20 Forgotten Household Gadgets That Deserve a Comeback in Nevada

Every era had its “must-have” gadgets. Those of the past weren’t sleek or Wi-Fi enabled, but they ruled the kitchen counters and living rooms of their time.

Some came from the back of Sears catalogs, some were wedding gifts no one really asked for, and others showed up at Tupperware parties alongside lime Jell-O molds.

Most of these gadgets in Nevada eventually got shoved into basements, trash, or yard sales. But they had charm, personality, and in some cases, superpowers our modern gadgets just can’t match.

Rotary Phones

There was nothing casual about using a rotary phone. Every call was an event.

You had to line up your finger, drag it around the dial, and wait for the wheel to zip back with that satisfying whirr. God help you if the number had multiple nines. You could age an entire year waiting.

But rotary phones had grit. When you slammed one down after an argument, it was thunderous.

Hanging up an iPhone just doesn’t pack the same punch.

They also anchored family life. Usually mounted on the kitchen wall with a twisted cord long enough to trip the dog, they were the background noise while your mom watched The Price Is Right.

We wish we could bring them back, if only to remind people that patience is a virtue and slamming the phone used to be an art form.

Percolators

Before Keurigs and Starbucks runs, mornings smelled like percolators.

That bubbling sound, the glass knob rattling on top, and the kitchen filling with coffee steam was like a soundtrack for cartoons and buttered toast.

Sure, sometimes the coffee tasted like it could dissolve a spoon, but it got the job done.

You didn’t sip it for notes of hazelnut. You drank it black while flipping through the Sunday comics.

Percolators made enough for the whole family, not just one tiny pod’s worth. Dad got his thermos filled, Mom got her mug, and there was always a little left to reheat in the microwave, even if it tasted like sadness by 2 p.m.

Percolators deserve a comeback, if only because nothing makes a kitchen feel like home faster than that bubbly, slightly ominous sound.

Electric Can Openers

Mounted to the wall or counter, the electric can opener looked like something straight out of The Jetsons. Slide the can in, push a lever, and it purred like a spaceship until the lid popped free.

They were bulky, clunky, and probably weighed more than your toaster, but they felt futuristic.

Watching that little wheel bite into a can of Chef Boyardee ravioli was mesmerizing.

For kids, it was basically kitchen magic. You’d stand there just waiting for the lid to drop with a clink.

For parents, it saved tired wrists from battling Spam tins.

Forget the sleek pull tabs we have now. We want our kitchen counters to look like a retro sci-fi set again.

Popcorn Makers

Before microwave bags, the popcorn maker was the star of Friday night Blockbuster marathons.

You’d dump kernels into the machine, watch them swirl, and then dodge the popcorn that launched across the counter.

Kids fought for the honor of holding the butter-soaked Pyrex bowl under the chute. The smell filled the whole house, mixing with whatever VHS tape was waiting to be rewound.

Sure, microwave bags are easier, but nothing about them says “family night.”

A popcorn maker made you feel like you were running your own concession stand, minus the sticky floors.

Bring it back, preferably with that bright red plastic that screamed “as seen on TV.”

TV Trays

TV trays were the official furniture of family bonding.

You unfolded your metal tray, plopped down in front of the wood-paneled Zenith, and dug into your Salisbury steak frozen dinner while Wheel of Fortune spun in the background.

They were wobbly, they pinched your fingers, and they left rings on the carpet. But they made eating in the living room feel like a holiday.

And let’s be honest: every kid thought balancing chocolate milk on a TV tray was the height of danger and skill.

With streaming now ruling dinnertime, TV trays deserve to rise again.

Someone call Target and start a limited-edition retro line.

Fondue Sets

Nothing said “we’re fancy” in the ’70s like a bubbling fondue pot in the middle of the table.

Dipping hunks of bread into molten cheese felt sophisticated, even if half of it ended up on the carpet.

Chocolate fondue was even better. Strawberries, marshmallows, and bananas turned dessert into a full-contact sport.

Yes, double-dipping was rampant. Nobody cared.

Fondue sets were staples at dinner parties, usually paired with shag carpeting and a pitcher of sangria.

They should come back, not just for the food, but for the spectacle. Dinner should feel like a group activity again.

Polaroid Cameras

Yes, instant cameras are trendy again, but nothing tops the chunky Polaroids of the past.

That satisfying ch-chunk, the photo sliding out, and the frantic shaking like you were performing CPR on cardboard was pure magic.

Half the fun was waiting to see if the picture came out clear or looked like it was shot through a fog machine.

Either way, it was a memory.

They were staples at birthday parties, graduations, and school dances. The smell of the developing chemicals is burned into a whole generation’s brain.

A sleek phone camera can’t recreate that feeling. Bring back the bulky Polaroids that made every snapshot feel like treasure.

Clapper Lights

Two claps, and boom! The lights obeyed you.

