"Best Thing Since Sliced Bread?"
@owlwings (43910)
Cambridge, England
April 14, 2019 6:00am CST
The first bread slicing machine was invented in 1912 but the first prototype was destroyed in a fire and it wasn't until 1928 that Otto Rohwedder had a machine ready. Its first commercial use was, reputedly, by the Chillicothe Baking Company of Chillicothe, Missouri on 7 July, 1928. It was originally marketed as "the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped.", which gave rise to the common phrase - "The best thing since sliced bread".
It took a little while for the invention to make its way to Britain and the Wonderloaf bakery introduced its first sliced and packaged bread in 1937.
Surely, in the 91 years since it was first introduced, we have had at least one invention which has been better! What would be your nomination for the Best Thing Since Sliced Bread award and why?
I'm afraid that I would probably have to opt for the Mobile Phone but is there anything else you'd favour?
Despite a brief ban on sliced bread (why??) in the US in 1943, it has continued to be popular with the public and
13 people like this
10 responses
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
14 Apr 19
I'd have to agree with you on the smart phone and then internet that makes it useful to me.
I'm not big on sliced bread. I bake my own and it doesn't come out of the oven sliced.
3 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
20 Sep 19
Ban on sliced bread? I say..never knew it.
And yes why?
Why computers I would opt for for a great invention.
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
20 Sep 19
As I said in reply to another comment, apparently they thought that it would save on the waxed paper for wrapping it. The ban was very shortlived!
Yes, the personal computer is something which most people have these days. There are so many things which have been introduced since 1928. What about scotch tape, ballpoint pens, fibre/felttip pens, the transistor ... all of those are now commonplace and taken for granted but didn't exist when I was born!
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
20 Sep 19
@owlwings You mentioned many great inventions Owl. Yes that transistor radio I loved when I was a child.
Oh I see, the waxed paper was it.
Oh I see, the waxed paper was it.1 person likes this
@allknowing (135935)
• India
15 Apr 19
I am ever grateful when our bread comes already sliced - and so neatly too,
I would give marks to the water pump. We have a well and we have no need to draw water manually Mother had to do that
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (51045)
• Canada
14 Apr 19
When I originally read the title, I thought that the last word was bacon-sliced bacon is soooo delicious. 
I think that the best thing since sliced bread are the medical advancements that have allowed us to live a good quality of life for a lot more years then we ever used to.
I think that the best thing since sliced bread are the medical advancements that have allowed us to live a good quality of life for a lot more years then we ever used to.1 person likes this
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
14 Apr 19
Penicillin came before sliced bread, I believe. Is there anything medical which you could say has been the 'best thing since the discovery of penicillin'? There have been many, I think, but nothing that I can think of as being of such a widespread benefit, though the discovery of DNA was at least as great a discovery as Einstein's "E=mc"".
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47256)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
14 Apr 19
I'd say the automatic pop-up toaster would be the best thing since sliced bread... I really don't like charcoal-flavored bread.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
14 Apr 19
I was hesitating between computer and GPS, but finally I think the best came in 1935, when Northern Tissue managed to produce the first modern toilet paper without splinters in it, the butts of the humanity should erect a monument to show their gratefulness to this company.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112770)
• El Paso, Texas
14 Apr 19
hummm, I suppose the waffle iron might be one but I don't eat waffles .... ummm, nevermind ..... I think the Desk top computer was one I really liked, but mobile phones take a close 2nd to that.
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
14 Apr 19
Mobile phones beat sliced bread for me, but sliced bread is nice to have if you want it!
