A History of Ovens
cient Times–Hot coals were put in pits to
heat food, which would be wrapped in leaves, placed in the pit, and then covered
with dirt.
3200 BC –Egypt: A clay oven was being used
in each mud-brick home.
Greece: Front-loading bread ovens were
developed.
1490 AD – First record of an oven being
built, in Alsace, France. It was made entirely of brick and tile. The
wood-burning technique was used, which produced large amounts of smoke through
chimneys.
1735 AD –French
architect François Cuvilliés invents a stove which completely contains its fire
and smoke.
1800 AD – Benjamin Thompson
incents an iron kitchen stove suitable for very large working
kitchens.
1826
AD – British inventor James Sharp creates a gas oven, the first to appear on the
market.
1834 AD – Stewart Oberlin
invents a compact cast iron stove. This design continues to be improved, leading
to iron grating being added to the cooking holes, and added
chimneys.
1882 AD – Canadian Thomas
Ahearn invents the first electric oven.
1910 AD – Gas stoves begin
to appear with enamel coating, which makes them easier to
clean.
1922 AD –The
AGA cooker, an important design revolution in gas ovens, is invented by Swedish
Nobel Prize winner Gustaf Dalén.
1946 AD – Percy Spencer
discovers the microwave oven, which uses microwave radiation to heat up
food.
1954 AD - The first
commercial Raytheon microwave is
marketed.