When the first dishwasher was granted a patent in 1850, a seismic shift ensued and a butterfly effect of innovation, development and engineering expertise resulted in the covetable modern essential that we know and love today.
Engineer Joel Houghton had patented a device consisting of a wooden box with a manually cranked mechanical wheel which splashed water and scrubbers. Fifteen years later, this slow and unreliable design was improved on by L.A. Alexander which featured a hand-cranked rack system – though neither device was taken to by the general public, with kitchen staff and homemakers deeming them unnecessary and complicated.
