In the year 1910, the Bengali doctor and educationalist Indumadhab Mullick invented the Icmic Cooker: an innovation that revolutionized early 20th-century Bengali kitchens.
The Icmic Cooker reflected Mullick’s vision of combining efficiency and economy in domestic life.
Design and Functionality
At a time when most Indian households relied on open fires or inefficient stoves for cooking, the Icmic Cooker introduced a safer and more convenient way to prepare food.
It was like a tiffin carrier with several containers, which would be sealed and lowered into a larger cylinder with a charcoal stove below.
Efficiency Meets Economy
Boiling water placed in the outer chamber created the effect of a slow cooker. It made cooking faster while reducing fuel consumption.
Made of durable metal and fitted with a tight lid, the Icmic cooker allowed multiple dishes to be prepared simultaneously— a remarkable achievement for its era.
Icmic Cooker: Symbol of the Swadeshi Spirit
The invention is remarkable not only for its technical ingenuity but also for its social significance. It aligned with the ongoing Swadeshi Movement, which involved indigenous innovation and self-reliance as a resistance to British colonial dominance.
Although later overshadowed by the spread of commercial pressure cookers, Icmic remains an important milestone in the history of Indian domestic technology.
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