WTF Fun Fact 13686 – The Date of Sliced Bread

The phrase “the best thing since sliced bread” is thrown around a lot, but have you ever stopped to ponder its origin? This journey takes us back to the 1920s, to a small town in Missouri, where the Chillicothe Baking Company introduced the world to the first machine-cut bread.

This innovation wasn’t just a minor convenience; it revolutionized the bread industry and how we eat breakfast. Let’s knead through the details.

The Dawn of Sliced Bread

Before the 1920s, bread was sold in whole loaves, leaving the slicing to be done at home. This all changed in 1928 when Otto Frederick Rohwedder, an inventor, perfected his bread-slicing machine. The Chillicothe Baking Company in Missouri became the first to adopt this machine, selling pre-sliced bread under the name “Kleen Maid Sliced Bread.” This wasn’t just a new way to sell bread; it was a new way to experience it.

The introduction of this treat was met with skepticism by some who thought it would dry out faster or that the slices would crumble too easily. However, these doubts were quickly dispelled as consumers embraced the convenience and uniformity of pre-sliced bread. It became a staple in households, transforming breakfast routines and making the bread more versatile for sandwiches and toast.

The Technological Marvel

Rohwedder’s machine was a marvel of its time. It not only sliced the bread but also wrapped it, keeping it fresher longer than at home. This machine was a significant leap forward in food manufacturing, showcasing the potential for technology to improve everyday life. Its success paved the way for further innovations in food processing and packaging.

Sliced bread represented more than just a technological advancement; it marked a cultural shift towards greater convenience and efficiency in the American lifestyle. It reflected the era’s broader trends of mechanization and innovation, from assembly lines in factories to household appliances.

The food became a symbol of modernity and progress, changing not just how people ate but how they thought about food and technology.

Becoming the Best Things Since Sliced Bread

The popularity and impact of sliced bread gave rise to the phrase “the best thing since sliced bread.” This idiom underscores the innovation’s significance and has become a benchmark for measuring the value of new inventions. It’s a testament to how deeply the concept is embedded in our cultural lexicon. It continues to represent the pinnacle of convenience and innovation.

The Legacy Continues

Today, the idea of buying unsliced bread is foreign to many. This highlights the lasting impact of the Chillicothe Baking Company’s decision to embrace Rohwedder’s invention. These cut carbs have become a given in grocery stores worldwide. And it’s a reminder of how a simple idea can have a profound and lasting impact on daily life.

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Source: ABOUT CHILLICOTHE

WTF Fun Fact 13108 – The Invention of Sliced Bread

Have you heard the expression “It’s the best invention since sliced bread”? Well, that only goes back to the 20th century. The invention of sliced bread occurred in 1828.

Inventing sliced bread in Missouri

Humans have been baking bread for millennia (around 30,000 years, we estimate). But pre-slicing it is another matter. And we have to admit that while bread baking has reinvented itself to make bread slices seem passé, it’s convenient to have!

According to History.com (cited below), “The first automatically sliced commercial loaves were produced on July 6, 1928, in Chillicothe, Missouri, using the machine invented by Otto Rohwedder, an Iowa-born, Missouri-based jeweler.”

Rohwedder had long tried to make a machine to slice bread but was thwarted for over a decade when a 1917 fire destroyed his factory, blueprints, and prototype.

But he persevered, and “in 1928, Rohwedder’s rebuilt “power-driven, multi-bladed” bread slicer was put into service at his friend Frank Bench’s Chillicothe Baking Company.”

The reaction to slicing

People seemed to know immediately what pre-sliced bread meant for convenience in the home. As the website recalls, “an enthusiastic report in the July 6, 1928, edition of the Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune…noted that while some people might find sliced bread ‘startling,’ the typical housewife could expect ‘a thrill of pleasure when she first sees a loaf of this bread with each slice the exact counterpart of its fellows. So neat and precise are the slices, and so definitely better than anyone could possibly slice by hand with a bread knife that one realizes instantly that here is a refinement that will receive a hearty and permanent welcome.'”

We’re only surprised that “some people” may have found sliced bread “startling.” But we know there will always be folks startled by new technology – in fact, we’ve been there. It’s hard when things change, but the convenience of sliced bread remains (as do beautiful artisan loaves without a knick in them).  WTF fun facts

Source: “Who Invented Sliced Bread?” — History.com