Do you remember The Baconer?
This story starts with a man who is notoriously difficult to shop for. My husband. His material wants are few, he doesn’t collect cars or memorabilia, and he’s not interested in massages or manicures. He has many interests, but they don’t translate into gift ideas, so after nearly 20 years together, I feel like I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel.
A few weeks ago, at a wedding brunch in Rhode Island, he had a bite of the excellent bacon and reminisced once more about a bacon cooking appliance that his grandmother had back in the 1970s. “It was like a toaster for bacon,” he marveled. It sat on the kitchen counter, he said, and it made perfectly crisp, rendered bacon every time.
This wasn’t the first time he had mentioned this bacon cooker. Both he and his sister had rhapsodized on multiple occasions. And then it occurred to me: With our wedding anniversary coming up, this could very well be the perfect gift.
But first, I had to find out what it was. A quick search on Google and Ebay turned up microwave bacon cookers and broiling trays, but no appliances. In desperation, I typed in “toaster for bacon,” and stumbled across a motorcycle collector’s forum and a name: The Baconer. That was it! An electric bacon cooker made by Westinghouse in the 1970s that looked like a toaster. Ebay had one, mint condition, never used. I paid a ridiculous amount, but I was the sole bidder and soon it arrived.
The Baconer | Rediscovering a Retro Bacon Cooker
Does this bring back any memories for you? I had a package of bacon at the ready when he opened it and we got cooking.
Inside The Baconer.
The metal panels on the outside fold down to reveal a Teflon cooking surface in the middle. You drape the bacon over the top.
The Baconer ready to make bacon. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
Turn the dial on the side to “More Crisp,” and you’re off.
The Baconer lets you choose less crisp, medium, or more crisp.
Soon, the bacon begins to steam and give off the most incredible smell. I’m no real estate agent, but if you have your house on the market and it’s not selling, try using The Baconer during your next open house. (Note, the metal “doors” stay closed during cooking. I opened one to show you the inside).
A secret peek at The Baconer at work.
A few minutes more, and there it is: Perfect bacon. The Baconer works — my husband was right. We won’t use it often. But we’ll use it. And we’ll always have a story to tell.
The Baconer made a plate of hot, crisp bacon.
So tell me, Yankee readers, do you remember The Baconer? And do you have any favorite retro kitchen appliances? Let us know!
This post was first published in 2012 and has been updated.
Amy Traverso is the senior food editor at Yankee magazine and co-host of the public television series Weekends with Yankee, a coproduction with WGBH. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also been published in The Boston Globe, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category.
LOVE this post, Amy! What a great story and such a thoughtful gift! He must have been blown away when he opened it — and I am relieved to see it still delivers. Thank goodness for the internet!
This IS a great story! I love how you paid close attention to detail to get the perfect gift for your husband! How cool! I don’t really have any retro appliances that I remember….sorry 🙂 Just wanted to say great story!
My toaster may not be exactly retro, but I received it as a wedding gift in 1960. The cord on it is the old style cloth-covered type. It doesn’t work quite as well as it did all those years ago, but I still use it frequently. I was telling a friend about it one day and he had to see it to believe it – it’s 15 to 20 years older than he is!
Until a year or so ago I was still using my gas dryer that I bought in 1968. The pilot light went out and I had to call the repairman because I couldn’t get it relit. The young man who showed up tried to tell me that gas dryers don’t have pilot lights. Well, the new ones don’t, but mine did. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be fixed and I had to buy a new dryer.
I had one of these, bought one after the first commercial I saw, Sears had them so one came home with me the following evening.
I was really excited, I let the dogs out and had that sucker unpacked and washed in a flash after a quick scan of the directions it was loaded & cookin’ away, the first batch was Incredible lightly browned, crisp yet still tender and nearly all the fat was completely rendered, barely required paper towel blotting.
I got to enjoy this marvelous contraption almost 9 years, then my brain dead former spouse set my house afire, there was just no saving it…believe me I tried. still brings a sniffle to me “Paradise Lost”
Westinghouse made this such a short time, a shame, it could really prepare bacon extracting nearly all the fat..about as healthy as you could make bacon I’m just surprised that no one acquired the rights to the “Baconeer”.
With today’s attitude toward acceptance and popularity of bacon and the viscous flex of import manufacturing might I really think somebody could cleanup in the marketplace and make myriad consumers happy.
I remember this from childhood mother had exact model it was that classic 1970’s Avocado green. OMG the colored appliances then like tupperware colors then green, orange, yellow, almond and brown.
Tried the new fangled bacon cookers nothing compared to the quality perfect cooked bacon…Don’t get me started on the toasters too so much better – never burned true settings, never stuck nor ejected toast onto the floor those classic colors.
And the option bathrooms blue, pink green yellow I laugh remembering those colored tubs, tiles and toilets that era. Thanks closest option wishing for a time machine enjoy childhood again… made me miss my old metal easybake oven ran on a light bulb remembered help mom she made dad’s breakfast & lunch I made his desert in the old black tin lunch box for work when dad was alive haven’t touched bacon since not the same without dad. Thanks again wonderful memories.
