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Gas Grill, Refrigerator, Toilet
The ancestor of modern grills dates back to the 19th century, and it was built more like a chimney than like what we know today. Bricks were built around a pit that held a wood- burning fire. A grill was suspended over the fire for cooking, and the smoke was directed up the chimney to keep it away from the chef. Next, preserving food before the modern refrigerator was a tricky proposition. The cold water of creeks, wells and lakes kept temperatures down, but allowed bacteria to flourish. In the mid 1800s a gentleman by the name of John Gorrie was experimenting with machines to cool air. They discovered that when compressed gases like ammonia were allowed to expand inside of tubes, it made the tubes--and the air around them--very cool. Finally, in 1596 a British man named John Harrington invented what was known as the water closet. For nearly 200 years, the concept simply didn't catch on. Eventually governments in England and France recognized the sanitation advantages associated with toilets and began to make their use the law. Society has never looked back.

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