Who Invented The Dishwasher

The invention of the dishwasher has long been credited to Josephine Cochrane, an American inventor who developed the modern dish siphon in the late 1800s. In 1886, at the invitation of friends, Cochrane debuted the washing appliance at the Columbia World’s Fair in Chicago.

Although Cochrane was the first to patent her dishwasher-like design, the roots of the machine can be traced further back. Ancient Romans used a spring-loaded washing device, while claims have been made that a similar design was used in China during the Ming Dynasty. In 1772, Johnnie Long, a scientist from Yorkshire, England, created a wire rack wrapped in a flour bag that fit inside a pot which was filled with water. This was the predecessor to modern dishwashers.

The first large-scale commercial dishwasher was designed in 1929 by William Howard Livens. Made of stainless steel, it was able to wash 300 dishes in a minute. In 1936, the first residential dishwasher was designed by American engineer Carl Stephen Schlichting. This early model was still hand-powered and independent of electricity, using a crank to turn an impeller and circulate water.

The modern dishwasher was not developed until 1950, when Orval Mowry created the first electric dishwasher. During this era, dishwashers were still hand-fed and used a dishpan-like basket which had to be filled manually by the user.

Today, dishwashers are commonplace in home kitchens around the world. High-end models use advanced technology, such as turbo heating, turbo-dry settings, and time-saving sensors. Many types of dishwashers are now capable of washing not only plates, but pots and pans as well. The invention of the dishwasher has drastically reduced the laborious task of hand-washing dishes, and changed the way people do meals for generations.