Google search, we had one when I was growing up. This is crazy, I was looking for one on line and came across your site. These cookers worked like a charm, I’m still looking for one so if anyone is selling one please let me know.IfI a company was smart, they would bring them back.
I bake bacon. I place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet, lay the bacon on it, bake it at 350* for 30 minutes and when it’s done, lay it on paper towels. (Learned from a Rachael Ray show)
I wonder how safe that old teflon is though… I use 2 foil lined cookie sheets and bake bacon on 375*. After a few minutes I drain accumulated fat into an old can or pot while holding the corner of foil opposite from the pouring end. The bacon always sticks because I press the uncooked bacon firmly to the foil before baking. I then switch the 2 trays in the oven (top rack cooks faster) and cook until crisp, drain the fat again, then place the bacon onto paper towel lined plates. So delicious & perfect every time!
LOVE this post, Amy! What a great story and such a thoughtful gift! He must have been blown away when he opened it — and I am relieved to see it still delivers. Thank goodness for the internet!
This IS a great story! I love how you paid close attention to detail to get the perfect gift for your husband! How cool! I don’t really have any retro appliances that I remember….sorry 🙂 Just wanted to say great story!
Thanks, Aimee and Maria. Being married to him has seriously upped my gift-giving game. Good thing he’s so worth it 🙂
My toaster may not be exactly retro, but I received it as a wedding gift in 1960. The cord on it is the old style cloth-covered type. It doesn’t work quite as well as it did all those years ago, but I still use it frequently. I was telling a friend about it one day and he had to see it to believe it – it’s 15 to 20 years older than he is!
Until a year or so ago I was still using my gas dryer that I bought in 1968. The pilot light went out and I had to call the repairman because I couldn’t get it relit. The young man who showed up tried to tell me that gas dryers don’t have pilot lights. Well, the new ones don’t, but mine did. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be fixed and I had to buy a new dryer.
We HAD a baconer! – yes, in the early ’70s. It turned out to be a pain in the neck to clean, so it did not last long in our household.
I had one of these, bought one after the first commercial I saw, Sears had them so one came home with me the following evening.
I was really excited, I let the dogs out and had that sucker unpacked and washed in a flash after a quick scan of the directions it was loaded & cookin’ away, the first batch was Incredible lightly browned, crisp yet still tender and nearly all the fat was completely rendered, barely required paper towel blotting.
I got to enjoy this marvelous contraption almost 9 years, then my brain dead former spouse set my house afire, there was just no saving it…believe me I tried. still brings a sniffle to me “Paradise Lost”
Westinghouse made this such a short time, a shame, it could really prepare bacon extracting nearly all the fat..about as healthy as you could make bacon I’m just surprised that no one acquired the rights to the “Baconeer”.
With today’s attitude toward acceptance and popularity of bacon and the viscous flex of import manufacturing might I really think somebody could cleanup in the marketplace and make myriad consumers happy.
I remember this from childhood mother had exact model it was that classic 1970’s Avocado green. OMG the colored appliances then like tupperware colors then green, orange, yellow, almond and brown.
Tried the new fangled bacon cookers nothing compared to the quality perfect cooked bacon…Don’t get me started on the toasters too so much better – never burned true settings, never stuck nor ejected toast onto the floor those classic colors.
And the option bathrooms blue, pink green yellow I laugh remembering those colored tubs, tiles and toilets that era. Thanks closest option wishing for a time machine enjoy childhood again… made me miss my old metal easybake oven ran on a light bulb remembered help mom she made dad’s breakfast & lunch I made his desert in the old black tin lunch box for work when dad was alive haven’t touched bacon since not the same without dad. Thanks again wonderful memories.
Google search, we had one when I was growing up. This is crazy, I was looking for one on line and came across your site. These cookers worked like a charm, I’m still looking for one so if anyone is selling one please let me know.IfI a company was smart, they would bring them back.
They now have a new version at sharper image called the bacon express toaster for 59.99. It is the same thing!!
Ok where did you find the ‘new’ bacon cooker please ?
I have one and love it im looking for another one
I bake bacon. I place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet, lay the bacon on it, bake it at 350* for 30 minutes and when it’s done, lay it on paper towels. (Learned from a Rachael Ray show)
I wonder how safe that old teflon is though… I use 2 foil lined cookie sheets and bake bacon on 375*. After a few minutes I drain accumulated fat into an old can or pot while holding the corner of foil opposite from the pouring end. The bacon always sticks because I press the uncooked bacon firmly to the foil before baking. I then switch the 2 trays in the oven (top rack cooks faster) and cook until crisp, drain the fat again, then place the bacon onto paper towel lined plates. So delicious & perfect every time!
You can find oodles of these bacon cookers on eBay. New and used at a reasonable price (or some not so much).
I have a vintage Baconer; but, I can’t find the drip tray. If anyone knows where I can find one; please contact me at (516) 819-1838 or dt755@aol.com