Did you know that the Easy-Bake Oven is said to have been one of celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s earliest career influences? It’s certainly a testament to toys’ ongoing impact on future generations. And in light of its rather recent induction into the Strong National Toy Hall of Fame, we thought we’d take a little time out to share the aforementioned, and a few other interesting facts about this iconic cooking creation.

The Easy-Bake Oven’s earliest model, shaped to resemble a miniature conventional oven, was invented in 1963 by Ronald Howes, a frequent collaborator with the now-defunct Cincinnati, Ohio-based Kenner Products company. Howes is also credited with contributing to the creation of Play-Doh, the Spirograph, and the Close and Play Record Player, among other toys, for Kenner.

These days, Hasbro holds the rights to the toy and has released a several versions of it – the classic, which now resembles a microwave instead of an oven, the Easy-Bake Oven and Snack Center and the Real Meal Oven. The latter won Parenting magazine’s Best Toy of the Year Award in 1993.

In 2004, Hasbro hosted its most recent Chef of the Year Contest for children aged 8 to 12, urging them to submit their best recipes created using Easy Bake brand mixes and the oven itself. The competition drew hundreds of entrants nationwide.