A 3-story Hoosier cabinet in Indiana celebrates an American kitchen icon

Nappanee, Indiana (AP) — Hoosier cabinets, once a ubiquitous symbol of early 20th-century American kitchens, have been commemorated with a life-sized, climbable replica in a northern Indiana town. The 30-foot (9-meter) model of a Dutch Kitchenette, the world's largest Hoosier cabinet, was unveiled last month to celebrate the cabinet's significance in kitchen history. This replica is part of the 150th anniversary celebration of Coppes Napanee, one of the two companies still producing these popular kitchen cabinets.

Wesley Mast, the owner and president of Coppes Napanee, shared that visitors to the town often have two responses to the giant cabinet: disbelief at its size and admiration for its design. The cabinet, dubbed the world's largest Hoosier cabinet, features a loft with a lookout over Coppes Commons, the site of the original Coppes Napanee factory now transformed into a marketplace, artisan hub, and museum.

The Hoosier cabinet, first appearing in the 1890s, was a freestanding kitchen workstation and storage area that revolutionized food preparation. This all-in-one cabinet centralized ingredients, tools, and storage, streamlining meal preparation and allowing women to save time and effort. With 5,000 dealers across the country, the cabinets were a staple in American homes until the mid-20th century, when built-in cabinetry became the norm.

The original Hoosier cabinet boasted features like flour sifters and small cookbooks with recipes, promising to "strengthen your marriage" and "make you more beautiful."