nostalgia

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but it also happens to be the most rushed. Since the name of the game is to fuel up and get out of the house, it doesn't take much to see why not a lot of time is invested meditating on kitchen appliances in the morning. That ambivalence can extend to the design of our breakfast-makers--otherwise they would more often go beyond basic black. Yet sometimes the confluence of convenience, versatility, and design results in something that gives us what we need and looks good doing it.

Appliances that … Read more

The Nostalgia Electrics RMO-400 Microwave Oven is part of a Retro Series collection and looks like it could easily belong in a kitchen of yesteryear--except that it is a microwave. The ubiquitous appliance came to prominence in the '70s and '80s, but to be fair, commercial models were available as far back as the '40s. It is doubtful, however, that any of them resembled this unit. But really, none of that matters--the microwave does look pretty cool.

In use, the 800-watt microwave supplies all modern features that consumers have come to expect, including a turntable and 12 preprogrammed settings. The … Read more

Many soft pretzel recipes call for a dunk in boiling water before baking. This helps to give them their distinctive chewiness and appealing texture. But like all things in the kitchen, cutting corners is a time-honored tradition that will always have a place on the countertop. Often in a clamshell shape.

The Nostalgia Electrics SPF200 Soft Pretzel Factory is a specialty countertop appliance that simplifies the pretzel-making process. Featuring interchangeable plates that can cook batches of either two large pretzels or six smaller ones, the gadget can deliver a round of pretzels in 3 to 5 minutes. No complicated twisting … Read more

Dear Krispy, I'm breaking up with you. Thanks to the new Automatic Mini Donut Factory, there is no longer any reason to venture out into the world.

The $179.99 doughnut maker from Nostalgia Electrics sits on your kitchen counter and magically transforms raw doughnut batter into little halos of sin. All the flipping and frying is handled automatically, with your treats popping out at the far end of the machine.

Safety windows let you observe the action without accidentally frying your fingers. It even has a component called the "donut slide."… Read more

Hot dogs and burgers cooked over an open flame may be associated with summer, but they are not the only foods that go well with warm weather and outdoor activities. A much sweeter option exists, and will be found in the hands--dripping down the fingers--of people everywhere. S'mores seemingly exist mainly to fuel packs of sugar-hungry kids as they tear around on campgrounds, beaches, and parks, but those ravenous (and sticky) youngsters no longer have to wait to get to the great outdoors to enjoy the goopy treat. Now, this high-octane snack can be made easily indoors.

The Nostalgia Electrics SMM-100 Old Fashioned S'Mores Maker … Read more

The 1990s produced so many of our favorite music, movies, toys, and TV shows that we're making this a tribute to the decade. We're talking Supersoakers, TGIF, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Dumb & Dumber, Seinfeld, Gushers, Street Sharks, Clueless, Nerf Guns, Discmans, Laserdiscs, and more!

It's not hard to find a good doughnut. When it comes to availability, the delectable little treats are almost as common as coffee. No matter where you live, chances are somewhere close by a doughnut purveyor has opened up shop. If for some strange quirk of fate, this doesn't happen to be, then the local supermarket is likely to have a counter where the treats are available, and if not, surely the shelves are stocked with the boxed variety. As prevalent as doughnuts may be, however, finding the right one at the right time is not necessarily a … Read more

In a perfect world (or at least kitchen), all flat surfaces would be multitasking areas ready to be put to use for any manner of task. While countertops do offer the ability to be put to use for everything from a staging area to a prep work zone, they become severely limited when transformed into cooking areas via countertop appliances. In a not-so-delicious twist of irony, the most convenient and popular of these appliances feature usefulness that is inversely proportional to countertop versatility. In short, the better a countertop appliance is, the more apt it is to be left in … Read more

A night in at the movies can be an entertaining and relaxing way to spend an evening. Modern home theater systems have evolved to the point where it seems unnecessary to venture out to the local multiplex. The comfort of home can never be topped; while you may or may not have a screaming child or a crying baby in your house, you will in the movie theater. Of course, there is one last thing to consider for movie watching, at home or away: that would be the popcorn.

For whatever reason, movies go down better with a tub of … Read more