About Magic Chef

During the 1850s, John Ringen, a German immigrant, began a tin shop in the major river port city of St. Louis. His business prospered and in 1870, Ringens partnered with George Kahle to sell housewares, early washing machines and cooking stoves they called "quick meals." In 1881, Kahle persuaded his brothers-in-law, Charles and Louis Stockstrom to also set up a shop to make kitchen stoves. Together, these four men organized two corporations, the Ringen Stove Company and the Quick Meal Stove Company.

The Quick Meal Stove Company manufactured the stoves with the Ringen Stove Company handling all of the output of Quick Meal's production. During the 1880's and 1890's, the two companies saw incredible growth and by 1901, led to the merger of eight other stove companies in St. Louis, Chicago and Cleveland. This new conglomerate, founded by Charles Stockstrom, was called the American Stove Company. In 1914, the American Stove Company introduced the first oven temperature control device. The Magic Chef brand name was first introduced in 1929, and having been such a dominant name in the oven and stove industry, the American Stove Company officially changed its name to Magic Chef, Inc. in 1951.

In 1957, Magic Chef, Inc. merged with the Food Giant Markets in California, which was bought out by Dixie Products one year later. In 1986, the business was the 249th largest industrial company in the nation and was sold to Maytag, which was eventually acquired by Whirlpool Corporation in 2006.

In 1996, MCA Corporation began licensing the brand for microwaves, compact refrigerators, small kitchen appliances and other related categories. In 2010, MCA Corporation purchased the brand, Magic Chef, from Whirlpool. MCA saw the significant potential in the brand and the emotional connection it had with consumers and proceeded to make a bigger, long term investment in the brand.

Today, the Magic Chef brand is experiencing a reinvigoration in terms of product development, marketing initiatives and connection with its consumers. It is built on the pillars of "easy everything", "everyday dependability" and "accessible customer service". Simply put, the Magic Chef brand is committed to making products that are dependable and convenient.

Magic Chef. So Right at Home.