replacing every 10-15 years depending on what they are for the larger items- the more maintance and cleaning that's done on them the longer they usually last- especially air conditioning units down here in the south- they need to be cleaned frequently to avoid build up and rust... Since Colin's house is newer (build in the 90's) i'm really not sure what all was here before he moved in and if it was replaced. My guess as far as the oldest items go would be the oven/stove top, Air conditioning unit, The fridge, and things like that.

We have a new house so nothing large appliance-wise is older than 1.5 years or so. I didn't get any hand-me-downs yet, so nothing old there either.

But the house we almost bought was built in 1976 and every appliance in there was original to the house. Looked like , but still worked!

My sewing machine is 45 years old, and is being serviced right now so I can make my curtains. My mother still uses an electric one that is over 60 years old. I also have a mixer and a toaster that are both around 40 years old, and work fine.

I inherited a 1949 Electrolux XXX from my mom. I honestly have no idea where she got it (it may have been grandma's cast off--mom's a collector of all things deemed "Still good"). I used to tease her that it's a museum piece, then I went to NYC and actually saw it in a museum brought her home the postcard.

I don't use it as much as she did (I'm afraid the cat hair would do it in), but it still works perfectly and it's really neat looking.