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Fiesta 201: Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Part Four – Casseroles

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft label.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft label. Image from thepotterypapers.blogspot.com

CLICK HERE FOR PART THREE

Part four of Driving For Deco’s series on Fiesta Kitchen Kraft is about casseroles. No 1930s line of oven to table ware was complete without a casserole bowl. And the Kitchen Kraft line is no exception. Kitchen Kraft offered three sizes of casseroles. When initially sold paper labels were usually applied to the lids. All the casseroles feature the impressed Fiesta Kitchen Kraft mark on the bottom.

 

Yellow Fiesta Kitchen Kraft individual casserole with paper label.

Yellow individual casserole. Because of its size the paper label is applied to the bowl and not the lid as on the larger two sizes. Image from ebay.com.

 

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft 8 1/2 Inch & 7 1/2 Casseroles

Dates of production: 1938 – 1944

Available colors: red, blue, yellow, green

8 1/2 Inch Casserole original price: blue, yellow, green $1.00 ($18.55 in 2021); red $1.25 ($23.19 in 2021)

7 1/2 Inch Casserole original price: blue, yellow, green $0.90 ($16.70 in 2021); red $1.10 ($20.41 in 2021)

 

A red 8 1/2 inch Fiesta Kitchen Kraft casserole.

Large Fiesta Kitchen Kraft casserole in red. From the collection of the author.

When developing the Kitchen Kraft in 1937, the large (8 1/2 inch) casserole the first piece Frederick Rhead designed for the new line. Like most Fiesta Kitchen Kraft items the large and medium casseroles are devoid of decorations, except to the two steps under the rim. The lid sits inside the bowl, unlike the Fiesta and Harlequin casseroles whose covers overhang the outside edge. A nice feature is the recessed area around knob, which allows for a firm grip when lifting it up. A go-along metal holder was available for the 8 1/2 inch casserole, which dressed it up for the table. All the casseroles were reasonably priced. And the two large sized ones sold well.

 

Large green Fiesta Kitchen Kraft casserole with metal holder.

8 1/2 inch green Fiesta Kitchen Kraft casserole with go-along metal holder. Image from vintageamericanpottery.com.

 

The medium (7 1/2 inch) casserole is identical to the large casserole except for its size. Both the large and the medium casseroles are among the easiest Fiesta Kitchen Kraft items to find today.

 

The cobalt blue 7 1/2 inch Fiesta Kitchen Kraft casserole.

A blue 7 1/2 inch Fiesta Kitchen Kraft casserole. Identical in design to the larger casserole. Image from ebay.com.

 

8 1/2 inch casserole: Book value: $90.00 – $120.00 *. Current market prices: $70.00 (eBay) – $150.00 (Vintage American Pottery). **

7 1/2 inch casserole: Book value: $90.00 – $105.00 *. Current market prices: $60.00 (eBay) – $135.00 (Etsy) . **

*Book values come from Fiesta, Harlequin, Kitchen Kraft Dinnerwares, Schiffer Publishing 2000. These reflect pre-2008 recession values. And like Fiesta items glazed in red and cobalt tend to have higher values than those same pieces glazed in yellow and green.

**These prices reflect what these bowls are currently selling for online in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. Intact paper labels increases the value of pieces up to 25%.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Individual Casserole

 

The small or individual casserole in Fiesta yellow.

The individual casserole in yellow. Photo from replacements.com.

Dates of production: 1938 – 1944

Available colors: red, blue, yellow, green

Individual Casserole original price: blue, yellow, green $0.50 ($13.21 in 2021); red $0.60 ($15.85 in 2021)

 

All the available colors of the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft individual casseroles.

Individual casseroles in all the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft colors, plus one in ivory with gold trim from the regular Kitchen Kraft line. Image from Pinterest.

 

If any pieces of Kitchen Kraft can be called cute it is the individual casserole. This little casserole has an entirely different look from the two larger ones. While developing the piece the planned name was the bean pot. But once in production that had been changed to the individual casserole. This small casserole does not feature the stair steps under the rim as found on the two larger size ones. But it does have under rim rings to tie it in stylistically to the line.

 

Inside lid detail of the individual casserole.

Inside lid detail, yellow Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Individual Casserole. Image from vintageamericanpottery.com.

And like the bigger sized ones it does feature the recess around the lid knob. Today the individual casserole is not too easy to find and usually commands a higher price on the collectors market than the larger ones.

