Kitchen appliance history: The evolution of slow cookers and rice cookers

The history of automated kitchen appliances highlights significant shifts in domestic convenience. The first slow cooker, patented by Irving Naxon in 1940 as the Naxon Beanery, was a simple ceramic pot in a metal shell with only on and off capabilities. It became a household staple after Naxon sold the company to Rival Manufacturing in 1970, which rebranded the device as the Crock-Pot.

Similarly, the rice cooker revolutionized meal preparation by automating a process that previously required constant supervision. In 1955, engineer Yoshitada Minami launched the Toshiba ER-4, the world’s first automatic electric rice cooker. The device functioned by cutting power once the water had fully evaporated, a development that led to widespread global adoption.