Kitchens are essential to modern life. The appliances that live in this room assist people and make life easier every single day. The blender makes smoothies a simple recipe, dish washers save families loads of time, and air conditioning makes the summer more enjoyable. All of these appliances have something in common. They all either went through groundbreaking transformations, or were invented in the 1950s. This post is going to discuss just how much of the modern kitchen today started in the 50s. Lets get into it.
After WWII many new technology and tools began to become available to the public. A large number of these new tools were meant for use in the kitchen. Starting in 1949, new stove became available in brand new colours. This sparked a trend of colourful kitchens that can still be seen today.
A lot of appliances were invented in the 50s as well. Dishwashers began to enter kitchens, although only the wealthiest could afford such a luxury. New electric frying pans began to appear in 1953, and a 12-speed mixer was introduced by Kenmore. Automatic can openers and electric juicers began to appear, as well as washing machines and dryers. I’m sure many of you reading this have at least on of these appliances in your home, and many are still being used today. For example, a new ironing machine known as a mangle was introduced in the 50s, and one actually still exists in the locker room of my local pool.
It wasn’t inventions too. Refrigerators, which were first introduced in the 1920s, began to be sold with ice makers and automatic defrosters. Electric ovens, invented in the 1920s, became extremely popular in the 50s, entering many households. Both the fridge and the electric oven are in many kitchens today, and ice makers are part of many new fridges.
The 1950s was a time of convenience for the kitchen. Everything was about making it easier to do everything. Front-loading washers made clothes washing easier, dishwashers made dishwashing easier, and new stove and ovens made cooking faster and easier as well. A lot of the stuff in 1950s is seen in kitchens today. If you go into your kitchen right now, odds are you will see something that was popular or invented in the 1950s. In fact, the use of electricity in households tripled from the 1940 to 1960, which just goes to show that the 50s was all about convenience; a trend we still see today.