An absolutely delightful read, with great photos. And Mrs. Ciarcia’s question is one all women are STILL asking!
When Americans Dreamed of Kitchen Computers
The ultimate appliance turned out to be expensive and impractical.
Gastro Obscura, July 21, 2021
Free access: Dreams of Kitchen Computers
(excerpt)
WHO IS MAKING DINNER?
This is a question many American families find themselves asking daily. It’s not a new question, either. Generations have debated the delegation of kitchen duties, often touching on class, race, and especially gender. Most frequently, women have taken on home cooking, which often means hard work for little or no pay. Proposed solutions have ranged from equitable sharing of household labor between all family members, buying pre-made foods, and even kitchen-less homes and communal cooking.
However, one solution to the cooking dilemma has remained in the American cultural imagination: a kitchen computer, one capable of preparing a family’s every meal. Though it might seem like something straight out of The Jetsons, there was a brief period where the kitchen computer was very real indeed.
(Note to moderators: Sorry, I couldn’t figure out how to move this into another category after I created it. Pls move it if you feel it is appropriate to do so)
