Household chores still aren’t a piece of cake. But over time there have been many technical developments aimed precisely at these. Inventions big and small, everyday technical refinements, and complex high-tech processes. Starting, for example, with the preserving jar: chemist Rudolf Rempel came up with the idea more than 125 years ago – a time when there were no refrigerators for preserving food. The inventor patented his “apparatus for the independent closure of and air removal from sterilizing vessels” in 1892. Another important development was the stove in its many variations. Food was prepared on cast-iron stoves as late as the 19th century, until the gas stove was discovered in the second half of the 19th century. The first electric stove became established in Germany after the Second World War. And the first ceramic hobs produced by Schott AG in the 1970s revolutionized the kitchen. Today, they are available with both electric and modern induction technology.
Green household appliances
Today, it goes without saying that home appliances must be eco-friendly. The first signs of a new environmental awareness appeared in the early 1990s, after British researchers discovered the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica in 1985. As part of a Greenpeace initiative, the world’s first CFC- and HFC-free refrigerator called “Greenfreeze” was developed – a crucial step towards climate protection.
Smart home: the home of the future?
And today? Climate protection and comfort in the home occasionally go hand in hand. One example is the development of the smart home, in other words the intelligent networking of technology in residential buildings through remotely controllable devices such as radiators, doors, windows, and lamps. In addition, there are washing machines that automatically adjust the water supply and washing time. Smart refrigerators and coffee machines that independently order new products are also already on the market but have yet to really establish themselves.
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