An avid traveler, she loves to collect pieces that tell a story and in her off hours she can be found hunting for vintage furniture and textiles. The industrial revolution spurred new inventions, cheaper prices, and new ways of thinking like economic and ergonomic efficiency. So how did it come to be that the kitchen of today serves as the hub for nearly every aspect of home life? A renewed interest in home cooking, fetishizing kitchen utensils and entertaining meant that life was happening, once again, in the kitchen. From the small turnspit dog trained to turn the roasting wheel, to the use of coal then gas, the invention of cast iron, electricity, and plumbed water, kitchen conveniences were constantly changing the look of the kitchen. A contemporary kitchen layout with the kitchen open to the dining area and family room. Ancient Kitchens. Double islands, walk-in pantries, and specialty appliances keep kitchen remodelers busy. Notice that the stove, oven and sink are still freestanding and not fitted. Courtesy of Vintage Goodness. In essence, the kitchen was becoming a source of pride, and slowly becoming a place worthy of entertaining. Image credit here. This advanced kitchen design, introduced in Germany by the efficiency expert, Frederick Winslow Taylor, focused on putting all necessary items in the kitchen within arm’s reach. While one trend is a bit of a throw-back, looking backwards to a simpler time in our kitchen history, the other trend is shooting for the future. Fitted cabinetry and appliances helped create a more purposeful, and beautiful interior design, and the workflow within the space became easier to use. Mary Bellis covered inventions and inventors for ThoughtCo for 18 years. They were dark and prone to catching fire; they were filled with noises, messes and smells. By the 1980’s, the idea of a completely open kitchen, with appliances designed to show off, came into being. Increased trade between Europe, The Americas and Asia brought new foods and new demands to the kitchen. In ancient times, people cooked on open fires that were built outside on the ground. The kitchens of the 1900s – 1920s, although they might seem rudimentary to us now, were actually quite advanced compared to the kitchens that came before. Later on, simple masonry constructions were used to hold the wood and food. But what might not be so obvious is why these changes occurred, or what created the kitchen we know and love today. Economic trends and politics had a major influence on the design and function of the kitchen. Smoke and soot were a constant bother for eyes and lungs. The advent of ​electricity greatly advanced the technology of labor-saving kitchen appliances. The invention of labor-saving devices, time-saving tools, with better kitchen designs and more stylish, matching options made the kitchen a source of pride. In 1769, Elizabeth Raffald penned The Experienced English Housekeeper  and advised: “As many dishes as you have in one course, so many baskets or plates your dessert must have, and as my bill of fare is twenty-five to each course, so must your dessert be of the same number and set out in the same manner.” Imagine hosting a dinner consisting of 75 dishes! In fact it wasn’t even until the period following the Civil War that the majority of kitchen appliances were invented and the ability to use these devices came into wide spread use. With a background in furniture and antiques, Anne has spent the last several years writing about home improvement and interior design. A study in ergonomics, the 1926 Frankfort Kitchen, aimed to make kitchen tasks take shorter amounts of time. But smoke and soot remained a huge problem until the 16th century when chimneys became widely used in homes. The idea of the “fitted kitchen,” wherein appliances were becoming more integrated within cabinetry, was an important transformation for the kitchen in the 1930’s and 1940’s. This kitchen is large, functional and features a more open layout, perfect for cooking and entertaining. A Hoosier Cabinet from the early 1900’s created a more efficient kitchen design with it’s built-in features, extra storage, and additional workspace. This was an open-style kitchen, lacking a chimney to draw smoke out of the great hall. In the 1960’s and 1970’s other societal changes were taking place that impacted the style of the kitchen. What events transpired to allow us the luxury of the kitchen we know today? Dinner parties could last hours and hours. In the 1920’s, ergonomic efficiency in the kitchen took one giant step forward with the creation of the tiny, but efficient, Frankfort Kitchen. By definition, the kitchen is a room used for food preparation that is typically equipped with a stove, a sink for cleaning food and dish-washing, and cabinets and refrigerators for storing food and equipment. The reason was that most people no longer had servants and housewives working alone in the kitchen needed culinary help. A kitchen from the 1960’s, courtesy of Veterans United. But the large, brick chimney and fireplace effectively divided this great room, creating two rooms: the living room (where guests were received and business conducted), and the kitchen. Author’s note: America, being a rather new country, has a relatively short history of the home to draw upon. A ca. The kitchen and pantries remain largely as they were in 1910, when the house was built. Even pioneers on the American prairie opted for cast iron stoves for their increased heating capacity and faster cook times. Back in the 1800s, it was shoved to the back of the house and away from the parlor and dining room, where the guests could be found. Kitchens have been around for centuries, however, it was not until post-civil war period that the majority of kitchen appliances were invented. Technological advancements in the kitchen were constant, most of which aimed at reducing labor and time. She is known for her independent films and documentaries, including one about Alexander Graham Bell. With a chimney, smoke was drawn up and out of the great hall, making it easier to breath and easier to create large cooking fires in fireplaces. For homes without servants, kitchens were generally part of the main living quarter, but were still kept in the back of the home and away from the more formal receiving rooms, like the parlor. Although the Hoosier cabinet wasn’t large, it filled the storage void for the homemaker and made working in the kitchen that much more efficient. For these reasons, kitchens tended to be situated as far away as possible from the social or private rooms in a home. In the Middle Ages the food was often placed in metal cauldrons that were hanging above the fire. In the Middle Ages (in Europe this spanned the 5th – 15th centuries), life centered around the always-lit open fireplace. It’s obvious that the kitchen has undergone many technological and social changes over the decades. An 18th Century kitchen, courtesy of Austenonly. Of course, other countries and cultures have important home histories and influences as well, and I hope to cover those topics in the future. The idea of the “fitted kitchen,” wherein appliances were becoming more integrated within cabinetry, was an important transformation for the kitchen in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Over 100 years later, kitchens are still evolving – offering cleaner designs with better functionality, but this achievement has taken centuries of innovations. Which current trends do you enjoy, and which trends are you hoping will fade away? The manufacturing advancements and housing boom of post-World War II made a huge impact on the kitchen of today. Castle Tucker in Wicasset, Maine, is an 1807 museum house preserved to show its appearance in the late 19th century, courtesy of Old House Online. Biography of John Stanard, Inventor of a Better Refrigerator, History of the Oven From Cast Iron to Electric, Biography of Lewis Latimer, Noted Black Inventor, Important Innovations and Inventions, Past and Present, Josephine Cochran and the Invention of the Dishwasher, Historic Politicians You Didn't Know Were Also Inventors, The Invention and History of the Vacuum Cleaner, The History of Pencils, Markers, Pens, and Erasers. The kitchen we know today is an indispensable component to contemporary life. Image credit. All manner of life revolved around the cooking area, which was the primary source of heat, light and safety. 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