What is a dumbwaiter and are they still used today?

Netflix has finally dropped Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s new limited series The Observer, and of course it’s the show that everyone watches. If you have seen at least the first episode, you know that a dumbwaiter is mentioned and shown in the series. We’ve got you covered if you’re curious about what a dumbwaiter is.

spoilers off The Observer ahead!

As the Brannock family is looking around the property at 657 Boulevard, Dean notices a man and woman standing near a dumbwaiter indoors, but one of them sticks his head inside. When Dean approaches them, they introduce themselves and the woman tells Dean that she is the president of the local Preservation Society. The woman goes on to say that the dumbwaiter is a national treasure and that the house is beautiful before walking away.

Later, the youngest Brannock finds the dumbwaiter in the house, but mistakes it for an elevator. Dean walks over and explains to his son what a dumbwaiter is and even shows him how it works.

What exactly is a dumbwaiter and are they still used today? Here’s what we know.

The Watcher on Netflix: What is a dumbwaiter and are they still used today?

According to WiseGEEK, a dumbwaiter is a small freight elevator or elevator used to move groceries or goods from one floor to another. So Carter Brannock was not entirely wrong when he thought a dumbwaiter was an elevator. It’s considered an elevator, but it’s just not designed for human use.

Originally, dumbwaiters used a pulley system, but electric motors were added in the 1920s. This made it easier to move items between floors. They will still be used in 2022. They can be found in restaurants, bars, older private homes, villas, hotels, medical laboratories, offices, etc. Overall, dumbwaiters are still popular, even hundreds of years after people started using them.

That observer only streams on Netflix now.