Ronald Howes, Easy-Bake oven inventor, dies at 83

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Ronald Howes Sr., the man responsible for inventing the Easy-Bake oven and turning brownie-making into a little-kid-friendly pasttime, died Tuesday. He was 83.

Mr. Howes invented lots of things, including high-tech defense devices, but his most beloved creation just might be the oven he created in the early 1960s for Kenner Toys. Children whisked packets of mix with water, poured the batter into cookie-sized cake, and cooked the tiny cakes in an oven preheated by a regular ol' lightbulb.

Later, the lightbulb was replaced with a real heating element. The resulting cakes were just as tasty. Here's an Easy-Bake advertisement for the nostalgic chefs out there: