History of Appliance Innovation
December 06, 2010
GE transforms imagination into exceptional products. Learn more about our tradition of innovation and the many appliance "firsts" GE has unveiled.
1900 - 1949 |
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| 1907 | - | First full line of heating and cooking devices. |
| 1925 | - | First hermetically sealed domestic refrigerator. |
| 1927 | - | First GE Monitor Top refrigerator. |
| - | First direct-drive dishwasher with revolutionary system still in use today. | |
| 1928 | - | First Calrod electric range. |
| 1930 | - | First room air conditioner. |
| 1935 | - | First food waste disposer: the Disposall. |
| 1936 | - | First front-loading single-rack dishwasher. |
| 1947 | - | First completely automatic clothes washer. |
| - | First two-door refrigerator-freezer combination. | |
| 1949 | - | Ten experimental models of the first "heat pump" are installed around the country. |
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| 1954 | - | First washer/dryer combination unit. |
| - | First automatic portable dishwasher: the Mobile Maid®. | |
| 1955 | - | The Filter-Flo System for automatic clothes washers is pioneered. It removes lint from wash as it is generated. |
| - | GE engineering invents the safety start switch for use in home clothes dryers. | |
| 1956 | - | First toaster oven: the T-93 Toast-R-Oven. |
| - | The first automatic drying termination cycle is devised for clothes dryers. | |
| 1957 | - | First commercially feasible combination spray, steam and dry iron. |
| 1958 | - | First automatic, electric can-opener. |
| - | Rotary compressors are developed for use in room air conditioners. | |
| 1961 | - | The use of a powerful, compact motor and rechargeable battery leads to the introduction of an automatic toothbrush and is the forerunner of the development of other handheld appliances, such as hair dryers and an electric slicing knife. |
| 1962 | - | The mini-basket washing system is introduced to improve small load washing. |
| - | First package terminal air conditioner: the Zoneline®. | |
| - | First foamed-in-place urethane insulated refrigerator. | |
| 1963 | - | First self-cleaning oven: the P-7. In developing this product GE engineers were granted some 100 patents. |
| 1967 | - | First combination motor and water circulating pump developed for the dishwasher, whose improved efficiency reduces energy and operating costs to the consumer. |
| 1969 | - | First custom through-the-door refrigerator with ice and water dispenser. |
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| 1971 | - | First portable room air conditioner: the Carry-Cool®. |
| 1974 | - | First molded thermoplastic dishwasher tub:PermaTuff. |
| 1977 | - | Microprocessor computerized cooking control is introduced to the fast food restaurant industry in the Dimension II series of fryers. |
| 1978 | - | First over-the-range microwave oven: the SpaceMaker®. |
| 1982 | - | First 24-hour-a-day, 7 day-a-week consumer information service: GE Answer Center® toll-free number is 800-626-2000. |
| 1984 | - | GE's product innovations in major appliances include: electronic refrigerators that "beep" if a door is left ajar, dishwashers that can be programmed to "remember" when to start, and microwave ovens that fit under a kitchen wall cabinet with voice message memo system. |
| 1987 | - | First complete line of premium built-in appliances for professionally designed custom kitchens: Monogram®. |
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| 1992 | - | First complete line of stylish, integrated appliances specifically designed to rejuvenate the standard kitchen: GE Profile™. |
| 1994 | - | First 30 cu. ft. freestanding side-by-side refrigerator, world's largest and most space efficient: the GE Profile™ 30. |
| 1995 | - | GE Profile™ Washer — The Largest Capacity Washer You Can Buy. |
| - | First "smart" dishwasher: auto-sensing gauges soiled dishes. | |
| 1996 | - | Largest capacity "built-in style" refrigerator. |
| 1997 | - | First major appliance manufacturer to offer a complete line of water softening and filtration systems: GE SmartWater™. |
| - | "Concept" appliances include a web-enabled refrigerator, a microwave that scans bar codes, and an Advantium® Oven that recognizes voice commands. | |
| 1998 | - | Spectra™ Oven is introduced as the most accurate oven in America. |
| 1999 | - | Advantium® - A revolutionary new oven with Speedcook technology delivers great tasting food in an average of 1/4 the time of a conventional oven — with no pre-heating. |
| 1999 | - | GE Triton™ dishwashers are introduced as the quietest dishwasher in America. |
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| 2000 | - | GE Profile Arctica™ - GE launched the Arctica refrigerator with CustomCool™ technology. It was the first refrigerator in the market to provide consumers with speed chilling and speed thawing capabilities. |
