6 Retro Appliances To Give Your Dorm A Vintage Vibe

Many of us dream of the days of the 1950s; delicious milkshakes, dynamite diners, Marilyn Monroe beauties, and James Dean hunks. While the 50s certainly had its bad qualities (racism, sexism, etc), the decade is remembered mostly for its good times. Rock music and fast food and fast cars were all iconic American symbols that developed during the 50s, and they still dominate American culture to this day. Retro style is totally in, and the best way to give your dorm room a vintage vibe is by adding a few retro appliances. You can find various levels of retro appliances, from a simple coffee maker to a huge vintage fridge that works like a modern-day fridge. Here’s a list of 6 affordable retro appliances to give your dorm room that super cool vintage feel!

1. Milkshake Maker

Milkshakes are a key icon from the 1950s. Diners everywhere were offering milkshakes in three prominent flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Milkshakes are generally made with milk, ice cream, and some type of extra flavoring syrup. The thicker, more solid texture of the ice cream blends with the gentle liquid of the milk to create a dessert drink that is beloved by many worldwide.

Getting your hands on a blender is one way to make a milkshake, however, there is a better way to make a more genuine 1950s textured milkshake. The Brentwood Classic Milkshake Maker features a 15 fl. oz. stainless steel cup for mixing, and a sleek, retro-looking design for the mixer itself. It looks incredibly 1950s nostalgic, so if a vintage vibe is what you’re looking for, add this milkshake maker to your personal collection!

You can order the Brentwood Classic Milkshake Maker from Amazon for just $25.40!

2. Popcorn Maker

Dreaming about diners and drive-ins, date nights, and dancing… doesn’t it sound so lovely? The 1950s was known for its drive-in movie theaters, which were perfect for date night. Sit back and relax in the (relative) privacy of your own car and snuggle with your beloved bad boy while a film plays on a huge screen and there are little voices coming from the speakers next to all the parking spots.

Imagine stopping at concessions before the movie, and grabbing some nice buttery popcorn to munch on while you watch the film. Doesn’t that sound heavenly? Well, now you can make similar popcorn right at home! The Nostalgia Classic Retro Tabletop Popcorn Maker is the perfect addition to your dorm. Now you can have tasty movie theater popcorn at your fingertips. This is another of those retro appliances that you should totally invest in if you’re looking for a vintage vibe!

You can find this Nostalgia Popcorn Maker on Amazon for the reasonable price of $29.99!

3. Mini Fridge

Why buy a boring mini fridge when you could buy a totally retro mini-fridge? The invention of the refrigerator took place in 1913, however, it didn’t become a common household appliance until the 1940s. Therefore, it wasn’t until the 1950s, after the second world war, that fridges began being tailored to stylistic desires as well as practicality. This is essentially when fridges got pretty.

Frigidaire was one of the nation’s very first refrigeration companies, and their products are still available to this day. They actually offer mini-fridges that resemble their past refrigerator designs, so you can have their modern-day high-quality cooling and the nice vintage appeal all-in-one fridge. They come in various sizes, and the larger, the pricier. Here’s an affordable and space-saving option!

You can order this Frigidaire 12-can retro mini fridge from Amazon for just $49.84!

4. WonderWash

Doing laundry at a dorm can be hard, and sometimes, depending on the situation, even impossible. The Laundry Alternative has developed a product called the WonderWash, which is a non-electric hand-crank mini washing machine. You can do a 5-lb load in a matter of 2-3 minutes, which can be incredibly convenient when running to the laundry room or laundromat is simply out of the question.

The WonderWash has a very retro feel to it and comes in a variety of colors. It also happens to be one of the smaller retro appliances on the list, as it weighs under 6 lbs. This appliance is not only incredibly practical but also affordable. Plus, you’ll save a bit on laundry costs if you usually pay the machine for every load that you do. Get the longest life out of your most expensive and fragile clothing by washing them in the WonderWash, which is as gentle as hand-washing!

You can order this WonderWash mini washing machine from Amazon for just $58.00!

5. Two-Slice Toaster

Are you someone who loves breakfast food? Have you dreamed of sitting in a diner on a Sunday morning in the 1950s, jukebox playing, coffee being served, bread toasted, ready for savory butter or sweet jelly? You can make your own 1950s dream breakfast right from the comfort of your own vintage-themed dorm room if you pick up the last two entries on this list of awesome retro appliances!

The first appliance to consider is this Redmond Two-Slice Retro Toaster. It has six different bake settings, so you can put your toast, waffles, pancakes, and pop tarts down for just the right amount of time. Feeling a bagel instead? There’s a bagel button that is meant to set the toaster up for perfectly toasting bagels. With a nice mint green hue and made entirely of stainless steel, this toaster is both retro and totally safe.

You can find this Redmond Two-Slice Retro Toaster for $41.99 on Amazon!

6. Coffee Maker

Think back to the breakfast in the 1950s diner image… remember the coffee? Well, the final entry on this list of super retro appliances is a coffee maker to make that coffee! This is another appliance made by the Nostalgia brand of electronics. As their name suggests, Nostalgia develops products that take us back to another time, and one of the times everyone seems to want to remember is the 50s.

This coffee maker looks as though it should be sitting in some old-timey diner, but it’s made to sit on your counter. It can make up to 12 cups of coffee at a time and has a function that keeps the coffee warm for up to two hours after brewing, so it can be enjoyed multiple times. The coffee maker also has a programmable feature that allows you to set a time for the brewing to start so that you’ll have fresh, hot coffee waiting for you when you wake up in the morning.

You can find the Nostalgia Retro 12-cup Programmable Coffee Maker on Amazon for $59.99!

Which of these retro appliances will you be adding to your dorm to give the space a nice vintage vibe? Let us know in the comments below!

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