The Easy-Bake Oven should lose the bulb

By Suzanne Choney

Not everyone is thrilled with the next removal of incandescent bulbs of 100 Watts from the market in 2011. Among those not emotionally or psychologically prepared for this reality: fans of the Easy-Bake Oven the kids popular, who used a light bulb since 1963, when the first model has hit the shelves of toy.

In "Easy-Bake Oven loses his soul," Salon writer Francis Lam observes that "rumors of the death" of the oven are "exaggerated"

Rumbling through the Internets yesterday were concerns that the federal ban on incandescent bulbs, due to kick in next year, meant that everyone's favorite childhood fed bulb burn danger was condemned. Happily, Hasbro has announced that the Easy-Bake Oven was reborn, like all Phoenix, as the Ultimate Easy-Bake Oven. Only this time is going to be fired with some zippy small heating element, this means that some child somewhere is going to be very unhappy, when his parents rip the thing over to insist that can change the light bulb.

... I mean, that a 100 watt bulb was so inefficient to transform energy into light that it may bake a cake as a by-product is sort of its argument against itself. Still, I can't help feeling a little something may be lost with the change.

In fact, the bakery — (so to speak) in the national Toy Hall of Fame in 2006 — has a revered place in American society, reflecting the eras with its various looks and colors.

The oven has started with the color Turquoise (and the model of 2010 has that retro color and appearance, as a tribute to his beginnings), was the pink (of course) and also — egad — avocado green in the late 1960s. Easy-Bake Oven Hasbro's own story notes that the Green outside "has been replaced by gold harvest (ah 1970s)" in 1970.

But what's under the hood that now has many shaken.

"We are aware that the incandescent bulb 100 Watts will no longer be available starting in 2012," a spokesman for Hasbro said msnbc.com "in the autumn of 2011, Hasbro will launch the Ultimate Easy-Bake Oven, introducing a new way to cook for the next generation of chefs. This new kiln has a heating element that does not use a bulb and offers a wide range of mixes reflective of the hottest cooking trends of today. "

In a press release on the 2011 model, Hasbro says:

This brand new furnace has an elegant and modern features perfect for tweens today! Girls love to gather with their friends to create and decorate cakes and snacks at the new furnace that has a heating element, similar to a conventional oven and that do not require a light bulb.

The new Bake Oven will be "an extended menu which includes cookies, red velvet cupcakes, cakes, pizza, pretzel sticks, cinnamon twists and brownie."

And noted: "participation of adults and electricity required".

Me, I'm waiting for the Sun version of the Easy-Bake, thank you very much.

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