These vintage pots and pans from the 70s may seem kitschy now, but they were bold decor statements back then

Retro pots & pans in the best '70s colors

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In the 1970s, plain ol’ stainless steel or copper cookware like they had in the 1950s wasn’t enough.

People wanted pots and pans for their kitchens in all of the latest colors and patterns, especially those that coordinated with their avocado or harvest gold appliances and decor.

Hey, was the 70s! Even the most utilitarian of household goods was the opportunity for a decor statement.

Right here, take a peek at what you may have seen on the stoves a few decades back!

Vintage pots & pans with a little kitchen flower power (1970)

Pots and pans? Not by a long shot. These are kitchen decorations.

From House Beautiful – November 1970

Useful on the range or in the oven, yes, but far more important as the smartener for kitchen decor, the focal point for a new table setting or the inspiration for a new recipe.

Blossoming flowers, ready-to-pick fruits and vegetables and strong graphics flow over, under and around this new cookware, some of the most sophisticated ever. Here are a few of our choices.

Top to bottom, first stripe: Floral Bouquet six-cup teapot by Corning Ware. $7. Verdura saucepan by Invento. $7.50. Thomas Flameware, two-quart casserole with decorated cover, also in red/blue, by Rosenthal Studio-Haus. $17. Oval casserole, 21/4-quart size. flameproof porcelain by Royal Worcester. $27.50.

Second stripe: Aluminite flameware porcelain, 1-3/4-quart Oignon saucepan by Haviland. $19.50. Continental Parti-Pans porcelain-clad aluminum saucepan, one of a seven-piece set in poppy by West Bend. Set $25. Lotus 10-inch skillet by Cathrineholm. $17.50. Fancipans two-quart double boiler, Château by Columbian. also in brown. $16. Graphic Gourmet multi-purpose cooker by U.S. Stamping. $11.50.

ALSO SEE: Lenox Temper-ware informal dinnerware sets from the ’70s came in 8 patterns

Retro pots and pans with kitchen flower power from 1970 (2)

Third stripe: Floral Bouquet nine-cup percolator by Corning Ware. $14. Lauffer’s Stak China, oven-to-table State Fair 134/4-quart casserole. $23.50. Enamel on steel Kay-May casserole, 2-1/2-quarts, by Peter Breck. $10. Flameware porcelain 10-inch Quiche Lorraine dish, Oignon by Haviland. $16. Gour-met electric casserole/skillet by Hamilton Beach. $26. 2-1/2-quart Pyrex Ware casserole with serving cradle. $7.

Fourth stripe: Four-cup enamel on steel tea kettle, by Peter Breck. $11.50. Criteria one-quart saucepan, ceramic on stainless steel, from Ekco. $9. Lauffer’s Arabia stoneware, oven-to-table 2-1/4-quart Rosmarin tureen. $25. Fruit Festival two-quart porcelainized steel double boiler, Holt Howard. $20. By Vefa, Scanli Chef Enamelware, cheese fondue pot in Mimosa-Royal. $12.50.

Fifth stripe: Fancipans two-quart tea kettle in Briton pattern by Columbian. $13. 6-1/2-inch saucepan, Porcelain de Paris, by Invento. $37.50. Three-quart Del Coronado saucepan by National Silver, also in amber. $12. Chicken fryer, 11-1/2 inches, porcelain enamelware, Buttercup pattern, National Silver. $13. By Haruck, Dutch oven in Petite Floral, porcelainized enamel on steel, one of a seven-piece grouping. $29.

Retro pots and pans with kitchen flower power from 1970 (1)


Retro colored cookware: Wear-Ever Bounty (1972)

Everything you expect from high-priced cookware, except the price.

The outside is fired-on-at-1000°F porcelain. The cooking surface is superbonded Teflon II on thick, heavy-gauge aluminum. The colors are kitchen coordinated: Avocado, Poppy, Harvest Gold and Horizon Blue.

