
Miele kitchen appliances advert from 1987
1980s Kitchen Appliances That Were New and Exciting
by Jane Duncan, freelance writer
Jan 14 2022
According to a recent poll done by Kenwood, the average adult spends 61 minutes every day in the kitchen on domestic tasks like cooking, that’s 45 minutes less than people spent in the kitchen during the 1980s.
Modern Washing Machines

80s Microwave Cook Book
The Microwave Oven
Dishwashers
Although the first dishwashing machine was actually invented back in the 1850s, modern dishwashers didn’t become common in people’s homes until the 1980s. Again, owning a dishwasher came with a hefty price tag. A small under-the-counter machine cost $249, the equivalent of $839 in today’s money. But if you were well-to-do, and didn’t fancy doing the washing up after your wine and cheese fondue party, then a dishwasher was a must-have appliance. A dishwasher cycle would often take over three hours though, so you’d be waiting a while to use the plates again.
The 1980s brought us fun gadgets like the SodaStream, but what really revolutionized the kitchen were the large appliances that we take for granted today. The washing machine, the microwave and the dishwasher meant that people living in the ‘80s had a bit more time to watch Great Chefs and Gourmet Cooking on TV.