- 6 weeks ago
Who said being lazy was a bad thing? Join us as we count down the greatest inventions born from humanity's desire to do less work! From kitchen gadgets that save time to household items that eliminate effort, these products have changed how we live. Which of these lazy inventions could you not live without?
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00I can't believe it. I've done all my housework and it's only 9.30.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the inventions that prove
00:07humanity will always find a way to make life just a little easier.
00:11Is that a lazy Susan?
00:12It is.
00:15Number 20. Dishwasher.
00:16Washing dishes sounds simple, but it's certainly not a fun task.
00:19No dishwasher. Wash and dry dishes the usual way.
00:23In 1886, Josephine Cochran grew tired of doing the same, especially with her servants breaking
00:28her fine china, so she decided to build a machine that could do it better and faster.
00:32Her invention used water pressure to blast off grime. No longer was there a need for
00:35tedious scrubbing. Over time, the dishwasher evolved from a luxury item to a kitchen essential.
00:40Today's dishwashers use an assortment of tools including sensors, heat, and water efficiency
00:44that Cochran could only dream of. What started off as a lazy solution to broken plates is now
00:48a modern symbol of convenience, because who really wants to stand at the sink after dinner?
00:52It has a setting for crystal. What a gentle beast.
00:56Number 19. Microwave Oven.
00:59An accidental observation set the stage for a kitchen revolution.
01:02He's trying to microwave without a microwave.
01:04The story goes that engineer Percy Spencer noticed a chocolate bar melting in his pocket
01:08near radar equipment. Recognizing the power of microwaves to heat food quickly, Spencer
01:12went to work on inventing the microwave oven. Reheating leftovers or cooking a meal now took
01:17minutes instead of hours. The earliest microwave ovens were massive and expensive. As they became
01:21more practical and affordable, microwaves turned into household staples. Home cooking became faster,
01:26lazier, and somehow more fun. Whether it's popcorn, pizza, or a cup of noodles, the microwave
01:30now gives us all permission to skip the stove, proving that convenience and culinary shortcuts
01:35can coexist deliciously.
01:36Products you could only imagine before. The S.S. Microwave.
01:43Ah, my crepes are done.
01:44Number 18. Pre-mixed cocktail cans. A cocktail doesn't get ready on its own. You must measure,
01:49mix, and shake, and repeat until the perfect margarita or mojito is ready.
01:53So that's why I've been smelling margaritas at 3 a.m.
01:56Hey, I love waking up drunk in the morning.
01:58But why do all this when someone can do it for you? Pre-mixed cocktail cans took the guesswork out of
02:03bartending, letting anyone enjoy a perfect drink straight from the fridge. Born from a modern
02:07demand for instant gratification, pre-mixes cater to individuals who want sophistication without
02:12effort. From picnics to parties, canned cocktails and hard seltzers have transformed mixology
02:17into a simple pop and pour experience. It sort of turned into this trend where
02:21now they're looking for a canned Moscow mule, a canned margarita, a canned Paloma.
02:26Once viewed as novelty items, these cans are now a booming industry and have redefined happy hour for
02:31those who prefer their drinks ready-made. Number 17. Electric Can Opener. Opening a
02:35can manually can sometimes feel like a workout. Damned infernal gizmo, make kingdom for a left-handed
02:40can opener! At least it was. Enter the electric can opener. Invented in the 1930s and popularized
02:46in the 1950s, it automated one of the simplest kitchen tasks imaginable. Simply press a button
02:51and the can opener smoothly slices through the lid. No more effort required at all. The electric can opener
02:56quickly became a kitchen staple. It was especially useful for the elderly, people with disabilities,
03:00or anyone who hated jagged lids. This thing easily latched onto cans of all sizes.
03:08It's fast. It never tipped over. It's also a safety opener. It's cutting into the side of the can,
03:14so it's leaving no sharp edges. While it may initially seem excessive, the electric can opener is
03:19one gadget that represents a bigger movement. Humanity's refusal to struggle, even for canned soup.
03:25Number 16. Electric Toothbrush. Brushing your teeth twice a day is essential to dental hygiene.
