Just look at that thing.
That there, my friends, is an EASY-BAKE Oven and it is beautiful.
Can you name even one other toy that encouraged children to take up baking? No. No, you can’t.
Cincinnatian Ronald Howes invented the EASY-BAKE Oven for Kenner, back in the early 1960’s. He had already helped reformulate Play-Doh to make it safer, but he wanted to make baking safe enough for children as well. This little lightbulb-powered oven was the happy result.
With about 20 million sold, I’m going to assume he inspired at least a few kids to grow up to be bakers of cakes, pies, and other pastries, and for that I will be eternally grateful.
Sadly, Mr. Howes passed away recently, but his work will live on for generations.
