Photo: Stock.Xchng

A recent survey with a few surprising results saw Britons voting for the inventions that they thought were the most important in history. While the wheel took first place, a number of the highest votes showed that inventions are most valued when they’re close to home. The knife and fork, the food blender, the bottle opener, the microwave, the fridge, and the freezer all made the top 100 list, but it seems that washing machines – in 12^th place – are Britain’s favourite appliances.

What’s cooking?

Other appliances that made it onto the list include the bottle opener and tea bags. With so many of Britain’s favourite gadgets working in the kitchen, it seems that it’s safe to say that it’s an important place – and that everyone’s happy to take all the help that they can get in there.

Technology

Photo: Apple

Other favourite inventions for the British seem to be those that are involved in one way or another with technology and communication: the iPhone ranked 8^th, the telephone 6^th, and the Internet 4^th. The laptop came in at 35^th and the remote control took 43^rd place, while social networking site Facebook had to settle for 82^nd position. The iPhone and the Internet, then, are ranked above the flushing toilet (9^th), the contraceptive pill (11^th) and painkillers (15^th). The iPhone also ranks only one place behind penicillin. It’s interesting to see where priorities lie…

Convenience

The survey – conducted by Tesco Mobile – suggests that Britons of all ages want one thing from their favourite inventions – and that’s convenience. Each of the items on the list does what any good invention should do, and that’s making life easier. That’s on a good day, of course, when they’re working correctly, but there are few people who would do without those innovations that have made life that little bit simpler and less tiring – whether that means washing machines, mobiles, or remote controls.

Tags: washing machines