A cheese press is a device used in cheesemaking to squeeze whey out of curds, a step that shapes the block or wheel of cheese and helps set its hardness and texture. By controlling how much pressure is applied and for how long, a cheesemaker can push a batch of curds toward a firmer or softer finished cheese. Historians credit the invention of the cheese press and its first American patent to more than one person, with sources naming Hazel Irwin in 1808, Hannah Slater in 1793 and Mary Kies in 1809, and the true priority among them remains disputed.
Facts
Disputed
OriginHazel Irwin received a patent for a cheese press in 1808, though priority among early American women patentees is disputed. 1 Sources disagree on who first received an American patent: Hazel Irwin for a cheese press in 1808, Hannah Slater in 1793, or Mary Kies in 1809. Connections
Associated With
the cheese press compacts curds made from cattle milk into cheese
Sources
1. Cheese Press (Wikipedia)
References section, patent noteQuote, References section, patent note
Some sources state that Hazel Irwin, who received a patent for a cheese press in 1808, was the first American woman to receive a patent, although others state that Hannah Slater in 1793, or Mary Kies, in 1809, was the first.
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