Kitchen equipment has evolved from stone ovens and open fires in the dark ages to electric appliances in the 20th century. Innovations in the 21st century include energy and space efficiency. Several of these modern conveniences include the electric stove, the microwave oven, the dishwasher, the can opener and the refrigerator.
Electric Stove
William Hadaway invented the first home-use electric stove. He received a patent in 1896. Gas stoves were popular at the time. Electric stoves were not popular until the 1920s. Electric ovens were considered to be easier to clean, cheaper and cooked food faster than gas stoves. Most models in production at the time used resistor heating coils with thermostats to control temperature. Improvements in temperature control and coil materials have been developed over the years, but the basic design remains much the same, as of 2011. During the 1970s, glass-ceramic burners were introduced. These burners provide heat faster than coils and are easier to clean.
Microwave Oven
In 1946 an engineer at Raytheon named Dr. Percy LeBaron Spencer got the idea for a microwave oven from the work he was doing with magnetrons. He discovered that items near the magnetron heated up. He experimented with foods and discovered that a magnetron would heat food faster than a conventional oven. In 1947, Raytheon built and tested the first commercial microwave oven in a restaurant in Boston. It was so large and expensive, however, that it didn't gain popularity until several years later. In 1967, microwave ovens for home use were produced.
Dishwasher
In 1886, Josephine Garis Cochran invented the first automatic dishwasher. Her design included wire compartments inside a wheel. As the wheel turned, hot soapy water from a boiler cleaned the dishes. She presented her invention at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, but few were interested. Popularity with the general public wasn't to be realized until the 1950s.
Can Opener
Ezra J. Warner created the can opener. Canned food has been in use since 1810. However, it wasn't until 1858 that a convenient device for opening the cans was invented. Warner's invention was widely used by soldiers during the American Civil War. In 1870, William W. Lyman modified the can opener into the common rotary design.
Refrigerator
Jacob Perkins designed the first refrigerator in 1834 using vapor compression. Advancements were made with improved compressed gas technology. Large refrigeration usits for train cars shipping food and other industrial applications were used by the early 20th century. The Electrolux Company sold the first widely used refrigerator for home use in 1927. Early refrigeration units used dangerous gases such as ammonia and methyl chloride. Home refrigerators first saw mass appeal after World War II. Freon was developed as a safer alternative until it was discovered that Freon harms the ozone. Alternative gases are used in modern designs.
