Vintage Appliances: West Bend Bean Pots 

I got the middle one from my in-laws. It still works and I am using it today, Memorial Day 2024! Amazing!

Believe it or not, the original Crock Pot started out as a bean pot called "The Beanery." But Rival Corp. revamped it and pushed it to it's limits to create the first "slow cooker" that would cook almost anything in the early 1970s. The Crock Pot was invented in Kansas City, MO, where I live. A few months ago the local NPR station produced a 30-min podcast about the Crock Pot's history. Interesting food history, especially the part about Rival's Test Kitchen. Long story short: About 90% of the slow cooking recipes used today were developed about 50 years ago by 4 Kansas City housewives to sell more Crock Pots: It can cook more than just beans.

I have seen and use many of the appliances and dishes that you show. I have never seen a bean pot. I can not recall any of my family having one. I enjoyed learning about them. Thank you sir.

Many of the early crockery for West Bend was made by the Hall China Company of East Liverpool Ohio. Similar to the arrangement Hall had with Westinghouse Appliances in the 30's,40's,50's and 60's. The Hall China Company ended production at East Liverpool in February 20,2021. Hall is now just a brand owned by Steelite and production has been moved overseas.

RU-vid made me buy this 😂

I don’t know why but time took longer in the 60s and 70s. No cell phones, home computers or microwaves to get in the way. We had the bicentennial edition we used it a few times. The beans it made were divine but, for a family of six, this appliance was inadequate. The pot rode out its days on buffet tables as a warming bowl.

Never seen nor heard of this little appliance. Thanks for enlightening me!

I never knew these existed. I love glazed ceramic containers, which amps up the cool factor on the bean pots for me! Thanks for sharing. Oh & yes, please put me down for some stewed prunes & I'll skip the fiber tablets today! 🤣

There will never be another year like 1976. Even though I was a young kid, I will always remember how patriotic everyone was.

I graduated from high school in 1976. Our tassels were red, white, and blue with a “‘76” charm. I’ve never seen a bean pot before, but I’ve had many crockpots over the years.

Oh how did I miss your video, I’m watching now❤😊

I'm buy one tomorrow they look so cute .😀

Love this ❤. Sooo educational. Gracias🎉

I immediately went online and found a beanpot with 3 individual crocks and a warmer soooo I bought it. Cant wait til it arrives. Never saw them before and I am bicentennial (and before, if I'm honest) vintage. Thanks Kevin.

I found the middle one with no lid or base at a thrift store. The design caught my eye. I googled to see what it was. I use it to serve my homemade bbq beans. Aloha from Hawaii 🌺

Enjoyed your video very much... I will be tuned in...

I have one! I found it at Goodwill several years ago and loved the look of the ceramic pot. I've used it to heat beans rather than cook beans. I'm 73, but my mother never had this appliance, nor did I ever see one until I found the one at Goodwill. I believe mine is a 50s model because the original instruction booklet was inside the pot, the only difference is mine came with a ceramic lid, perhaps a replacement because the instructions show the metal lid.

These bean pots must've been more popular up north and not so much down south. I never saw one before. I've made baked beans many times in a Pyrex dish in the oven and they turn out great and only take an hour or so. I graduated high school in June 1976 and got my first car in July 1976, so yes I remember the Bicentennial. Wish I had the car back. A 1969 Olds Delta 88. Thanks, Kevin and Maryann, for showing us the bean pots.

Thanks for sharing these, Kevin! I have never seen one before. And also being very much alive in 1976 I can attest that my mother also had bicentennial fever. I still to this day have all kinds of Bicentennial memorabilia that she collected. Thanks for the memories!

The previous owners of my house left the brown one and I kept it but I did not know there was a bottom part to it. Now I wish I had that part.

The electric bean pot is new to me, I've never seen one before. Not an electric one anyways. I have an old one that belonged to my grandma. It was a give-away from a grainary in Sandusky, MI or there abouts. I enjoyed learning about the Westbend. Thanks!

Kevin, i have one of those that is 200 watts. My dad gave it to me. it's the''Lazy Days slo cooker''! It has a non stick inside and a glass see thru lid. 5 temp settings, I'm excited to use it. Thanks for showing us the ones you have!

Good video :) I only recently found out about this brand going to a goodwill. Needless to say the HotPot ( orange ) they put out was amazing! Simple to repair, and nothing on the market is as easy as that. Let alone I use it to cook all my soups and hot pot meals / ramen on my truck ( cdl-a driver ) best purchase I've made in ages :)

I have one just like the one with the measuring spoons and fork. I've had it since the early 70's, never really used it but just had it for display. Now I use it for melting cheeses for like Queso dip to keep it warm. Works great for that! Thanks for sharing these cool little bean pots!😋🙂😋

I come across these bean pots all the time at the thrift store but never really knew what they were for- thanks for sharing!

This video is so helpful. I have been going through my folks' stuff, and I just found one, but without the warmer. It jogged memories of my Nana putting this on her iron heater/stove. Thank you for your video.

I was thinking what a wonderful vintage way I bet Boston Bake Beans possibly was made back in the day...Mmm yum. I remember those Bicentennial Days. Brings back some great memories indeed. At 60 since 2022 I am enjoying so much your beautiful channel Kevin. Thank you for sharing great history of your vintage collection. Love from Ky. 🎆🎆🎆

Those look like great little cookers! I love the original's design. . . looks so homey! With their lack of moving parts, they probably lasted FOREVER. The "Colonial Cooker" , while not as long-lived as the others perhaps, is certainly more-versatile. 1976 was a VERY important year for me. I was 21 and discovering a new lifestyle. Excellent video!, . . . again! Thanks for sharing Kevin.

