You probably don't spend much time thinking about your dishwasher, but this common appliance has a fascinating history. Over 100 years ago, Josephine Cochrane invented the first commercially successful dishwashing machine, revolutionizing how people cleaned dishes and changing kitchens forever.
Josephine Cochrane's inventive spirit was in her blood - her great-grandfather was the notable John Fitch, who helped invent the steamboat. Cochrane and her husband William were socialites who often entertained guests at home. After parties, she often found that her finest dishes were chipped and cracked after the servants washed them by hand. Thinking they were being careless, she tried washing the dishes herself. She soon realized it was inefficient to do them by hand - there had to be a better way. She famously said, "If no one else is going to invent a dishwashing machine, I'll do it myself!"
And she did. Cochrane wanted her machine to be functional and efficient - something the servants could easily use without damaging the dishes. Her first model used a stationary rack and water jet that would spray water onto dishes. Unfortunately, her husband William passed away before she finished, leaving her to finance and promote the dishwasher.
Cochrane kept working in a shed on the property, creating compartments out of wire baskets in a wheel shape within a copper boiler. The wheel turned, powered by a motor, and soapy water would spray over the dishes to clean them. Cochrane named her machine "Cochrane Dishwasher" and began showcasing the design in newspapers and making them for friends.
Cochrane presented her new machine at the In 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, winning the highest award for best mechanical construction. She founded Cochran’s Crescent Washing Machine Company, and hotels and restaurants started placing orders. Though Cochrane died in 1913, her design became a household name as women left home for work in the 1940s and 50s. The Cochrane Dishwasher would continue adapting as new technology emerged, eventually being purchased by KitchenAid.
Cochrane's innovation came from a place of inventive spirit meeting a challenging problem. Rather than accept the status quo of inefficient dishwashing, she set out to find a solution that allowed her to save time and money. The next time you put your dishes in the dishwasher, take a moment to appreciate all that Cochrane's ingenuity has done for us!
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