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Background and Identification

A kitchen appliance is a device or instrument which is designed for a specific operation and assists in household functions such as cleaning, cooking, and food preservation. Kitchen appliances include nearly any device meant for use in the kitchen, including mixers, microwave ovens, toasters, and coffee makers.

Household appliances including toasters, refrigerators, and kettles have existed for centuries, though in much different forms than modern electric and gas-powered appliances. Perhaps the first kitchen appliance was the mortar and pestle, first described by Ancient Egyptians around 1550 B.C. The first kitchen stove was built in 1490 in Alsace, France. Prior to electricity and modern refrigerators, people cooled their food with ice and snow.

Self-contained gas-powered or electric appliances emerged as American innovations in the twentieth century. The invention of kitchen appliances is associated with the departure of full-time domestic servants. Kitchen appliances reduced time-consuming cooking and cleaning activities for families. The first electric and gas appliances, such as washing machines, modern refrigerators, and clothes irons, appeared in the early 1900s. In post-World War II America, household use of clothes dryers and dishwashers illustrated a shift toward the desire for convenience. In the 1990s, over 90% of household appliances were sold by just five companies, including General Electric, Whirlpool, and Maytag.

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