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100
Ancient Greek
The first known ovens were used by the Ancient Greeks in 8-3 century BC. They were simple ovens for making bread and other baked goods. *note: timetoast does not allow me to make the actual date to be 8-3 century BC.
**note: I am just looking into this period of the time but I do do acknowledge that the period of the Ancient Greece is longer. -
Jan 1, 1000
The Middle Ages
By the middle ages, there were taller brick and mortar hearths. They were usually built with chimneys. -
Jan 1, 1490
1st Recorded Use of an Oven
In 1490, Alsace, France, the first historical record of an oven being built was written. The oven - and the flue - was made entirely of brick and tile. -
The Castrol Stove
In 1735, French architect François Cuvilliés invented the castrol (or stew) stove. This stove contained the fire completely and had several openings that were covered by iron plates with holes. -
The Gas Stove
The first semi-successful gas oven to appear on the market was patented by James Sharp in 1826. The first few gas stoves were difficult to move, but the ovens were put into the base and the size grew smaller, making it fit with the other kitchen furniture. -
Canadians and the Electric Oven
Some historians credit that, in 1882, Canadian Thomas Ahearn was the first to invent the electric oven However, it was only in 1892 when the Ahearn stove was put into service into the Windsor Hotel of Ottawa. -
The Carpenter Electric Heating Manufacturing Company
Another electrical stove was invented by the Carpenter Electric Heating Manufacturing Company in 1891. -
Chicago
In 1893, at the Chicago World's Fair, an electric stove was exhibited. -
William; Westinghouse
In 1896, William Hadaway was given the first patent for an electric oven and, in 1910, he designed the first toaster made by Westinghouse. It was a horizontal combination toaster-cooker design. -
Improvements to the Electric Stoves
Early electric ovens were generally unsatisfactory because of they were costly (due to electricity), had little power from the company supplying electricity, poor regulation temperature and a shortened time of heating foods. But then nichrome alloy was invented and it improved the cost durability of the heating time. Other improvements in the electric ovens included the invention of resistor heating coils, which was a familiar design in ovens that is also seen in hotplates. -
Enamel Coatings on Gas Stoves
In the 1910s, gas stoves had enamel coatings that made them easier to clean. Other improvements in the electric ovens included the invention of resistor heating coils, which was a familiar design in ovens that is also seen in hotplates. -
Usage of Gas Stoves
Gas ovens never really evolved or improved until gas lines (which could furnish gas) became common in households. These ovens appeared in most households by the 1920s with top burners and interior ovens. -
Swedish Nobel Prize
The AGA cooker that was invented in 1922 by Swedish Nobel prize winner Gustaf Dalén was a notable design in the progress of stoves. -
Gas vs. Electric
During the 1890s, the advancements in electricity wasn’t sufficiently enough for these ovens, so electric ovens weren't very popular. It was only until the late 1920s to the early 1930s that electric ovens started competing with gas ovens. This was probably because of the decreased cost of electricity and a modernized style of the electric stoves. -
The Microwave Oven
In 1946, a microwave oven was invented by Dr. Percy Spencer by way of something unusual. Eight years later, the company Dr. Spencer was working for, Raytheon Corporation, produced its first microwave oven, but it took at least another decade for it to become popular due to fears of radiation and high price.
