The Evolution of the Easy Bake Oven

The Easy-Bake Oven is now over 50 years old! In 1963 the toy company, Kenner, introduced a working toy oven known as the Easy-Bake Oven. Ronald Howes came up with the idea, inspired by street vendors in New York City. He suspected that kids would be interested in cooking their own food from their very own workstation and he was right! Originally, the toy used two 100-watt incandescent light bulbs as the source of heat. To minimize the risk of burned fingers, modern models use a real heating element.

The Easy-Bake Oven was a resounding success from the beginning, selling half a million units in its first year. As of 2011, there have been over 23 million Easy-Bake Ovens sold, from 11 different models. In 2006, the Easy-Bake Oven was remodelled again, but the toy saw a massive recall in 2007 after reports of 29 children getting their hands stuck in the door of the oven, some burning themselves. Almost a million units were recalled. Today the Easy-Bake is going strong.

Time Magazine named the Easy-Bake Oven one of the Top 100 Toys of All Time! And in 2006 the Easy-Bake Oven was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. Coming equipped with mix, utensils, a recipe book and slide-through bake pans, they're a great way for children to learn how to bake.

Learn about the evolution of this perennially popular toy, from its turquoise beginnings to the modern, light bulb-free version that is being produced today.