14 Things Every '60s Family Kept in the Kitchen Drawer

The 1960s kitchen drawer contained a surprising number of small family-supporting tools. Bottle openers opened soda caps, measuring spoons guided recipes, and kitchen shears did what scissors couldn’t. Kitchen twine, corkscrews, toothpicks, and vegetable peelers assisted in preparation and serving. When meals required special attention, meat thermometers, ice picks, funnels, and timers helped. Jar openers for stubborn containers and pastry brushes and corn holders for family foods. They were simple, useful, and storeable. They demonstrated how much cooking relied on simple tools that were rarely used but always ready for a meal, recipe, or gathering. These also reflected a time when many meals were homemade.

1. Bottle Opener

A bottle opener was a small but busy tool in many a 1960s kitchen drawer. It lay there among the common utensils until someone brought home a bottle of Coca-Cola or 7 Up or root beer or some other bottled drink. Flat metal openers were common, and some combined a cap lifter with a simple can-piercing point. When the bottles were passed around the table, the opener was often the first thing seen at family meals. It also came in handy when friends were around, and drinks were served in the kitchen. It was a small tool, and seldom got a special place to live. But instead it slid into the drawer and waited for the next meal or afternoon refreshment.

2. Measuring Spoons

Measuring spoons helped make everyday cooking a repeatable routine in 1960s homes. A common set of these included tablespoon, teaspoon, half teaspoon, and quarter teaspoon measures and were often connected with a small metal ring. They were for baking powder, salt, vanilla, spices, and all the ingredients in the family recipes. These measurements were for cookbooks and recipe cards, so the spoons had a practical location near the work area. When a batch of cookies or a pan of dinner rolls was made, the spoons were washed and returned to the kitchen drawer. Thanks to the simple design, they were easy to pick up, use, rinse, and put away again.

3. Kitchen Shears

Kitchen shears were among the more solid tools that could vanish into a packed 1960s drawer. They were designed to handle harder kitchen tasks than ordinary scissors, such as cutting poultry, slicing kitchen twine, opening food packages, or snipping herbs. Many families also made use of them for duties that had nothing to do with cooking, making the drawer even more handy for keeping them. These shears had solid, metal blades and thick handles. After dinner preparation, they were usually washed, dried, and put back in the drawer. If you needed to open a package or cut a string, the familiar pair was often closer than a separate utility tool.

4. Vegetable Peeler

A vegetable peeler in the 1960s kitchen sped up routine food preparation. Before meals were prepared or desserts assembled, metal peelers were used to peel potatoes, carrots, apples, and other produce. The tool came in handy when a family made mashed potatoes, vegetable soup, or an apple pie from scratch. Its narrow blade cut off thin strips without cutting too much of the food below. The peeler was washed and dried and put back into the kitchen drawer after it had been used. It didn’t take up much room, so there wasn’t much point in keeping it somewhere else. When fresh produce was on the counter, the familiar peeler was generally close by.

5. Corkscrew

A corkscrew could lie idle in a kitchen drawer until a bottle with a cork was opened. In 1960s households, it was used for wine, cooking wine, and other corked-sealed bottles. The basic metal corkscrews, the kind with the compact spiral worm and a handle that fits nicely in the hand, you would see a lot. The tool didn’t take up much space, so a drawer was a natural place for it. It may sit around for weeks untouched, then suddenly become useful at a dinner party, holiday meal, or adult gathering. Immediately after opening the bottle, the corkscrew was cleaned if necessary and replaced in its accustomed position among other small kitchen utensils.

6. Toothpicks

Another small item that frequently found its way into the kitchen drawer in the 1960s was toothpicks. There were small boxes or containers of wooden toothpicks that were sold and used after meals, especially for food that got lodged between teeth. They also had practical cooking purposes. A toothpick was used to see if a cake was baked through, to hold a stuffed food together, or to hold a sandwich together for serving. At parties, guests sometimes picked up olives, cheese cubes, and other small foods with toothpicks. The boxes were small enough to fit easily beside bigger kitchen utensils. Whenever a meal or recipe called for one, a quick search through the drawer could turn up a box.

