3. Teflon
Roy Plunkett is the man to thank when it comes to cooking with Teflon coated pans and having a non-stick cooking experience. The American chemist created the chemical in 1938 when him and team were working for DuPont experimenting with refrigerants. The byproduct of a chemical reaction is essentially what we know today as Teflon—resistant to friction, stickiness, and high heat. Teflon changed the cooking industry immensely.