10 Home Appliances That Were Wildly Popular—and Now Extinct
From clunky iceboxes to quirky egg cubers, these now-extinct home appliances once defined convenience and style — until technology and changing tastes made them relics of a bygone era.
- Alyana Aguja
- 3 min read
Once a necessity in households, these now-defunct devices conditioned everyday life with their quirky appearance and groundbreaking technology. From the clunk of a rotary phone to the retro allure of the console television, these household legends were once the epicenter of convenience and entertainment. However, as innovation accelerated, newer, sleeker technology supplanted them — leaving memories of a more simple, yet somehow distinctive, domestic era behind.
1. The Icebox
Image from Shopee Philippines
Prior to electric refrigerators, the icebox dominated kitchen spaces between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It employed huge chunks of ice to cool the perishables and had the local “iceman” deliver it regularly. The icebox started melting into oblivion as soon as modern refrigeration came in the 1930s.
2. The Mangle (Clothes Wringer)
Image from Ubuy Philippines
A fixture in laundry rooms from the late 1800s to the 1950s, the mangle employed two rollers to remove water from garments. It was hazardous to users, particularly women, who lost their fingers or more. With spin cycles and electric washing machines, the mangle was soon outdated.
3. The Rotary Phone
Image from CCP Solutions
There was a time when every house had the comforting, reassuring click-click-click of a rotary phone. Developed in the early 20th century and widespread until the 1980s, these phones were tough but time-consuming to use. The introduction of touch-tone phones and later cell phones rendered them completely impractical.
4. The Percolator Coffee Pot
Image from Ebay PH
Prior to when drip coffee makers became the norm, the percolator was the primary brewing machine in American homes from the 1930s to the 1970s. It produced a strong, often bitter brew by repeatedly circulating boiling water through coffee grounds. When folks wanted smoother coffee, drip machines and single-serve pods took their place.
5. The Slide Projector
Image from Ubuy Philippines
From the 1950s to the 1980s, families congregated to watch vacation pictures on walls through the Kodak Carousel slide projector. The whir and dramatic clack between slides characterized hundreds of living room presentations. Digital cameras and computer slideshows made this machine a museum artifact.
6. The Console TV
Image from Wikipedia
Half TV, half piece of furniture, console TVs were large wooden cabinet televisions that served as decorative elements in mid-century houses. A hit from the 1950s to the early 1980s, they were clunky and about impossible to move. The arrival of light, flat-screen TVs drove these living room monsters to extinction.
7. The Record Console (Hi-Fi Cabinet)
Image from Etsy
These stylish, sometimes huge pieces consolidated turntables, radios, and speakers into one stylish package. During the 1950s to 1970s, they represented middle-class chic and family fun. However, with music tech miniaturizing and personalizing, such as with Walkmans and portable stereo units, they fell by the wayside.
8. The Pop-Up Toaster with Manual Timer
Image from SM Appliance
Prior to smart toasters and electronic timers, early pop-up toasters between the 1920s and 1950s required you to flip the toast manually or time it by guesswork. Toast for too long, and you’d have charcoal; too brief and you’d be gnawing on warm bread. Modern thermostats and sensors substituted these finicky antiques.
9. The CRT TV with Built-In VCR
Image from Inverse
In the 1990s, a TV with an inbuilt VHS player was the epitome of convenience for film buffs and children’s cartoon marathons. Space-saving and free from cable mess, these had short lifespan and repairability. With the advent of DVDs, Blu-ray, and streaming, the hybrid device met its quiet demise.
10. The Egg Cuber
Image from Amazon UK
A novelty hit from the 1970s, the egg cuber molded peeled hard-boiled eggs into square perfection. It was a little odd, unnecessary, and irresistible, reflecting the time’s obsession with novelty kitchen devices. With its short-lived cult following, nobody particularly noticed when it disappeared from store shelves.