Brown Bobby
Encyclopedia
A Brown Bobby is a triangular shaped doughnut
. It is baked in a Brown Bobby machine, which resembles and is operated similarly to a waffle iron
. These machines were created by the Food Display Machine Corporation in Chicago
, Illinois
, around the 1920s and possibly later.
, Illinois. Its president was H. Adams. In the mid 1920s, through advertisements in Popular Mechanics
Magazine and perhaps other means as well, these machines were marketed as a way to start a small business. The machine’s manual has 3 parts:
The seven business plans described are:
Some of the suggested locations for selling included candy stores, theatres, chain stores, bowling alleys, cigar stores, railway stations, dance halls, waiting rooms, garages, filling stations, general stores, and soft drink parlors.
One could also obtain boxes and bags from the company for packaging the doughnuts. The machines are no longer manufactured as the Food Display Machine Corporation has long been out of business. According to the Annual Report of the Federal Trade Commission for 1937 the company was issued a Cease and Desist order for misrepresenting possible or maximum earnings for its potato chip machines.
. Its surfaces were made of aluminum and were prepared for baking by coating with paraffin
, though users today would most often use cooking spray
. The machine had a high (600 watt
/surfaces connected in parallel
) and a low (300 watt/surfaces connected in series
) setting. Cooking was done on the high setting, the low setting was for allowing the machine to remain idle. Machines were available as either a single (aka Brown Bobby Junior) for $52 or as 2 machines riveted together into a single unit for $100. Since these machines are no longer manufactured they are prized by their owners and often handed down to subsequent generations to continue a tradition of Brown Bobby making, especially during the holidays.
recipes and a number of prepared doughnut mixes were also available. Recipes included Plain, Wholewheat, Bran
, Spice, Nut, Tutti-Frutti, Chocolate
, and Oatmeal
. The doughnuts were touted as “greaseless” because they weren’t deep-fried
, but the included recipe indicates, there was an amount of fat in the doughnut itself.
Doughnut
A doughnut or donut is a fried dough food and is popular in many countries and prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty outlets...
. It is baked in a Brown Bobby machine, which resembles and is operated similarly to a waffle iron
Waffle iron
A waffle iron is a cooking appliance used to make waffles.It usually consists of two hinged metal plates, molded to create the honeycomb pattern found on waffles...
. These machines were created by the Food Display Machine Corporation in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, around the 1920s and possibly later.
History
The Food Display Machine Corporation was located at 500 North Dearborn Street in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois. Its president was H. Adams. In the mid 1920s, through advertisements in Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics is an American magazine first published January 11, 1902 by H. H. Windsor, and has been owned since 1958 by the Hearst Corporation...
Magazine and perhaps other means as well, these machines were marketed as a way to start a small business. The machine’s manual has 3 parts:
- 1. Seven Proven Business Plans for Operating a Successful BROWN BOBBY Business
- 2. How to get the Best Results from your BROWN BOBBY Machine
- 3. Recipes that Whet the Buying Appetite
The seven business plans described are:
- 1. Selling Direct to Homes
- 2. Getting the Restaurant and Drug Store Business
- 3. Getting the Grocery Business
- 4. Window Demonstrating and Sampling
- 5. Getting the Student Trade
- 6. Selling Through Salesmen
- 7. Running a BROWN BOBBY Store of your own
Some of the suggested locations for selling included candy stores, theatres, chain stores, bowling alleys, cigar stores, railway stations, dance halls, waiting rooms, garages, filling stations, general stores, and soft drink parlors.
One could also obtain boxes and bags from the company for packaging the doughnuts. The machines are no longer manufactured as the Food Display Machine Corporation has long been out of business. According to the Annual Report of the Federal Trade Commission for 1937 the company was issued a Cease and Desist order for misrepresenting possible or maximum earnings for its potato chip machines.
The machine
The Brown Bobby machine resembled and is operated similar to a waffle ironWaffle iron
A waffle iron is a cooking appliance used to make waffles.It usually consists of two hinged metal plates, molded to create the honeycomb pattern found on waffles...
. Its surfaces were made of aluminum and were prepared for baking by coating with paraffin
Paraffin
In chemistry, paraffin is a term that can be used synonymously with "alkane", indicating hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to a mixture of alkanes that falls within the 20 ≤ n ≤ 40 range; they are found in the solid state at room temperature and begin to enter the...
, though users today would most often use cooking spray
Cooking spray
Cooking spray is a spray form of an oil as a lubricant, lecithin as an emulsifier, and a propellant such as food-grade alcohol, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide or propane. Cooking spray is applied to frying pans and other cookware to prevent food from sticking. Traditionally, cooks used butter,...
. The machine had a high (600 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
/surfaces connected in parallel
Series and parallel circuits
Components of an electrical circuit or electronic circuit can be connected in many different ways. The two simplest of these are called series and parallel and occur very frequently. Components connected in series are connected along a single path, so the same current flows through all of the...
) and a low (300 watt/surfaces connected in series
Series and parallel circuits
Components of an electrical circuit or electronic circuit can be connected in many different ways. The two simplest of these are called series and parallel and occur very frequently. Components connected in series are connected along a single path, so the same current flows through all of the...
) setting. Cooking was done on the high setting, the low setting was for allowing the machine to remain idle. Machines were available as either a single (aka Brown Bobby Junior) for $52 or as 2 machines riveted together into a single unit for $100. Since these machines are no longer manufactured they are prized by their owners and often handed down to subsequent generations to continue a tradition of Brown Bobby making, especially during the holidays.
The doughnuts
The Brown Bobby manual included 10 recipes for doughnuts, 4 icingIcing (food)
Icing, also called frosting in the United States, is a sweet often creamy glaze made of sugar with a liquid such as water or milk, that is often enriched with ingredients such as butter, egg whites, cream cheese, or flavorings and is used to cover or decorate baked goods, such as cakes or cookies...
recipes and a number of prepared doughnut mixes were also available. Recipes included Plain, Wholewheat, Bran
Bran
Bran is the hard outer layer of grain and consists of combined aleurone and pericarp. Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, and is often produced as a by-product of milling in the production of refined grains. When bran is removed from grains, the grains lose a portion of their...
, Spice, Nut, Tutti-Frutti, Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
, and Oatmeal
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is ground oat groats , or a porridge made from oats . Oatmeal can also be ground oat, steel-cut oats, crushed oats, or rolled oats....
. The doughnuts were touted as “greaseless” because they weren’t deep-fried
Deep frying
Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot oil or fat. This is normally performed with a deep fryer or chip pan; industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum fryer may be used....
, but the included recipe indicates, there was an amount of fat in the doughnut itself.