| 2003 | - | GE Profile Harmony™ Clothes Care System - First washer to communicate electronically with the dryer. The washer talks. The dryer listens. The result is better clothes care. |
| 2003 | - | GE Profile™ Ovens with Trivection™ Technology - First combination of thermal, convection and microwave energies. Speed modes allow the full-size ovens to cook foods up to five times faster than convention ovens. |
| 2005 | - | GE Profile™ Dishwasher with SmartDispense™ Technology - First dishwasher to hold entire 45-ounce bottle of liquid or gel detergent and dispense that detergent based on water hardness, cycle selection, and soil level of the dishes. |
| 2005 | - | GE Monogram Wine Vault - GE launched Monogram Wine Vault, which holds nearly 1,100 bottles of wine. It was the first of its kind to come with an electronic Cellar Management System — an all-in-one inventory system including a 15-inch touch-screen, bar-code scanner, label printer, and software, which helps wine connoissuers manage, store, and protect their liquid assets. |
| 2009 | - | GE combines the responsiveness of a gas cooktop with the even heating of an electric oven – an industry first – with the introduction of the GE Profile™ free-standing 120-volt dual-fuel range. |
| 2009 | - | GE’s new hybrid water heater becomes the first energy-efficient electric heat pump water heater to become ENERGY STAR®-qualified and first to be listed on the U.S. Department of Energy‘s website for its energy savings. |
| 2010 | - | GE unveils Nucleus™, an affordable, innovative communication and data storage device that gives consumers information about their home electricity use so they can make more informed choices about how and when to use power. |
| 2010 | - | GE® ENERGY STAR®-Qualified 29.1 Cubic Foot Side-by-Side Refrigerator – GE launched the largest free–standing refrigerator in America, the GE 29.1 Cubic Foot Side-by-Side Refrigerator. It offers 18 cu. ft. of storage for healthy fruits, vegetables and dairy and an 11.1 cubic feet freezer section. |
| 2011 | - | GE® 30-inch free-standing gas range, model JGBS23 - GE launched the industry’s first and only gas range with steam-clean capabilities – the GE® 30-inch free-standing gas range. Steam cleaning functions offer natural steam cleaning to loosen hard, baked-on food. |
| 2011 | - | GE’s over-the-range microwave ovens become the first to include a MyPlate button that allows users to easily cook foods found in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) recommended dietary guidelines. |
| 2011 | - | GE Profile™ appliances enabled with Brillion™ technology - GE Profile appliances enabled with Brillion technology automatically react to utility price signals from the smart meter and delay or reduce the wattage consumed by the appliance until lower-cost, off-peak periods. |
| 2011 | - | GE’s Advantium® iPhone® App - GE launched the Advantium iPhone app, which includes hundreds of recipes for GE’s high-speed Advantium oven, gives consumers the ability to share photos, recipes and more with the Advantium online community and social media sites and uses the iPhone timer to alert consumers when dinner is ready. |
| 2012 | - | GE “ecomagination℠” suite – GE introduces its “ecomagination” suite of kitchen appliances, which can reduce electricity consumption in the average kitchen by up to 20 percent. |
About GE Appliances & Lighting
GE Appliances & Lighting spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliances, lighting, systems and services for commercial, industrial and residential use. Technology innovation and the company's ecomagination (SM) initiative enable GE Appliances & Lighting to aggressively bring to market products and solutions that help customers meet pressing environmental challenges. General Electric (NYSE: GE), imagination at work, sells products under the Monogram®, Profile™, Café™, GE®, Hotpoint®, Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Tetra®, Vio™ and Immersion® commercial brands. For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.
GE Appliances & Lighting spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliances, lighting, systems and services for commercial, industrial and residential use. Technology innovation and the company's ecomagination (SM) initiative enable GE Appliances & Lighting to aggressively bring to market products and solutions that help customers meet pressing environmental challenges. General Electric (NYSE: GE), imagination at work, sells products under the Monogram®, Profile™, Café™, GE®, Hotpoint®, Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Tetra®, Vio™ and Immersion® commercial brands. For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.
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