If your grandmothers were like mine, neither of whom knew their way around the kitchen, you have to turn to the internet to find the best grandmotherly tips and tricks. A good way to find what a grandmother would want to pass down to their grandchildren is by looking for grandma reviewers giving their stamp of approval. For instance, if you’re looking for new cast iron cookware, grandparent reviewers usually point you to a trusted brand like Lodge cast iron.
Thankfully, many tried-and-true vintage kitchen products, like my grandmother’s Nordic Ware Bundt pan, are popular once again, and it’s easy to discover the ones grandma would’ve wanted you to have. I searched through Amazon reviews to find the best grandma-approved kitchen gear.
Best Grandma-Approved Kitchen Gear at Amazon
L. Tremain The Original Butter Bell Crock
Amazon
Even if your grandma had a tub of margarine in her fridge at all times, she’d want you to make your spread a little more presentable with a butter crock. Butter bells let butter (or margarine) sit safely on the counter with an airtight water seal, so you always have softened butter at the ready.
The L. Tremain butter crock is made from bone china, is dishwasher-safe, and holds a stick of butter at a time. The embossed exterior vine design is a wonderful vintage touch, making it truly like something you’d find at a grandma’s house. One Amazon reviewer used the first filling as a fun bonding activity with her granddaughter, and both were surprised that the butter didn’t fall into the water.
Lodge 10.25-Inch Cast Iron Skillet
Amazon
Cast iron skillets are beloved by parents and grandparents alike. If yours haven’t passed down their cast iron heirlooms yet, Lodge has been producing the same high-quality cookware for generations.
The extremely versatile 10.25-inch cast iron skillet is a standard for any cast iron cookware collection. One shopper agrees, having bought this for their grandson, who needed new cookware. “And it will never wear out! Plus, it was a great value!”
Lodge 6.5-Inch Cast Iron Skillet
Amazon
Another reviewer, one whose own grandparents owned Lodge cookware, bought the smaller 6.5-inch Lodge cast iron skillet for another grandparent bonding experience. “I bought this pan for my 9-year-old grandson, who is learning to cook. He loves it because it makes perfect eggs, his speciality!”
The 6.5-inch skillet is just the thing for frying up two eggs, a slice of Canadian bacon, or baking a small pie. And being smaller means it weighs a smidge under two pounds, a great weight for anyone learning how to cook.
Nordic Ware 12-Cup Original Bundt
Amazon
A visit to grandma’s house is never complete without a slice of freshly baked bundt cake, and chances are that many grandmothers had a Bundt pan from Nordic Ware. If you haven’t been bestowed with the vintage Bundt pan, like this shopper’s granddaughter was, now’s the time to add one to your bakeware.
The cast aluminum material of this 12-cup Bundt pan means every cake will come out evenly baked and golden on top. In fact, design improvements over the years might make it even better than your grandma’s vintage pan, something one grandma discovered. “I bought one for each of my granddaughters, and subsequently bought another to replace my old Bundt pan. It works beautifully!
Pyrex Colors Sculpted Tinted Glass Mixing Bowls
Amazon
If you haven’t been lucky enough to snag vintage Pyrex from your grandparents’ house, start your own collection with the iconic brand’s modern designs. The yellow, green, and blue hues give these a bit of a throwback look, according to this reviewer. “They give cool 70s grandma vibes, and I dig it.”
The tinted glass mixing bowl set includes a 1.3-, 2.3-, and 4.5-quart size, each with a corresponding lid. The colorful appearance means these can double as serving bowls.
Tabletops Gallery Hobnail Stoneware Nesting Mixing Bowl Set
Amazon
Stoneware mixing bowls were another trend during the mid-century era, and are another prized possession of many grandparents. The heavy build means the bowls stay stable during meal preparation or when you’re using the hand mixer. Just like the Pyrex tinted set, colorful exteriors make stoneware mixing bowls an excellent choice for serving.
The Tabletop Gallery Hobnail stoneware set comes in gorgeous, timeless colors, with a textured pattern around the mixing bowls. The freezer- and microwave-safe bowls have some weight, so they won’t shift around the counter while you’re mixing. They’re also the perfect look for a vintage-inspired kitchen. As one reviewer says, “My Grandmother had bowls just like these, and the style is perfect for my vintage kitchen.”
Ironwood Gourmet Acacia Wood Recipe Box
Amazon
While you can save recipes digitally with MyRecipes, there’s also that stack of annotated recipe cards from your parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents. Save the memories in a beautiful acacia wood recipe box, like this grandmother did for her granddaughter. The Ironwood Gourmet recipe box comes with 10 dividers and is cleverly designed with a top groove that’s perfect for holding a recipe card while you cook.
Jot & Mark Recipe Tin
Amazon
Recipe tin boxes are another grandma-inspired option, and this version from Jot & Mark includes 14 dividers and 25 recipe cards, perfect for duplicating those coffee-stained ones. The floral-themed recipe tin keeps your passed-down recipes safe and secure, and is durable enough to withstand moves or the occasional splash of water.
One shopper loved this tin so much she gifted it to her grandmother, and believes this is the ideal swap for a much more expensive model. “I have a Rifle Paper Company tin just like this, almost the same dimensions, and I paid three times as much for it, but this recipe tin has the same quality and just as cute of a pattern!”
OXO Good Grips 3-Piece Wooden Spoon Set
Amazon
Grandparents love a wooden spoon, and so do we. A classic grandma kitchen trick is placing a wooden spoon on a pot of boiling water to prevent it from boiling over, but if yours plans on taking hers to the grave, there’s always this OXO set. Made from durable beechwood, the 3-piece set features long handles, hanging holes, and versatile sizes. This grandmother decided her granddaughter needed her own set of wooden spoons and was thoroughly impressed by the OXO versions.
StorageLab 5-Piece China Storage Container Set
Amazon
If this were the holiday season where your grandparents brought over the family china, now’s the time to invest in durable storage. This 5-piece set of hard shell storage containers includes space for plates and glasses, all kept safe with a quilted linen lining to prevent breakage. Once all the chargers, plates, and saucers are safely tucked away, the entire set can handle being stacked in your storage space.
This grandmother bought the StorageLab set to preserve her family’s china for handing down to her grandchildren, while another shopper was impressed by the capacity. “Great size, holds 12-14 settings easily. Sturdy zippers, great liners,” she says.
