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Household Tech
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The Kitchen Range
This was a milestone that established a new era in household technology. Before the kitchen range familys cooked meals over an open fire. This was difficult as it was also used for heating the home, albeit inefficient. This invention allowed for the effective burning of biomass whether wood, coal or whatever could be used as fuel. -
Electrical Power Generation
With Faraday's invention of the Homopolar disc generator the advent of power generation was underway. The establishment of power stations in regions would usher in a new age of technology. -
Indoor Plumbing
Indoor plumbing had been around since the days of Rome. Since its fall technology of indoor plumbing regressed until people sought a means to better dispose of sewage. This need for sanitation expedited the advent of running water and indoor plumbing. Before water was pumped from wells or even bucketed if you weren't that lucky and then heated for baths or used for cooking or cleaning. -
The Light Bulb
Not only did the invention of the lightbulb begin an age of lighting the world through other means rather than fire but it made the home safer in a way by no longer using those open flames. This invention also allowed homes to extend working days, putting less stress to condense the workday. -
The Automobile
With the invention of the automobile the world got a little smaller. What that meant for the household was an ability to effectively travel and attain goods once had on special occasions. -
Electric Sewing Machine
It was often left to the woman of the house to maintain the clothing of the family. Shirts, dresses, and pants were made by hand and took many hours to produce. This limited most people to having only two sets of clothes, work and suday dress. With the invention of the sewing machine countless hours were saved and clothes made more abundant not to mention easier to mend. -
Electric Washing Machine
With hours spent washing clothes the invention of the washing machine saved countless hours of washing for women who maintained the household and allowed them to focus efforts in other areas. -
Electtric Refrigeration
Prior to the refrigerator as we know it coming to age previous generations relied upon harvesting ice as means to keep goods cold. This usually went un aided during the summer months when ice supplies depeleted. Eventually, technology was developed to produce ice through electrical means. These ice chests as they were called were replaced with in house electric units that were stand alone and did not require blocks of ice to cool goods. All this allowed for safer,more hygenic food handling. -
Electric Stove
The electric stove was invented at the turn of the centry however, it wasn't until the 1930s that it became common in many households. The electric stove kept people from gathering and cutting wood for fuel and saved that time and energy for other activities. It also allowed for much better control when cooking that allieviated waste as a result of over cooking. -
Microwave Oven
Met with skeptisism due to health concerns the microwave has become a staple of kitchens all over America. Misunderstood at first the microwave proved to be a safe and efficient means of cooking or reheating food that saved time and energy for those involved.