The Untold Story of Josephine Cochrane, Inventor of the Dishwasher

The Untold Story of Josephine Cochrane, Inventor of the Dishwasher 

Someone needs to erect a statue of Josephine Cochrane. If it wasn't for this daughter of the Victorian Age, all of us would be washing dirty dishes by hand. Not only would that really suck, but it wouldn't be at all sanitary. You see, dishwashers kill more germs than handwashing. More on that later, but first, a bit about this heroine of the kitchen.

Josephine Cochrane was a trailblazing inventor who revolutionized household chores in the late 19th century. Frustrated with her servants chipping her fine china while washing dishes, Cochrane set out to create a solution.

In 1886, she patented the first practical dishwasher, which featured a motor-driven wheel that sprayed water onto dishes held in a wire rack. Cochrane's invention was a hit at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where it won the highest prize for "best mechanical construction, durability, and adaptation to its line of work."

Cochrane went on to establish the Garis-Cochrane Manufacturing Company, which later became KitchenAid. Her innovative design laid the foundation for the modern dishwasher.

Josephine Cochrane needs to be immortalized with a monument. Romania in 2013 had the good sense to put her on one of its stamps.