03:30How often do you brush, Ralph? Three times a day, sir. Why must you turn my office into a house
03:36of lies? But why does it have to be so exhausting? The electric toothbrush, invented in the 1930s by
03:41Tomlinson Moseley, replaced the back-and-forth scrubbing with powered precision. Originally
03:46designed for individuals with limited mobility, the electric toothbrush is now the go-to option for
03:51anyone seeking a more thorough clean with less effort. Since the 1950s, this gadget has evolved into a
03:56workhorse of its own. Today's electric toothbrushes are built with pressure sensors, timers, and even
04:00Bluetooth connectivity. Do I have an electric toothbrush? He has an electric toothbrush. It's
04:04no longer just a toothbrush, but more of a modern multi-tasker for dental hygiene. If there's an
04:08easier way to get that fresh-from-the-dentist feeling, lazy or not, most of us are all in.
04:13Number 15. Motorized Recliners. Recliners are synonymous with comfort.
04:16Oh yeah, that's the stuff. Do we dare? We dare.
04:28You'd think they were perfect enough as they are, but then someone thought,
04:30how can I use even less energy than I already am? The motorized recliner answered that question,
04:35the ultimate form of effortless comfort. The motorized recliner was born during the
04:39mid-20th century's age of convenience. These chairs turned lounging into a science. Whether you
04:43were adjusting your seat, lifting your feet, or taking a nap, the recliner did all the work for
04:47you. Modern versions even come with massage features, cup holders, and USB ports. Give me
04:52full power. What, sir? Dammit! I said full power! In the hierarchy of laziness when it comes to home
04:58furniture, this chair certainly ranks high. Number 14. Roomba. Vacuuming used to mean dragging a noisy
05:03machine from room to room. Then came the Roomba in 2002. Meet the iRobot Roomba 900 series vacuum
05:09cleaning robot. The power to change the way you clean. The robotic vacuum cleaner uses sensors and
05:15smart mapping, allowing it to roam floors autonomously, like a sentinel, dodging furniture
05:19and sucking up dirt. When low on battery, the Roomba even recharges itself. Vacuuming was no
05:24longer a hassle. The Roomba had taken care of that, changing a chore into a background environment.
05:29All you had to do was relax and let the Roomba do the work. Newer versions of the Roomba integrate
05:32with Alexa and Google Assistant, giving voice control to the world's laziest housekeepers.
05:36Alexa, ask Roomba to start vacuuming. Roomba's starting.
05:40Who needs to sweep when your robot roommate does it for you?
05:43Number 13. Self-cleaning ovens. Cleaning an oven is painstaking work. Scrubbing the dirty
05:48interior can take hours. So to make everyone's lives easier, engineers decided to let the ovens
05:53do it themselves. There's nothing like an oven that handles the after-dinner mess. Use self-clean
05:58for tough baked-on foods and steam clean for light soils or right after cooking. Thus, self-cleaning ovens
06:05came around to change the landscape of kitchen cleaning in the 1960s. They use extreme heat
06:09to incinerate grease and grime. Reducing it to fine ash you can simply wipe away. Newer models
06:14shifted to an eco-friendlier approach using catalytic liners for the same purpose. This
06:19innovation turned hours of dirty, smelly labor into a single button press.
06:23All done, in less time, with no odor, and no extreme heat. A beautiful balance of hygiene
06:29and laziness. The self-cleaning oven keeps you baking non-stop without having to worry about the
06:34seemingly inevitable battle with grime. Number 12. Voice Assistants. Hey Siri, what are voice
06:39assistants? This app has turned human laziness into digital convenience, but Siri's not alone.
06:44Siri, what's the name of the guy I had a meeting with a couple of months ago at Cafe Grinnell?
06:48She has her friends in Alexa and Google Assistant. All three are examples of voice assistant
06:52applications that use natural language processing to help humans perform tasks ranging from playing
06:58music to ordering groceries. No touch screen or hands required. Born during the smartphone boom
07:03of the 2010s, these formless helpers are now embedded in millions of homes. Making multitasking
07:08effortless and homes smarter, voice assistant technologies are the designer app for people
07:12who don't want to lift a finger. Literally. Alexa, play that everywhere. All synced.
