Almost Every '80s Kitchen Had One — Now We're Hunting For Them At Thrift Stores

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With all things high-tech and AI taking over most facets of daily living, many people are making a concerted effort to return to a more intentional, analog approach to life at home — like the good old days before cell phones and social media. This desire to recapture a more present offline lifestyle has people rediscovering simple pleasures like reading, gardening, sewing, thrifting, cooking, and listening to music, to name a few. One of today's analog home trends actually blends those last three hobbies all into one, bringing back the heyday of a vintage kitchen item rarely used in recent decades: An under-cabinet kitchen clock radio.

In 1978, GE Appliances introduced their SpaceMaker line with the first over-the-range microwave, later expanding the series throughout the '80s to include additional space-saving under-the-cabinet appliances and electronics, including the SpaceMaker Kitchen Companion Radio around 1984-85. For those looking to enjoy some tunes or hear the latest news while whipping up a feast, GE designed a slim AM/FM unit with a digital clock that mounts to the underside of the upper cabinets to free up precious counter space required for a traditional radio. The SpaceMaker music series evolved to add exciting features like a cassette player in the late 80s and CD player in the late 90s. If you didn't have one of these clever stereo units under your cabinets, you can likely think of several families who did, as they became extremely popular additions to 1980s, '90s, and early 2000s kitchens. In an attempt to bring back some of the nostalgic analog family entertainment and enjoyment of physical media (i.e., cassette and CD albums) from this era, people are scouring thrift stores for this fun, musical kitchen throwback.

To get your hands on one of these fabulous vintage cabinet-mounted stereos, be it one of the original GE models or one by other brands that quickly developed similar units of their own, there are a few options. The most affordable, fun, and slightly elusive approach is to head to your local thrift store or an estate sale. Though the pricing will likely be the lowest, you'll have to get lucky enough to stumble upon one during your treasure hunt, and will have less say in the features of the particular model. But the thrill of the hunt and all that jazz, right?

To have slightly more choice on the look and features of the under-cabinet radio, but still keep your shopping local, search for used options available for sale on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Finally, for the most control over your shopping experience, head to an online secondhand shop like eBay or Mercari. The pricing on these radios (plus shipping) is likely to be a bit higher than a great local, thrifted, or estate sale find, but the advantage is that you're able to get the exact radio you want — perhaps the same nostalgic model that was in your kitchen growing up. And sure, there are more modernized versions available, such as the $51 iLive Under Cabinet Music System on Amazon, with Bluetooth, USB ports, and all sorts of other bells and whistles. But that sort of defeats the vintagey analog vibes so many people are going for with this throwback electronic. On the other hand, if a more updated system works better for your needs and brings you joy, you do you!

Once you bring your charming kitchen stereo home, you will first want to choose a good spot for the installation that's both easy to reach for operation and within close proximity to an outlet for power. Some kitchens have outlets installed on the underside of the cabinet or within the inside of upper cabinets for lighting and other appliances, so you could install your radio in front of or below that.

If you're lucky enough to get a secondhand radio with the original manual, simply mount it to the underside of your cabinet using the provided instructions and drilling template. If your vintage find doesn't have these materials (very likely), you will need to create a paper template for yourself outlining where the screw holes are located in relation to the front of the unit and cabinet. Next, place it on the bottom shelf of the upper cabinet, mark the holes, and drill through the bottom of the cabinet. Install the mounting bolts from above into the radio unit, tightening them until secure.

Once mounted, plug the power cord into a wall outlet on the backsplash or cabinet underside. Use nail-in cable clips and/or cord control cables to wrangle any excess cord behind the radio for a neater look. If your outlet is located inside the upper cabinet, you'll need to create a hole in the cabinet behind the radio that's large enough to fit the power cord by attaching a hole saw drill bit to your drill and drilling a large hole behind the radio. Thread the power cord through and plug it into the outlet within the cabinet. Now flip on the power switch and groove your way through dinner prep.