The Clapper wasn’t just a gadget; it was a party trick. Kids clapped furiously just to see if they could make it work, while parents muttered about the electric bill.

Commercials made it look like wizardry.

Clap once, you’re in control. Clap twice, you’re basically a superhero.

Forget Alexa and smart bulbs. Nothing will ever beat the smug satisfaction of clapping your way to darkness while snuggled under a mountain of blankets.

It’s time for the Clapper to reclaim its throne.

Handheld Mixers

Before stand mixers became the trophy appliance of wedding registries, handheld mixers ruled the kitchen.

They buzzed like tiny lawnmowers, sprayed flour across the counter, and made every cake batter feel like a science experiment.

The best part was the beaters. Kids begged to lick them clean, even if they were still attached to the mixer and Mom had to warn, “Don’t turn it on!”

The taste of half-whipped brownie batter on a beater is a core childhood memory.

Handheld mixers had no attitude. They didn’t demand counter space or come in colors like “copper pearl.”

They got shoved into drawers next to potato mashers and still came out swinging.

Bring them back. Sometimes you don’t need a $400 machine, you just need something that whirs loud enough to scare the cat.

Ice Cream Makers

Crank-style ice cream makers were family events. You poured ice and rock salt into the bucket, took turns spinning the handle, and waited what felt like three years for it to thicken.

Kids always gave up after two turns, leaving Dad to crank like he was rowing a Viking ship.

The payoff, though, was unbeatable. When that lid finally came off and you scraped out cold, sweet victory, nothing from the freezer aisle could compare.

The smell of vanilla, the sound of the ice grinding, the way the cousins fought over who got to lick the paddle: it was messy, chaotic, and glorious.

Sure, you can buy a pint of Ben & Jerry’s in ten seconds today. But no pint ever tasted like patience and elbow grease.

Corded Vacuums

Corded vacuums were beasts. They had suction strong enough to eat Legos, Barbie shoes, and half the fringe off your grandma’s rug.

They weighed as much as a small car, but they lasted decades.

Yes, the cord tangled itself into knots and you had to hunt down outlets like you were on a scavenger hunt.

But once you revved it up, you knew the carpet was never going to see a speck of dust again.

The smell of a corded vacuum was unmistakable: hot motor mixed with mystery carpet funk. It was weirdly comforting, like you were smelling “clean” in real time.

Cordless models are nice, but they’ll never match the raw power of a Hoover that sounded like a jet engine.

Soda Machines

Before LaCroix and SodaStream, there were countertop soda machines that fizzed water and let you add syrups. They came with little glass bottles that made you feel like you were running your own diner.

Kids mixed syrup flavors until they created neon swamp water, then dared siblings to drink it.

Parents tried to make “healthy soda” with lemon flavor that just tasted like sadness.

The fizz was unpredictable. Sometimes it was perfect, sometimes it exploded like Old Faithful and sprayed stickiness across the kitchen wallpaper.

They deserve a revival, especially in an age when everyone is obsessed with seltzer.

Bread Machines

Nothing in the 1990s smelled better than a bread machine on the counter. You tossed in ingredients, pressed a button, and hours later, the whole house smelled like heaven.

Parents bragged about their “homemade bread” even though the machine did 99 percent of the work.

The loaves were always oddly shaped, like they’d been baked in a shoebox, but nobody cared.

Saturday mornings felt fancier when you sliced into a warm loaf and slathered it with margarine while cartoons played in the background.

Bread machines should return, not just for the carbs, but for that intoxicating smell that no candle has ever been able to copy.

Answering Machines

That blinking red light on the family answering machine was suspense at its finest. You never knew if it meant a call from Grandma, a crush, or the orthodontist reminding you about rubber bands.

Sometimes families screened calls by listening on speaker.

Mom would whisper, “Shh, don’t pick up,” while the whole family crouched around the machine like it was the season finale of a soap opera.

Messages were often cut off, mumbled, or completely confusing, which only added to the drama. And nothing felt cooler than recording your own outgoing message with background music you thought was hilarious.

Voicemail is efficient, but it doesn’t have the theater of that blinking red dot.

Electric Skillets

The electric skillet was the unsung hero of potlucks and reunions. You could fry chicken, keep green beans warm, or make pancakes for an entire softball team.

They weren’t sleek, but they were dependable.

The brown cord stretched dangerously across the table, the glass lid fogged up, and suddenly Aunt Linda’s famous hash was ready for everyone.

For kids, the skillet was magic. It appeared at every gathering, bubbling away like it had a secret life of its own.

They should make a comeback because no air fryer can feed a crowd with that kind of stamina.

Typewriters

The clack of keys, the ding at the end of a line, the thunk of the carriage return: typewriters made writing feel important.

Yes, mistakes were painful. You either started over or covered them with White-Out blobs that never dried.

But that just made every word feel deliberate.