Look at the selection: Fry pans, sauce pans, griddles, saute pans, bakeware about $5. Five and eight-quart dutch ovens, egg poachers, chicken fryers, teakettles $8 to $12. Rice steamers and other sets $12 to $30.

It’s high-priced cookware without the high price. Any way you look at it.

Retro Wear-Ever cookware from 1972


Regal Mardi Gras retro pots and pans: Hey, American Woman. (1972)

You like bold colors in your fashions, your car, your furniture, even your bathroom fixtures.

Now how about doing something about those pots and pans?

Bold colors are in…and cooking is fun… with Regal Mardi Gras. So don’t spoil the fun with a potpourri of plain old pots and pans. Cook in Mardi Gras. Colors to complement your kitchen… to fit your every mood… avocado, flame, harvest gold.

Cookware glamorous enough to set on the table. All colorful porcelain-clad aluminum… and Teflon II coated for no-stick cooking, no-scour cleaning. Matching coffee perk, fondue, corn popper and can opener, too.

How much? You’ll be pleasantly surprised. So come on… make your cookware do something be-sides prepare your dinner. Ask for Regal Mardi Gras at your favorite store.

Vintage Regal pots and pans - Hey American woman - 1972

ALSO SEE
Vintage Corning Corelle Livingware & Expressions dish sets from the 70s and 80s are plates full of memories

Town House kitchenware by West Bend (1972)

Luxury Stainless in Harvest, Avocado… and now: Polished.

Town House quality runs deep. In addition to its familiar elegantly-colored porcelain, Town House now reveals itself in its gleaming natural state. Pure stainless.

What cannot be revealed is the clever system of carbon steel between two layers of stainless. It produced that even, gentle heating which knowledgeable cooks prefer. Truly a gourmet’s cookware!

See it at your West Bend dealer now. You’ll be convinced that Town House is West Bend craftsmanship at its best.

Stainless cookware in harvest, avocado and polished (1972)


Wear-Ever aluminum pots and pans (1972)

Wear-Ever Bounty has all the features you’d expect from high-priced cookware. Genuine, fired-on-at-1000° porcelain; super-bonded Teflon II; and four kitchen coordinated colors: Avocado, Poppy, Harvest Gold and Horizon Blue. Plus, porcelain-coated bottoms.

Wear-Ever Bounty. Fry pans, sauce pans and griddles. About $5 each. Most items less. Available one at a time or in balanced sets.

Wear-Ever aluminum pots and pans (1972)

ALSO SEE: See 100+ short retro window curtains & cafe curtains that were essential ’70s home decor


Antique pots & pans: Aluminum cookware

Colors: Avocado, burnt orange, flame red, tawny gold, mirror finish

Vintage aluminum cookware - pots and pans from the 1970s (1)


Retro pots & pans made of cast aluminum

Vintage aluminum cookware - pots and pans from the 1970s (2)


Wear-Ever Registered. Old-fashioned quality at an old-fashioned price. (1973)

Wear-Ever Registered combines old-fashioned quality, dependability and performance with contemporary styling. Its thick, heavy gauge ensures even heat distribution for truly effective cooking. And long, dependable service.

Interiors are smooth, polished aluminum. Exteriors are genuine porcelain. Choice of avocado, harvest, or black.

Each utensil is registered at our factory. Your assurance of quality. And there are eight durable pieces to the set. At $39.95, it all adds up to an old-fashioned bargain. (Manufacturer’s suggested open-stock price — $60.75.)

ALSO SEE: See colorful vintage kitchen sinks of the ’60s & ’70s

Wear-Ever Cookware from 1973

Retro 70s color cookware - kitchen pots and pans (2)

Retro 70s color cookware - kitchen pots and pans (1)

ALSO SEE
If you lived during the 70s, you probably had a drink from one of these 34 vintage Libbey glasses

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Comments on this story

One Response

  1. HI
    In the fourth row there is a blue pan with a white design and a wood handle, Do you know what that specific pan is? Thank you

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