Buzz
In 2011, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History acquired a classic '70s-era Rival Crock-Pot in a signature shade of avocado green. This electric cooker, complete with a ceramic crock, bears the marks of time—particularly visible in the faded graphic of onions and vegetables circling its base. The wear and tear are a testament to its years of service in the home of Robert and Shirley Hunter, where it churned out everything from stews and sauerkraut with kielbasa to chicken and dumplings.
The Crockpot, along with its many modern variations, has become a staple in American kitchens, known for its ability to cook delicious meals while families are away. First unveiled in 1971 at the National Housewares Show in Chicago, it was accompanied by a booklet of professional recipes. It quickly became a sensation, earning $2 million in sales within its first year. Now, half a century later, its legacy is remembered through the comforting meals it helped create, particularly the beloved pot roast.
The Origin of America's Favorite Cookware
The origins of this kitchenware trace back to the 1800s in Vilnius, Lithuania. On Fridays, before sunset, Jewish families from Vilnius would carry pots filled with meat, beans, and vegetables to local bakeries. There, they would place the pots into the still-warm ovens, letting the residual heat gently cook a dish known as cholent, which they would enjoy on the Sabbath.
Irving Nachumsohn, a first-generation Jewish-American engineer (also known as Naxon), was introduced to this tradition by his mother. As Michelle Delgado describes in Smithsonian magazine, Nachumsohn came up with the idea for the Crockpot's first design, the Naxon Beanery, during his family's search for a way to cook dinner during hot summer months without raising the temperature inside the house.
Through his company, Naxon Utilities Corp., Nachumsohn applied for a patent for his portable cooker on May 21, 1936, and was granted the patent on January 23, 1940. Although the product wasn't available for homes until the 1950s, Nachumsohn initially targeted luncheonettes and coffee shops, where the appliance was used to prepare soups and chili.
Nachumsohn, who passed away in 1989, was a prolific inventor, holding nearly 200 patents. He was also responsible for innovations in the '70s, including the electric frying pan and the hula lamp, the precursor to the Lava Lamp. In 1970, he sold his company to Rival Manufacturing, based in Kansas City, Missouri, which propelled the Naxon Beanery to new levels of success.
Bust to Boom
Initially, the Naxon Beanery didn't appear to be a product that would revolutionize the market; in fact, it almost went unnoticed amid Rival's many acquisitions. 'No one paid any attention to it,' said the company’s president at the time, I.H. Miller, in a 1981 interview. 'We almost forgot about it.' However, everything changed when one of the company’s home economists recognized the crock's potential to cook far more than just beans and created a cookbook to showcase its versatility. This caught the company’s attention, revealing the product’s true potential.
The introduction of the Crockpot came at a time when America’s culinary preferences were shifting, according to Paula J. Johnson, curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. As more women entered the workforce, they still had to manage home-cooked meals for their families. 'More women were working outside the home, and the Crockpot helped facilitate mealtime,' Johnson explained in an email to Mytour. 'The ability to keep food warm when family members couldn’t eat together, a trend that grew in the 1970s, gave cooks peace of mind, knowing they were providing nourishment.' Because it empowered women to work outside the home, some view the appliance as feminist.
The launch of the Crockpot also coincided with a notable chapter in American food culture. During a time when processed foods, such as TV dinners, were being heavily promoted, this kitchen device offered a fresh alternative. As Paula J. Johnson describes, 'It allowed home cooks to prepare a nutritious, affordable, home-cooked meal without needing to spend hours over a hot stove. It was easy. It was foolproof. It made tough cuts of meat tender and filled the house with wonderful aromas.' The Crockpot's ease of use made it accessible to those without culinary experience, and its simple cleanup process helped cement its place in the hearts of cooks.
The Crockpot became a household essential across America. Though it has undergone several updates over the years, including a removable, dishwasher-safe crock and an oval shape to accommodate larger meals, the basic design has remained unchanged. Its widespread presence led many to use the term Crockpot to refer to any slow cooker, and its success sparked a wave of imitators.
Forever Trendy
Though the Crockpot experienced a decline in the 1980s, partly due to the rise of the microwave, it remains a beloved kitchen staple today. In 2019, Americans purchased 11.6 million slow cookers, slightly fewer than the 14 million sold in 2016 and 2017. Thousands of slow-cooker recipe books are available, and the devices have even taken over social media, with the slow cooker recipe section of TikTok amassing 7 billion views.
The Crockpot holds a special place in certain regional cultures. 'As a Midwesterner, I can confirm that the Crockpot is essential for family meals and special occasions,' says Johnson. 'Potluck dinners, graduation parties, tailgates, or meals at the cabin almost always involve one or more Crockpots. The Crockpot, along with the newer [Instant Pot], has become a key culinary tool for many Americans.'
