Ronald Howes, Inventor of the Easy-Bake Oven, Dies at 83

By Sherrie Gulmahamad on February 23rd, 2010

Ronald Howes, a toy inventor for Cincinnati-based Kenner Toys, who created the Easy-Bake Oven, passed away last week at the age of 83. 

Howes’ initial vision for the little ovens came from street vendors selling roasted chestnuts on the streets of New York City. He was inspired to create a safe toy that would allow kids to bake their own items. Since its introduction, about 20 million Easy-Bake Ovens have been sold, introducing generations of little boys and girls to the joys of baking–well, mostly girls.

More recently though, the Easy-Bake Oven has become a bit more gender neutral. The newest incarnation of the toy is now called the Easy Bake Real Meal Oven, and it comes in appropriate-for-girls-AND-boys silver. The Easy Bake Oven and Snack Center feels a bit more like the original design, and apparently you can bake nachos in it too. That feels a little wrong to me, but baking is baking right? I’m personally holding out for the Nancy Silverton Easy Bake Wood-Burning Artisan Bread Baking Oven for my nonexistent daughter.

Howes is also responsible for the development and refinement of other beloved childhood toys, like the Spirograph.

Thank you again, Ronald Howes, for filling our childhoods with little light bulb-warmed cakes, cookies and other delights.

Twirlites, let us know: did you have one, did you love it, what’d you bake in it, and do you still love baking today?

Photo via ACimages