07:17The future is voice activated and it has never sounded easier. Number 11. TV dinners. In 1953,
07:23the Swanson Company accidentally overproduced Thanksgiving turkeys. To salvage the situation,
07:28the company decided to freeze and package the turkeys with sides, creating the world's first TV
07:32dinner. The concept exploded in popularity. Swanson's cooking just for you. Swanson puts dinner together
07:39the way you like it. TV dinners catered to their consumers' convenience. They were quick and perfect
07:44for eating. You guessed it, in front of a television. The aluminum tray meals became a
07:49post-war symbol of modern living and lazy dining. Pop the package in the oven and there's your dinner.
07:53No prep or cleanup necessary. While the food wasn't exactly gourmet quality, TV dinners redefined the
07:59meaning of sit-down simplicity, proving that even our meal times were not safe from the allure of
08:03convenience. There's been a move towards faster cooking and easier cooking.
08:09Number 10. Remote control. Once upon a time, if you wanted to change the channel on the TV,
08:13you had to get up and do it manually. Then came Zenith's Lazy Bones remote in 1950. The age of
08:18channel surfing had begun all from the comfort of your couch. It changes channels. It changes sound
08:23levels. It even turns your TV off. Or on. Without wires or batteries. Early versions of the remote
08:31were wired, but infrared remotes soon made the experience truly wireless. The remote didn't
08:36just revolutionize television. It completely redefined how humans interacted with a major
08:40piece of technology in their home. The remote didn't just stop with the TV. From garage doors to
08:45drones, the remote concept became universal. The perfect blend of laziness and control. The remote
08:50allowed humans to rule their living rooms with the flick of a thumb. Number 9. Electric pencil
08:59sharpener. When it came to sharpening pencils, it was all about a twist of the hand. Students,
09:03office workers, and just about everyone did the same. It was a repetitive, messy, and oddly tiring
09:18process. Then came the electric sharpener. This new tool streamlined the whole process. All you had to
09:23do was run the pencil through the motor to produce the perfect point for your paper. Popularized in
09:28schools and offices during the mid-20th century, the electric sharpener turned a daily task into a
09:32near effortless one. Even today, the electric sharpener is an oddly satisfying symbol of small-scale
09:37innovation born from impatience. He's my pencil sharpener. You betcha. Proceed.
09:46Number 8. Escalator. There's no need to climb stairs when we can make the floor move for us.
09:51Wait, I'll just take that escalator.
10:00That was the escalator. Invented in the late 19th century by Jesse Rayno, the escalator transformed
10:06everyday mobility into a smooth, automated ride. Originally called the inclined elevator,
10:10the escalator is now a cornerstone of modern cities and shopping malls. More than just a solution for
10:15tired legs, it revolutionized architecture, allowing people to ride between floors without feeling out
10:20of breath. The escalator was the ultimate lazy invention that turned movement into leisure.
10:24Now every upward glide is a tribute to human ingenuity and our unwillingness to climb.
10:29Man, we have got to get an escalator.
10:31Number 7. Clapper. Clap on, clap off,
10:33is a slogan familiar to anyone old enough to remember the 80s.
10:36Clap on, clap off, clap.
10:39The Clapper is a sound-activated switch that helps turn lights and appliances on or off with a simple
10:44clap. Marketed with unforgettable jingles, the Clapper is one of the earliest manifestations of
10:48living in a smart home. Today, the Clapper may seem more of a novelty, but it laid the groundwork for
10:53many of the voice-controlled devices in modern living, such as Alexa and Google Home. Appealing to
10:57anyone too tired to cross the room to turn off the lights, after lying down on the couch, the Clapper
11:02was pure lazy brilliance.
11:03Clap on, clap off, the Clapper.
11:06Number 6. Bread slicing machine. Prior to 1928, sliced bread was not the norm. Instead, you would just
11:12buy a loaf of bread. The slicing would have to be done later, by yourself. This remained the case until
11:16Otto Frederick Rowetter changed breakfast forever.
11:19He thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Sliced bread having been invented the previous
11:24winter. Otto's automatic bread slicing machine revolutionized bakeries, delivering perfectly even
11:29slices that saved both time and effort, and inspired the phrase, the best thing since sliced bread.
11:34What seems so trivial today was a genuine innovation in the early 1900s, transforming the way people
11:39make sandwiches, toasted bread, and packed lunches. Who knew eliminating a few knife strokes could bake
11:44its way into cultural immortality?
