Posted on 09/22/2021 7:23:01 AM PDT by mylife
No Midwestern cookout is complete without a delicious chili or dip simmering in a Crock-Pot. But when the device was first unveiled by a Kansas City company in 1971, it promised something more: freedom.
Before the Crock-Pot was a household name, it was called the Naxon Beanery — and offered a more specific, bean-centric purpose.
Patented by prolific inventor Irving Naxon, the Beanery was originally intended for a Jewish stew of meat and beans called cholent, which is slowly cooked on Fridays in preparation for the Sabbath.
090121_crockpot_patent_MM.png U.S. Patent 2,187,888 The bean cooker that eventually became the Crock-Pot was first patented by prolific inventor Irving Naxon in 1940. A nifty creation, for sure, but the "bean pot" never caught on with the masses — so in 1970, Naxon sold his device to Rival Manufacturing. The Kansas City company was already famous for kitchen gadgets like the Juice-O-Mat juicer and the Knife-O-Mat sharpener.
Purchasing the slow cooker was actually an afterthought for Rival.
"No one paid any attention to it," Rival president Isidore Miller told the Kansas City Times in 1981. "We almost forgot about it."
As the story goes, Miller handed the Beanery over to Rival's test kitchen, where an employee named Marilyn Neill had an immediate an epiphany: This can cook way more than just beans.
“From that point on, I believe they gave those home economists in the test kitchen a lot more attention than they ever did before,” says Roxanne Wyss, a former Rival home economist.
The newly-renamed Crock-Pot made its official debut in 1971 at the National Housewares Show in Chicago, sharply dressed up in colors like avocado and harvest gold. Print ads and television commercials flaunted the Crock-Pot as a miraculous, time-saving device, assuring women in no uncertain terms: You can have it all.
(Excerpt) Read more at kcur.org ...
I love my croc pot!
Ron Popeiel kicked his beany ass
Pot roast in the crock pot/slow cooker. With some nice potato chunks, quartered onions, carrots. A little Worcestershire sauce, small can of beef broth and/or some packaged onion soup mix (add water). An amazing meal to have ready when arriving home after work in cool/cold weather.
YUM
I miss my old 1940s bean pot
paid $2 for that, gave it to a friend.
The crock pot is only 50 years old?!
I just always thought it was invented in the 40s or 50s
Don’t the potatoes and carrots turn to mush?
“I love my croc pot!”
We’re still using a crockpot we paid $5 for at a garage sale 25 years ago. Darn thing is indestructible. Crockpots are incredible gadgets.
kielbasa kraut and granny smith apple
They actually used to have a class in HS "home economics". Sadly it was replaced by non useful classes in climate change and diversity studies.
I have always loved my crock pot and have even used it as a sous -vide cooker with the help of a temperature controller. However I find I am using my Instant Pot pressure cooker and air fryer more these days. With colder weather there is still nothing like my crock pot to make comfort foods like soups and super tender beef pot roast. Interesting that my microwave, which I once thought was indispensable, and my kitchen range are now my least used kitchen appliances.
Pressure cookers are crock pots on steroids, do abut the same thing in half the time or less. I am new to the air fryer and hope to experiment this winter when I have the time.
I remember when I was a little kid my grandmother had an electric stove that had a well for a bean pot, built right into the stove top.
I also have a crock pot from the 50’s. It implements high/low functionality by having 3 pins in a row that are used with a common heating appliance plug, and a little slider in front of them. Slide it one way, and it exposes the center and one outside pin. Plug into that and it is high. Slide it the other way and the center and other pin gives you low. No switch needed. Very clever.
I have one here from the 70s and it works but is a pos compared to a good old bean pot or the new crock pots that have removable crock linings
Imagine the thinking...
Avocado and Harvest Gold. Definitely colors of the 70’s!
Our crock pot is 25 or 30 years old...
mine is Harvest Gold and a pos but it works..
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.