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Josephine Garis Cochrane (March 8, 1839, Ashtabula County, Ohio - August 3, 1913) made the first practical mechanical dishwasher in 1886, in Shelbyville, Illinois, although a washing machine device was patented in 1850 by Joel Houghton (see Dishwasher, History).

Cochrane was a rich woman who hosted frequent dinner parties. She did not do any of the dishes herself because she had servants to do that for her, but she wanted a machine that could do the job faster without chipping any dishes. No one had invented such a machine so she built one herself. She is said to have exclaimed, "If nobody else is going to invent a dishwashing machine, I'll do it myself!" First she measured the dishes. Then she built wire compartments, each specially designed to fit either plates, cups, or saucers. The compartments were placed inside a wheel that lay flat inside a copper boiler. A motor turned the wheel while hot soapy water squirted up from the bottom of the boiler and rained down on the dishes. Her friends were very impressed and had her make dishwashing machines for them, calling them the "Cochrane Dishwasher".