11:46I don't know why you're being all precious. I licked both of your bread slices.
11:50Number 5. Snuggie. What's better, a blanket or a robe? It's a tough choice, but that's where the
11:54Snuggie enters the conversation. Now, there's the Snuggie, the blanket that has sleeves. The Snuggie
12:00keeps you totally warm and gives you the freedom to use your hands. Combining both a blanket and a
12:05robe, the Snuggie turned laziness into fashion. Debuting in 2008 through late-night infomercials,
12:10the fleece blanket with sleeves was marketed as the ultimate cozy innovation. Unlike electric blankets
12:15that actively generate heat, the Snuggie worked by trapping an individual's body heat. Wearing the
12:19Snuggie kept you warm while reading, snacking, or channel surfing. It wasn't high tech, but it hit
12:32a universal nerve in people's desire to stay comfortable without sacrificing mobility. By
12:37turning doing nothing into an experience of its own, one that was wearable, the Snuggie proved you
12:41could stay warm and lazy. Number 4. Lazy Susan. Sharing meals at the table that not only meant family
12:46time, but also a lot of awkward reaching out to grab the food you need. Until the Lazy Susan spun its
12:51way into history. What are you doing? I'm turning the Lazy Susan the way it should be turned. In
12:56order. No, no, no, no, no. A Lazy Susan is like a roundabout, okay? I'm sorry, I don't think you're
13:02right. The Lazy Susan made dining more social and convenient. With a rotating serving tray, there was
13:07no need to pass dishes or stretch across the table. A simple spin brought everything within reach.
13:12While Susan's origins remain uncertain, her appeal is timeless. Providing effortless
13:16access to every platter on the dining table. The Lazy Susan brought flow to eating. Elegant,
13:21practical, and undeniably lazy, Susan's small spins of genius transformed table habits forever.
13:26Let's turn this Lazy Susan into a crazy Susan, okay?
13:30Number 3. Self-opening doors. Ever walked up to a store and felt like a wizard when the doors open
13:34automatically. Stupid automatic door. Thank you door. Thank the engineers from the 1930s for that.
13:44Now, self-opening doors are standard in supermarkets, airports, hospitals, and pretty much everywhere they
13:49can be installed. The first self-opening doors used photoelectric sensors, later replaced by motion
13:54detectors, to grant effortless access. Helping everyone from parents with strollers to people
13:58with disabilities, self-opening doors, while seemingly lazy, are a powerful tool for accessibility. With a small
14:03innovation entering a building is now much easier, while proving that in some cases, laziness can
14:08lead to inclusion. You just walk through those automatic glass doors.
14:11Number 2. Self-closing trash cans. Clearing up the trash was never a glamorous activity.
14:16It's full, Dad. That means you have to take out the trash.
14:19Yep, that's the rule. He who tops it off, drops it off.
14:22Nuh-uh. It isn't filled until it's spilled.
14:24It's as touchy as it can get, and on most occasions, touching the lid of the trash can made it worse.
14:28But what if you could avoid this? The self-closing trash can made this a reality. A small
14:32invention that made waste disposal hands-free. Self-closing trash cans open and seal themselves
14:37automatically, keeping your kitchen clean and germ-free. Originally marketed as a hygiene
14:41upgrade, they've also become symbols of effortless modern living. Whether stainless steel or smart
14:45connected, they blend, form, and function with pure convenience. Why get your hands dirty when a
14:49simple wave does the job? Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to
14:57get notified about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos,
15:02or all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
15:09Number 1. Bottled water. Sometimes the most basic inventions make it to the top of the list.
15:14Nothing gets more basic than taking something humanity has always had, like tap water,
15:19convenience. We're talking about bottled water. Marked for purity, portability, and ease,
15:30bottled water is now a global symbol of modern living. No cups or filters are necessary,
15:35just twist and drink. While environmental critics question its necessity, there's no denying its
15:39impact. Bottled water is now a definitive metric of effortless luxury, especially in the context of
15:44consumer behavior and lifestyle. It's hydration without hassle and proof that
15:49in our lazy pursuit of convenience, we can reimagine and monetize even the simplest resources available.
15:55Which of these lazy inventions could you not live without? Let us know in the comments!
Be the first to comment