 

A cobalt blue Fiesta Kitchen Kraft individual casserole.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft Individual Casserole in cobalt blue. Image from vintageamericanpottery.com.

Individual casserole: Book value: $140.00 – $170.00 *. Current market prices: $65.00 – $80.00 (eBay) – $125.00 – $175.00 (Ruby Lane) . **

*Book values come from Fiesta, Harlequin, Kitchen Kraft Dinnerwares, Schiffer Publishing 2000. These reflect pre-2008 recession values. And like Fiesta items glazed in red and cobalt tend to have higher values than those same pieces glazed in yellow and green.

**These prices reflect what these bowls are currently selling for online in excellent condition with no chips or cracks. Intact paper labels increases the value of pieces up to 25%.

 

Promotional Campaign

 The promotional Kitchen Set, usually came with a Fiesta Royal Metal casserole with a red lid on a green bowl and yellow pie plate. Kitchen Kraft offered their own version of this set, using the large casserole. And the lid, bowl and pie plate were all the same color.

 

1941 Fiesta Kitchen Kraft newspaper ad featuring the Kitchen and Range sets. December 20, 1941.

Fiesta Kitchen Kraft newspaper advertisement featuring the Kitchen Set and the Range Set. From the Council Grove Republic, Council Grove, Kansas, December 20, 1941. Image from newspapers.com.

 

An unofficial promotion set sold by some retailers was a  three piece “Range Set”, which consisted of the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft salt and pepper shakers and the individual casserole. The casserole in this set functioned as a grease jar.

 

In part five of Fiesta 201 Driving for Deco will be about the Fiesta Kitchen Kraft fork & spoon and the salt and pepper shakers.

CLICK HERE FOR PART FIVE

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, Tiquen’ Guys)

Fiesta 101: Part Five 1940 Promotional Campaign Sugar, Cream and Kitchen Sets

 

Sugar, Cream & Tray Set

The sugar, creamer and tray promotional set.

1940 promotional campaign sugar & cream set. Typical colors of yellow sugar and creamer on a cobalt blue figure 8 tray. Image from vintageamericanpottery.com

The 1940 promotional campaign continues with a couple of sets to brighten up the table. This set is very sought after by collectors of Fiesta. This set would be the last items in the Fiesta line, until the individual salad bowl of 1959. The sugar and cream set became available in the spring of 1940. Frederick Rhead, creator of the Fiesta line died from cancer on November 5, 1942. These items proved to be his last design. Consisting of three pieces, in the standard colors of yellow for the sugar and creamer and cobalt blue for the tray. The values for these pieces are: Yellow Sugar $125.00, Yellow Creamer $75.00 and the Cobalt Figure Eight Tray $95.00.

As with anything Fiesta, there are variations. Although rare, creamers in red and figure eight trays in turquoise turn up. These colors were probably used for special orders. The values of these pieces reflect their rarity. The red creamer has a book value of $315.00 and the figure eight tray in turquoise of $375.00.

 

Promotional creamer in red.

1940 – 1943 promotional creamer in Fiesta red. Image from vintageamericanpottery.com

Turquoise figure eight promotional tray.

Promotional figure eight tray in turquoise. Image from vintageamericanpottery.com.

 

Sugar & cream set.

From the collection of the author the sugar & cream set with the red creamer.

 

The Kitchen Set

 

Promotional Kitchen set.

Promotional Kitchen Set. In the standard color combination. Image from vintageamericanpottery.com

 

With some diligence and a bit of patience one can cobble together the promotional kitchen set. as it is rarely found complete. It is a combination of pieces created for other lines. The Royal Metal Manufacturing casserole, first created in 1936, came in a variety of Fiesta and Harlequin colors. For the promotional campaign the green casserole base came with a red lid and a yellow pie plate from the Kitchen Kraft line. This matched the yellow, green and red color combination of the promotional salad set. Today expect to pay around $200.00 for the complete set or $150.00 for the casserole and another $35.00 – $50.00 for the pie plate.

 

1940 promotional Kitchen Set.

Promotional Kitchen Set, 1940 – 1943. Image from vintageamericanpottery.com

These two sets add a colorful Deco touch in any vintage kitchen. The next installment on Fiesta will look at the final two items available in the 1940 promotional campaign.

 

For Fiesta 101: Part Six Click Here

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, Tiquen Guys)