109: The Easy-Bake Oven; Or, Burning Down the House

Dec 27 2023 • 49 mins

Happy holidays, listeners! We’ve got a delectable episode for you today, featuring a toy that has been a household staple for more than 60 years and is still going strong. In fact, it would be just the thing if you’re looking for some help with holiday baking, as long as you don’t mind your baked goods being on the miniature side…and possibly losing a finger or two in the process…

Daniel teaches Ray and Rob about the Easy-Bake Oven’s origins at the renowned toy company Kenner Products; how New York pretzel vendors played an essential role in providing inspiration for the product; all the different ways the word “cookies” can be pronounced; the battle to make a version of the Easy-Bake that wasn’t explicitly marketed for girls; and how this kitchen toy has influenced everyone from amateur bakers to professional chefs and which, despite its ups and downs, remains one of the most fondly remembered toys of all time.

If you like what we’re doing, please support us on Patreon, or you can subscribe to our bonus content on Apple Podcasts. And we’d love to find even more listeners, so if you have time, please leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you have any other thoughts or feedback you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you - feel free to email us or send us a message on social media.