Straight out of 1973, the Salton Cosmopolitan Casserole was the product of a collaboration between Salton Inc. and Corning Glass Works. The dish was sometimes stamped Salton and sometimes Pyrex (mine, which I scored from Goodwill online, says Salton), but it’s clearly made from a Pyrex mold — the 475 Cinderella Round Casserole. There are some interesting details about the history of Salton and Pyrex on the Corning Museum of Glass Pyrex Potluck site here.
The casserole was originally sold as a set with a square electric hot plate — you can see a photo from the Corning Museum of Glass collection here. In fact, the Salton company was primarily known for its hot plates, food warmers and other small appliances. My research into the subject brought back a childhood memory of a Salton electric bun warmer my parents used to bring out for keeping muffins and biscuits hot at the breakfast table. It was a sort of rectangular box with curved sides and a cloth-covered, hinged lid. It seems that various versions of it can be had on eBay for about $30, but I will hold out for the brown polka dot design I remember.
In addition to the bun warmer discovery, I came across a charming 1975 New York Times article about company founder Lewis Salton:
And wouldn’t you have it, the Salton peanut butter machine is available on eBay too! Luckily for my sanity and cabinet space, I’m not into collecting appliances. But if I see that bun warmer in a thrift store someday, I’m not making any promises.
Thrifted Kitchen 