I owned more than one of these and loved them. I had the one with the measuring spoons on it and the dark brown one.

You have the greatest stuff in the world!!!

Wow, I'm surprised I've never seen one of those before either!! I'll be looking for them now at the thrift stores. My favorite is the bicentennial colonial pot. Thank you for sharing 😊

I had a bean pot with the measuring spoons on the side. It was really good. I don't know what happened to it; I was in the Air Force and moved a lot. Hmmm, now I might have to go look for another one!

I bought one of these. It’s great! It makes excellent chicken thighs. Throw in an onion and a couple of carrots with it and cook until tender. It forms apart nicely. Unfortunately, my brown pot got a crack in it. I kept the lid, but I use a different pot on the burner.

Another great viddy! Do you realize how cool that Black Label beer pot is Kevin? I have never seen such a thing 😳

My grandma had the middle pot complete with the patio servers. I remember her making chili in it and serving it in the bowls, yes sometimes even on the patio on summer evenings! I think she may have used the bowls more than the pot to be honest, I remember her serving soup in them that she had actually made on the stove. But it was used quite a bit. I think it disappeared when she downsized and moved to an apartment house.

I don't think Mary Ann was amused you asking her if the Black Label Beer was her brand but I was, or at least by her "NO" response.😆🤣

We. use ours all the time. Chili comes out great, but when I have the time, I make the spahgetti sauce and meatballs. from the booklet. So good with a splash of the suggested port wine. We have the bun warmer too, and used it to keep burger buns hot on the patio. But use tongs, or you'll burn yourself.

Wow, you got me on this one! I have never heard of these. I’m assuming it’s a northern thing because I have never seen this living in the South all my life. Very interesting video and as always, thanks for sharing Kevin. Please keep the great videos coming!

I was very much alive in 1976, in 5th grade in fact and yet, I have heard of these, but never seen one in the wild. That spring, we did celebrations at my school, then the oldest school in the district. Initially built in 1916, and added onto in the late 20's, early 30's, and twice in the early 50's with 2 annexes and we had a celebration day in May I think and it took place (much of it) on the old blacktop playground. Since then, the really old section was condemned the previous school year, outside of the cafeteria area and the old gym for rainy days and was replaced by 1980 with a huge annex, by the 2000's, the entire school was razed and rebuilt on what was the play field and the location where the original school was became the new playground. My Mom had a crock pot, though it technically was not what we know from Rival, but was a West Bend enameled pot with lid that sat on a hot plate, which the modern equivalent is the Versatility, I think it was called that is sold currently. Back then, (late 70's), it never worked well and I think burnt stuff. Anyway, She got a Rival crock pot with the ceramic insert (I have that) and gave my middle sister the West Bend. What I recall was it was dark brown and I think got it at an garage sale when it was still fairly new. I have cooked many a pot of Hoppin' John in mine over the years, though this year, it ended up in the Le Creuset Dutch oven and cooked on lowish heat for what, 3 hours and was quite tasty. Had to use salt pork (pork back) for the meat instead of a ham hock as I could not find a hock, but did find the salt pork, threw in a diced onion and it was mighty good.

I use mine to keep beans and soup hot while we serve or wait for guests.

Fascinating, I have never seen an electric one. Perhaps those were more popular in northern states. Finding on used, would they be safe to use after all those years? The first model, the brown with metallic lid is by far the most attractive one.

I just picked up the original brown pot but it has the brown ceramic lid. Also the West Bend on the bottom is stamped on with ink. Maybe it’s an anniversary edition or something.

I had the middle pattern, sadly the pot broke. I wrote the company for a replacement but sadly they sold me the brown pot! So I have the base, a brown pot and the white lid.

I've never seen one of these bean pots either. It's one of those specialty appliances, like a popcorn popper, with one use. I can see how it morphed into the crockpot. Btw, was that 12 hours for soaked or unsoaked beans? Thanks for the tour. I learned something new 😊

Interested in all the information on bean pots

I have the brown one, must of been my MIL's. don't have the base. Are they microwavable? Using it today for Easter dinner.

PS-for years I owned and used two different brands of Bicentennial slow cookers. Remember how Nixon renamed AF-1 to "Spirit of '76"? We needed that boost then.

Is that a West Bend bean pot tie you have on? The color matches perfectly😅! Never seen these bean pots and I was very much alive in 1976!

Greetings Kevin, I was just wondering if when you have cooked beans in these electric bean pots, do they require any stiring in order for the beans to get throughly cooked, or do the beans all come out fairly well eveningly cooked without any tending or stiring?

Just got the original with 4 small pots and warmer. In a box at an auction. Can the p ot go in the oven?

I just got one but it has a ceramic lid. Unfortunately i didn't get it with the hot plate. Can I use a Pamper Chef's slow cooker base to use the pot to cook in?

Do you know if my rival flame Orange Crock-Pot is lead free and safe to use?

Stadium High School class of 1976!🤣

I've got a stoneware bean pot that looks identical to the West Bend brown bean pots, but the only name on the bottom is "USA", and in the lid there's a "1". Anyone know where my pot is from? Maybe it's a vintage knock off to West Bend?

Hi Kevin, I just ordered a West Bend Buffet Server /bean pot from EBay. Do you know the temperature of this cooker? I’m looking for lower temp cooker/ around 180-200 Degrees Fahrenheit. New cookers are too hot! I love your collection. Thank you!

I have one...Can you use these on the stove top or inside oven?

Would you ever sell one of your vintage appliances.