Ever eat something and wonder who invented it? Well, after some extensive research on Mental Floss, Buzzfeed and Filters Now, I’ve learned that a bunch of smart, go-getter women came up with some of our favorite foods and many of the tools we use on the daily. So sorry to break it to you men out there, but you ain’t got nothin’ on these ladies.
From back in the day to more recently women have changed how we eat over the years. Check out what they’ve done (in chronological order):
1. Beer
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Just so all you manly men out there know, beer is definitely a girly drink. Apparently ancient Mesopotamian women were the first to develop, sell, and drink it. Beer historian Jane Peyton even said so.
Even though it’s hard to pin down exactly who the first person was to invent beer, the next time you raise your can, be sure to make a toast to Ninkasi, the Sumerian goddess of brewing and beer.
2. Corn Mill
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Sybilla Masters lived around Native Americans for most of her life and noticed that the women were working way too hard to grind maize into cornmeal. So she used her noggin and, in 1715, invented a machine that pounds the maize into cornmeal. She even went all the way to England so the device could be patented.
3. Ice Cream Maker
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You better get down on your knees and praise Nancy Johnson for inventing the ice cream maker in 1846. And even though electric ice cream makers have been made since, her same basic model is still used today. I guess there’s really nothin’ like some good ole fashion vanilla ice cream.
4. Cooking Stove
Photo courtesy of antiqbuyer.com
Before electricity was discovered, Elizabeth Hawk invented a stove in 1867 that spread heat evenly throughout the oven. This allowed things like bread to bake thoroughly, while remaining crisp and golden brown on top. YAS.
Within two months of her invention, over 2,000 models were sold. Talk about makin’ moves.
5. Paper Bag
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Margaret Knight came up with the idea of a sturdy square-bottomed paper bag and in 1870, she invented a machine that would cut, fold, and glue a square bottom to paper bags. This helped evenly distribute the weight of all that shit you carry, actually making the brown bag useful.
Later on, Margaret realized that her idea had been stolen by Charles Annan, but she was ballsy enough to fight him. Using her own sketches and notes, Margaret proved that the invention was hers and won the case. You go, girl!
6. Dishwasher
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Josephine Garis Cochran invented the very first working dishwasher. It all started because she was tired of her servants breaking her expensive dishes every time they washed them… #richbetch. And since Josephine couldn’t find a machine that met her needs, she decided to make one that would get the job done better and faster.
So a big shout out to Josephine for making our lives a whole lot easier.
7. Drip Coffee Machine
Photo courtesy of Pinterest
In 1908 coffee machines were not yet invented, and German housewife, Melitta Bentz, wanted that strong kick of coffee without bitter grounds.
So she designed her very own coffee machine with a filter by layering the bottom of her coffee pot with her son’s notebook paper. #resourceful. It actually ended up working and Melitta had her invention patented as a “Filter Top Device Lined with Filter Paper.”
8. Modern Refrigerator
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It may be hard to believe, but not so long ago in 1914, Florence Papart invented the refrigerator. Well, maybe she didn’t invent the very first one, but she definitely improved the model that was already available. She made the first “modern” fridge that used electricity. Thanks, Florence.
9. Combined Egg Beater and Potato Masher
Photo courtesy of thenonconsumeradvocate.com
May Conner came up with a super simple, easy-to-use, and inexpensive invention in 1917. She combined an egg beater and a potato masher, which could be used for a ton of different things in the kitchen. Hmm, was she hinting at future mash-ups like the Cronut???
10. Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Now this one’s almost impossible to believe, but chocolate chip cookies haven’t been around since the dawn of time. In 1930, Ruth Wakefield accidentally invented these bad boys.
The story goes that one day Ruth was baking a batch of cookies that needed chocolate. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for us, she was out of baker’s chocolate, so instead she used a Nestle chocolate bar. And when she took the cookies out of the oven, instead of finding the chocolate totally melted, the chunks were still in tact.
Ruth’s cookies became a hit – everyone wanted them and sales were super high, Nestle even struck up a deal with her. Thus, the famous “Toll House Crunch Cookies” were born.
11. Frozen Pizza Dough
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If you’ve ever microwaved Totino’s pizza rolls, then you’ve had the stuff that made Rose Totino famous.
This story goes that Rose and her husband wanted to open a pizza shop, but they needed more money to start their business. They thought their pizza would sell, so Rose baked a pizza and presented it to a local banker. Luckily they got a loan (which I’m sure was nothing like those college loans we have to pay back now).
Then in 1969, a decade after they opened their pizza shop, Rose and her husband started a separate business selling ready-to-bake frozen pizzas. And late-night eating hasn’t been the same since.
12. Foot Pedal Trash Can
Photo courtesy of simplehuman.com
If you’ve ever heard of Cheaper by the Dozen, Lillian Gilbreth’s two children wrote the story about their family. She’s also the one who invented the foot pedal trash can, designed the shelves in refrigerators, and made can openers easier to use. The little tweaks she made on existing gadgets just make everything in the world seem soooo right.
13. Kevlar
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In 1966 Stephanie Kwolek used her magical chemist powers to create a fiber meant for car tires. However, she accidentally invented Kevlar, a material that’s stronger than steel. And funny enough, this lightweight but heavy duty material is used instead of teflon in many non-stick pans.
Honorable Mention: Spanx Undergarment
Photo courtesy of fastcodesign.com
Thanks to designer Sara Blakely, Spanx deserve a little praise for keeping everything tight n’ right and for holding in all those muffin tops and food babies. Thanks, girl.