7. Kitchen Twine

Kitchen twine was a humble thing, but a useful tool in the 1960s kitchen. Roasts were tied with cotton twine, poultry secured, herbs bundled, and stuffed foods held together during cooking. Sometimes, this simple step was a recipe for holiday meals and Sunday dinners. There was a small ball or a neatly wound length that could be stored in the kitchen drawer, out of sight until required. The twine was cut to the proper length and tied tightly around the food before it was cooked. Any clean, unused part after the meal could be used for another recipe. It was a simple tool that quietly helped in the traditional home kitchen.

8. Meat Thermometer

To the home cook, a meat thermometer offered a practical way to determine whether a roast or poultry dish had cooked properly. In the 1960s, simple dial thermometers were for sale for household kitchens and were often used with large cuts of meat. The metal probe was inserted into the food, and the dial showed the temperature. This was especially useful for Sunday roasts, holiday turkeys, and other meals that needed long cooking times. When not in use, the thermometer could be stored in a kitchen drawer with other small tools. Its presence was indicative of a growing interest in consistent cooking results, rather than relying on looks, timing, or guesswork.

9. Ice Pick

An ice pick was a practical kitchen tool when ice often came from a freezer tray or a larger block. The pointed metal end was handy for breaking apart stubborn pieces when loose ice was needed for drinks or food service. Ice could still stick together inside metal trays even as refrigerators were becoming increasingly common in the 1960s. The pieces were separated with a quick tap of the pick; no large utensil was necessary. The sharp point needed careful storage so the kitchen drawer kept it out of sight when not being used. Families handled it gingerly, then washed it and dried it before putting it back where it belonged.

10. Funnel

A small kitchen funnel could make that messy pouring job so much easier! In the 1960s, funnels were handy tools to pour liquids or dry ingredients into bottles, jars, or other containers with a narrow opening. They helped out with homemade syrups, cooking oils, juices, and other kitchen supplies. Some household funnels were plastic, but funnels made of metal were strong. They were bulky to keep out on a counter, so a drawer or a nearby cupboard was convenient storage. When the transfer was complete, the funnel was washed and dried and put away. It wasn’t used every day, but when a narrow opening caused trouble, the simple tool proved its worth in no time at all.

11. Kitchen Timer

A kitchen timer meant families could cook without having to constantly look at the clock. In the 1960s, mechanical timers were common and generally had a simple dial which was turned to the desired number of minutes. They were good for cakes, cookies, casseroles, vegetables, and anything that had to be timed just right. Here, a timer can also be handy when dinner prep involves multiple competing tasks. When the bell went, the cook knew it was time to check the oven or take a dish out. It was small enough to sit among other utensils, so the timer could live in a kitchen drawer, ready to be pulled out any time a recipe called for a precise cooking interval.

12. Pastry Brush

The pastry brush was a familiar helper in many mid-century kitchens when it came to baking and roasting. Its bristles spread melted butter, milk, egg wash, or glaze on food before it went into the oven. Bakers used it on pie crusts, rolls, biscuits, and pastries; cooks could brush sauces or melted fat onto meat. The brush was normally plain, with a wooden or metal handle and natural bristles. After use, it needed washing and careful drying, as food could stick between the bristles. After it was clean, it could go back in the kitchen drawer. It had several useful jobs, but it was small enough to store easily.

13. Corn Holders

Corn holders were a neat way for families to deal with hot ears of corn at the table. Opposite ends of the cob had small, sharp metal picks stuck in to make handles to keep fingers away from the hot food. During the 1960s, corn holders were often sold as simple utensils for the home, sometimes with bright or molded handles. They were especially useful for summer meals, backyard cookouts, and family dinners with fresh corn. The holders were washed after the meal and returned to the kitchen drawer. Their odd shape made them easy to find, and their small size made them easy to keep along with normal cooking utensils.

14. Jar Opener

A jar opener was a lifesaver for one of the most frustrating tasks in a busy 1960s kitchen: loosening a tricky lid. During the week, families opened jars of pickles, jams, sauces, baby foods, and other preserved products. Simple metal jar-opening tools gave additional grip or leverage where hands alone could not break the seal. Some designs had an edge to hold onto; others had a handle to make turning easier. Small enough to sit in a drawer, waiting for its next challenge. When a lid finally popped, the opener went through the same routine as any other utensil: washed, dried, and put back in the drawer.