2. General Motors foresaw, incorrectly, the elimination of the home kitchen and the replacement of cooking with instant-cooked machine-produced meals
Keeping in line with the beliefs concerning the continuation of automation, especially in the household, during the immediate post-war period of the 20th century, it was commonly assumed, as noted earlier, that food production would no longer be practiced by humans. Announcing in 1955 that the housewife of the future need only “set the table…then set the dial”, future meals would become easy with the “miracle meal-getter”: the “SUPER CHEF”. Naively assuming the product to be nearing commercial readiness, despite the total absence of many of the necessary technologies, General Motors optimistically predicted that by 1965 the machine might be operational in American homes. Cooking your “favorite food”, after easy selection from a menu, “to perfection by infra-red ray”, the SUPER CHEF “assembles your choice from a vast freezer storage” and “serves it by conveyor in a matter of seconds”.
Sadly the Super Chef did not transpire, with the magazine’s claim that “maybe tomorrow it will be a reality” so far never coming true. The closest we have arrived at would be the emergence of the modern fast food industry, with the invention of the “McDonald’s Speedee System” in 1948 resulting in the ability to be served food just minutes after placing an order. At least in this author’s opinion, whilst the speed is impressive, one cannot consider said food to be “cooked to perfection”.