Bring out the retro appliances

Goodbye, espresso machines and panini makers. Hello, pressure cookers, slow cookers and canning jars. In this new era of thrift, excess is out, cheap eats are in and meal preparation has gone retro. Consider:

> FoodChannel.com’s trend forecast for 2009 predicts a return to home cooking, along with increased interest in learning about food, cooking and recipes.

> AOL’s Money and Finance site, WalletPop.com, also predicts the return of home cooking and “cheap foods” to help stretch the budget.

> The Food Marketing Institute’s U.S Grocery Shopper Trends 2008 report reveals that 71 percent of consumers polled say they are cooking more and eating out less. Close to 60 percent say they are eating more leftovers.

> Vegetable seed sales are skyrocketing, as people plan gardens to help cut food costs.

> And perhaps most surprising, purchases of pressure cookers, slow cookers and canning supplies are way up.

Kay Logsdon, director and senior editor at Foodchannel.com, says these lifestyle changes are being dictated by the economy.

“People are trying to figure out how to deal with the new realities. Even though families may not have the money to spend on takeout foods, they still have the same busy lifestyles and overextended schedules,” she says.

“Whatever they cook has to fit the budget and get onto the table quickly. So they’re thinking about the crock-pot that’s been buried in the closet. They’re showing a new interest in pressure cookers. They’re doing stuff grandma used to do.”