Have you heard of the electric sink? You may have one in your home and not even realize it.
Introduced in 1926, the Kohler Electric Sink was one of the world’s first motor-powered dishwashers, long before dishwashers became commonplace in American homes.
A company publication enthused:
KOHLER ANNOUNCES THE KOHLER ELECTRIC SINK
It must be a rather dull imagination that fails to sense the dramatic significance of that simple statement. The Electric Sink! The most stubbornly defended fortress of household drudgery taken at last!
Surprisingly, the technology behind the sink is not far off from the modern-day dishwasher. The product booklet explains:
“You arrange the dishes in the basket, the silver in the tray. You put in a little soap, perhaps, and a few inches of hot water.
You lower the cover and touch the button to start the motor.
From hundreds of perforations in the spray tower, spurt stinging jets of hot water, washing clean every plate – top and bottom; every cup – inside and outside; between the tines of every fork.
Two minutes…and done! You stop the motor, drain the water, raise the cover, and use the handy rinsing spray. If the water is really hot you will not have to wipe the dishes.”
Voila! The future of dishwashing, all the way back to 1926. Unfortunately, the Electric Sink turned out to be a great idea whose time had not yet come. Sales never met expectations, and the product was discontinued in the 1930’s.
Still, the idea remains, and these old ads are as fun to look at as they are informative.
28 Comments
Talk about being ahead of your time. Wow.
Where do you think I could get one today?? How much would it cost?? I especially like the Salmon colored one.
So Kohler, when are you going to remake these for the ‘retro’ kitchens some of us want? Sure would work well in my 1850 farmhouse.
I want one! Does it come in stainless?
I have one of these, but am missing all of the parts for the dishwasher. I guess a previous owner preferred to
just have a very deep basin. I also have an original owner’s manual and price list.
Does anyone know where I can get the dishwasher to re-install?
I have one of these, but am missing all of the parts for the dishwasher. I guess a previous owner preferred to
just have a very deep basin. I also have an original owner’s manual and price list.
Does anyone know where I can get the dishwasher to re-install?
Picture at:
http://www.oldhouseweb.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20096&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a
I would also like one of these. Kohler, please bring this back. Also send me the information on it.
I, too, have one of these. The faucet assembly is a bit leaky and I have no insides to the dishwasher either but the motor mount is still there. Samuel, you’re right — waaay ahead of time. It is fun to see this. My house was built in 1929 still has the original sink and the original hot water heater – which works like a charm.
Julie
In case you haven’t seen this discussion board thread about these sinks:
http://www.oldhouseweb.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20096&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a
I live the old sinks. I have been looking for them also with the washboard sides. so, if you should try to reproduce them, send me an email. Thanks, Dee
So why does it now take over a half hour for dishwashers to do it now!!!
Something similar to this would be nice for the newly single.
Sounds energy efficient…2 Minutes? I need it.
Would Kohler please bring these sinks back. Sinks went down hill after these. Love the undersink containers, like the swing away compost bucket. The smartest and ergonomical part of these sinks are the height adjustable legs. Somehow we a have gone to useless sinks.
Great sinks, you should bring them back. Love the compost container and adjustable legs. How we got away for these is beyond me.
These days with banks being so tight, maybe Kohler should start financing kitchens and baths again !!!
Kohler products are far superior than its rivals.
I love the old sinks. They were so practical. Sinks today are never right. I like deep, large wells and drain boards. I think the built in dishwasher of the electric sink was way cool. Half of the dishes I have cannot go into the dishwashers I have because the either have special no stick finishes, are too delicate, or too large. I have top of the line, very expensive dishwashers, two of them. I agree, bring back some of these old practical sinks.
How about bringing back the idea of a dishwasher sink?? I’d love one!
Wow, I would like my dishwasher to wash dishes in 2 minutes, that is awesome!
I have a salesman’s sample Kohler Electric Sink that I bought at an auction years ago. It’s one of my favorite pieces. It’s cast iron and I had to have a couple of the legs recreated out of solid brass, but it was well worth the trouble.
One of these sinks is in the basement of the house my daughter bought. It has been stripped of the mechanical parts and isn’t in the greatest shape but would be a great conversation piece in the right home. She would pprefer the space in her basement. Is any one interested. We are in IL and would need help getting it out of the basement.
I am interested in buying that old sink or any other s that may be available. Give me a call at 978-632-7005 or 978-302-4223 cell best number
thanks Ken
While remodeling our kitchen from 1970 back to look like1930, I fell in love with these old sinks. I actually started collecting them and then other vintage appliances. I had so many that I turned it into a hobby-business.
I have been at it for 10 years, but still get excited when I find a new “old” sink. I am amazed at some of the styles, configurations, attachments (like the dishwasher and clothes washer models) and the great colors that Kohler and some others made available.
i.e. mint green, butter yellow, pink, speckled gray, peach and I even have an orchid 60″ kitchen sink from 1928!
They are heavy and well made and beautiful to see installed in a kitchen. I can only imagine the strength of our forefathers who handled these sinks in production at the Kohler factory etc and those who installed these sinks on a daily basis, day after day – yikes!
Ken at GrampasAntiqueKitchen.com
It’s very exiting to find this blog.kohler.com website. I don’t have much to add to the conversation, but I’m right here with you. Your post said exactly what I have been thinking. Good to see you posting.
JP,
How cool to have a salesman sample Electric Sink!
Can you share photos with us?
Also, any idea what type of soap did these devices use? I would think that regular dish soap would cause too much foam like it does in modern dishwashers.
Mark, Anita and others. Kichen-Aid did introduce a fully automatic in-sink dishwasher around 2005 or so I think. With the optional hot water heater, it could wash a sink full of dishes in about 18 minutes I think. Guess they didn’t sell since they are no longer on the market. It was called the Briva.
Hi Angela,
First a big thank you to you and Kohler for documenting the cool inventions of the past. So many big corporations don’t wish to take the time or expense to do that.
Second, do you know what type of soap/detergent these cool machines used? I would think that regular dish soap would produce too much foam but am not sure the likes of Calgonite, Cascade, etc were around yet.
Third, I just aquired a1926 brochure called “Now – The Kohler Electric Sink will wash the Dishes.” It has model and pricing info along with some very cool photos. If you don’t have a copy in your archives, I would be happy to send you a scan. Please let me know.
Regards.
Alan
My parents married in 1922 and they lived on a farm in PA. Every summer the “thrashers” came to help with the crops and Mom made big meals to feed them. Dad bought a dishwasher and Mom said it was the greatest. She used it for many years in that big farm kitchen’ I was next to the youngest of 8 children. (6 living) . We moved from the farm when Dad was appointed one of the first Soil Conservationist of the Department of Agriculture. A government job that was a blessing. I still had to learn how to “do the dishes”. Elaine Good, Indiana, PA.