Since the early 1960s, children everywhere have experienced the thrill of sticking tiny trays of slop into a miniature oven and pulling out even tinier, edible cookies and baked goods. Easy-Bake Ovens, those miniature oven/microwave-looking toys, have seen a dozen iterations throughout the years but continue to remain a popular option for children to experiment with their culinary prowess. Bobby Flay used an Easy-Bake Oven to make his first dish ever, as have many other young chefs curious about the process of turning a box of powdered cake mix into a delicious treat.
The first Easy-Bake model, which debuted in 1963 and came in light blue, was shaped like a miniature version of a real oven, complete with faux stove top burners and faux dials. As of this publication, that original Easy-Bake Oven is going for as much as $210 on sites like Etsy or Ebay. There are also versions that run from $139 to $78 to as little as $28. It all depends on the condition of the oven (meaning, does it still turn on) and the accessories that come with it, such as baking pans, cookbooks, and various utensils. Other rare versions of the Easy-Bake Oven, such as the 1973 Betty Crocker collaboration, can go for as much as $300.
Easy-Bake Ovens are a time-honored toy
Easy-Bake Ovens were created by Kenner Parker Toys, though the brand was eventually purchased by Hasbro in the 1990s. Inspired by pretzel makers of New York City, Kenner Toys created the Easy-Bake Oven to give kids a chance at creating something on their own, though the oven was designed with light bulbs as a heat source for safety purposes. There were recipe books with instructions for baking treats such as fudge and pecan brittle or M&M-inspired cakes. The product was such a hit that, only a decade after inception, it began collaborating with big names like Betty Crocker for oven designs, cake mixes, and cookie mixes, although we’d vote Betty Crocker’s sugar cookie mix was and continues to be the best.
Three years after their release, over one million Easy-Bake Ovens were in the hands of consumers, and by the following year that number doubled. By 2006, the Easy-Bake Oven earned a spot in the National Toy Hall of Fame, selling over 23 million miniature appliances. While many may believe the ovens were discontinued, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In 2011, the oven’s shape was dramatically redesigned, and in 2022, celebrity chef Antoni Porowski kickstarted “Easy-Bake Battle” on Netflix. As of this publication, the newest version of the toy is sold exclusively at Walmart for $45, not including the price of additional Easy-Bake mixes. Some newer versions are floating around Amazon, too, but you’ll find yourself paying more for a new one than you might for an original 1963 version.
