It’s a great day when you learn about a bunch of New Old Stock 1963 Electro Sink Centers for sale, and you can spread the news far and wide. Spreading the news far and wide: Reader Joan tipped me that there are a bunch of New Old Stock Electro Sink Centers for sale at Hippo Hardware in Portland, Oregon. I called owner Steven Miller. He confirmed the tip — sent photos — and gave me the back story.
“Most are in semi deep storage but can be reached pretty easily” — Steven
Steven said that he’s had the NOS Electro Sink Centers for three years now. He acquired 15 when a friend tipped him to a small town plumbing contractor’s place in central Washington that was closed up 30 years ago. The hunka hunka Electro Sinks were among the stash, and they are the only things Steven bought.
Steven has original paperwork indicating their 1963 sales price was $823.
Today, Hippo Hardware has about eight Electro Sink Centers left, Steven says. They come with the transformer and many of the accessories, except for the glass bowl, I think Steven told me. Please clarify all this with him if you scoot to buy one — my notes are a bit sketchy. Suffice to say: I don’t think opportunities like this will come up very often anymore.
Sales price is $600, plus shipping and tax, as required.
We saw our first Electro Sink Center in 2011:
- 1963 Electro Sink Center — the most wonderful kitchen faucet ever?
- Then, a reader told us about the Electro Sink Center on the Dick Van Dyke Show, in Laura Petrie’s kitchen.
GE introduced the Partio Cart in 1960.
This kitchen faucet / food processor / blender / ice cream maker / whipping thingie / sterilizer / [what else] surely must be — along with the GE Partio Cart introduced in 1960 — the creme de la creme of home appliance innovation in the early 1960s. I’ll say that the Electro Sink Center even tops the Partio Cart. While the Partio Cart combines several appliances into one, the Electro Sink Center appears to have required significant new invention — it is SO COMPLICATED. It is Magnificent!
Note, of course, dear readers, that old products like this may not be up to code or meet current material standards; get with a pro to assess what you are dealing with so you can make informed decisions — Be Safe/Renovate Safe.
Thank you, Joan, for this fantastic tip!
Who’s gonna raid the piggy bank to get one?
Link love, where you can get contact info: Hippo Hardware
Chicago Faucets retro kitchen sink faucet – the one I used 
Retro kitchen sinks from Kohler – cast iron, metal framed – my new #1 choice if you are buying new! 
Vintage style drainboard sink – Clarion by Strom Plumbing 
Something new + something(s) old: Can you guess? 
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Dan says
$823? In 1963? That’s the year my folks bought a brand new Dodge Coronet for just over $2,000! Even accounting for the cost of buying the various appliances separately, this thing made no economic sense – it was obviously more status symbol than anything.
Still, it’s deliciously quirky, and someone would be doing humanity a great service by uploading vids of one in action.
Bebe says
Inflation calculator is saying $863 is equivalent to about $6500 now!
Carolyn says
Are you sure this was in Laura’s kitchen and not Jane Jetson?! Anyways, I’m thinking the wife who had this’ husband probably drove a Buick or Oldsmobile because this seems kind of high-end for the average Joe.
I’m hoping ineffablespace and others can clue us in on more details.
Now, can I say here please, my dream is to retire in a real farmhouse outfitted in period appropriate (REA era) with a few “modern” pieces (chrome&Formica dinette) but you keep offering too cool stuff that really gives voice to the Space Age. I look at that faucet and think “Atomic”, which is majorly cool but I’m pretty sure no farm wife would’ve saved up her butter and egg money to buy it even if it was available in rural areas.
Part of me hopes I’d run across these things during an estate sale but I’d probably get kicked out for playing with it!
Too cool!
Debbie in Portland says
If you go to Hippo Hardware to pick one of these up, be sure to check out the rest of their plumbing department, and the totally amazing lighting department that takes up an entire upper floor.
Lizzy says
When I was a kid, people around here had a built in Kitchen Aid Center in the countertop that had these same appliances. Were these rivals? It looked like the part of a blender that you put the glass jar in, countersunk into the work tops.
How do you use an electric blender on a faucet? I’m now dying of curiosity!
Pam Kueber says
Those were likely Nutone Food Center, which were not uncommon. You can see one in this slide show: https://retrorenovation.com/2012/09/07/vintage-small-appliances-lets-see-yours-uploader-on-all-weekend/
Phillip Dudas says
I confirm too. I had forgotten I had seen them some time ago there. But that was before I found this website. That store has a lot of great things including drawer pulls etc for restoring.
Doris says
That looks scary to me. Electricity and water don’t mix.
Pam Kueber says
Yes, talk to your local plumbing and electric inspectors…
Trace F says
I just stumbled onto this site. I was telling my wife about these. The grandparents of a friend of mine had one. I was born in 65 and it was in their house as long as I can remember. His grandpa was a big time bookie. I’ll bet it was payment from a plumbing contractor that couldn’t pay his debt. lol
Roger Hull says
We had one of these in our home when I was growing up in 62. A door to door salesman sold it to us, my father who was a building contractor bought it and installed it in our house to use as a demo for selling other units to clients. It was still working well 20 years later when they sold the house. As a teenager I loved it, especially the sanitizer that gave off a faint glow. It was almost fun to do the dishes! And homemade ice cream maker actually worked! Anyway going through my Fathers stuff I found a NOS unit in the basement, new and still in the boxes. Totally complete unit with everything to install, shiny with only a little dust, I’m selling it for $500 if anyone would be interested.
Pam Kueber says
Roger, I discourage buying and selling on the blog or else it becomes chaos. Your best bet is likely ebay.
Marty says
My parents had one when I was young. It was pretty cool. My Dad only remembers paying around two hundred for his.
CarolK says
I’m watching Rehab Addict this morning and Nicole was at the old mansion in Detroit she was considering buying. I’m pretty sure I saw a Dishmaster in the kitchen. There was some sort of contraption at the kitchen sink anyway.