Easy Bake Ovens were the iconic toy of so many childhoods since their first appearance on the market in 1963. But the toy has not been without controversy over the years.
From being changed to a true heating element instead of incandescent light bulbs, to having recalls from tiny fingers getting caught in the oven, the toy is definitely not for parents who don’t want to supervise their kids while using it. But apparently, according to TikTok user @steph_murphy, it can still be dangerous even with parental supervision.
As Steph recalls in her video, her husband and their 8-year-old daughter Nora were testing out their new Easy Bake Oven in the living room, as she was in the other room packing. Her husband noted that Nora complained of the smell of the Easy Bake Oven when they initially plugged it in, but since her husband has no sense of smell, and the smell went away a short while later, they didn’t think any further of it. The pair then worked on creating a 2-layer red velvet cake, but as those who’ve used Easy Bake Ovens know, you can only cook one layer at a time.
While they waited for the cake to bake, the three of them were one room over, playing. After about 20 minutes, the dad and daughter checked the cake, but it was still undercooked. At that point, the two chose to cut their losses, toss the batter, and unplug the toy. But 45 minutes after they initially started their baking time, Nora started complaining of chest pain. Not long after that, she also told Steph she was having difficulty breathing. After getting a pulse ox reading of 89%, the family made their way to the ER.
But Nora was not the only one being affected. As they drove there, Steph’s husband said he, too, was having trouble breathing, but dismissed it, as he thought it was just him. By the time they arrived at the ER, Steph was experiencing shortness of breath as well. Both Nora and her husband were admitted in to the ER and placed on oxygen, and their chest X-rays showed compromised lungs, almost replicating pneumonia.
As the hospital personnel kept running tests, they proceeded under the assumption all three Murphys were dealing with carbon monoxide poisoning. However, all three tested negative for carbon monoxide, leading the staff to blame the toy. While it’s not clear exactly how the Easy Bake Oven was responsible for all this, the hospital staff assumed it was the source of the poisoning, as Nora and Steph’s husband were the most affected, since they were directly interacting with the oven.
Thankfully, both Steph and her husband were discharged early in the morning the next day, and while Nora was transferred to the local children’s hospital, she was discharged that afternoon. However, the mystery still remains of exactly what the three were exposed to from the oven, and what caused the poisonous conditions in the first place. In a follow-up video, Steph explained the reason she shared her story was to warn parents of her experience with the toy, so they could consider that experience when deciding if their child should use an Easy Bake Oven or not.
Much of the comments section was sending well wishes and quick recovery to Steph and her family, but some were suggesting the family take legal action against Hasbro. One commenter suggested “Please hire a lawyer and get this Easy Bake Oven tested in case for a recall to help other families.” Another said “You should definitely call a personal injury lawyer!” In a reply to a different comment, Steph did mention she plans on contacting the manufacturers of Easy Bake Oven, Hasbro, to alert them to her situation, and see whether a recall is necessary.