Hoosier Kitchen Cabinet

This cabinet is a type of cupboard or free-standing kitchen cabinet that also serves as a workstation. Its earliest manufacturer of these cabinets was the Hoosier Manufacturing Co. of New Castle, Indiana, however, the name of these cabinets became a more generic term for a variety of similar cabinets manufactured by over a dozen different companies all within Indiana or close by. They were made mostly from the late 1890s through the 1930s, reaching their peak in popularity during the 1920s as most homes within the first few decades of the 20th century did not have built-in kitchen cabinetry. They usually cost about $50 or $1,640.13 today.

A distinctive feature of the Hoosier cabinet is its many moving parts and accessories. They offered a pull-out workspace/shelf and storage for everything a cook would need. The base section usually has one large compartment with the slide-out shelf covered in metal that offers more workspace, and several drawers to one side. The top portion is shallower and has several smaller compartments with doors. They were equipped with various racks and other hardware to hold and organize spices and various staples, a combination flour-bin/sifter- a hopper that could be used without having to remove it from the cabinet, and a sugar bin was also common.

Original sets of Hoosier glassware consisted of coffee and tea canisters, a salt box, and four to eight spice jars all made to fit the cabinet. Some manufacturers also included a cracker jar. Over the years additional accessories were added to the cabinets. This included colored glassware, ant-proof casters, and even ironing boards. Later models even included cards with reminders for grocery shopping and tips for meal planning.