<P> In 1813 the British chemist Edward Charles Howard invented a method of refining sugar that involved boiling the cane juice not in an open kettle , but in a closed vessel heated by steam and held under partial vacuum . At reduced pressure , water boils at a lower temperature , and this development both saved fuel and reduced the amount of sugar lost through caramelization . Further gains in fuel - efficiency came from the multiple - effect evaporator , designed by the United States engineer Norbert Rillieux ( perhaps as early as the 1820s , although the first working model dates from 1845 ) . This system consisted of a series of vacuum pans , each held at a lower pressure than the previous one . The vapors from each pan served to heat the next , with minimal heat wasted . Modern industries use multiple - effect evaporators for evaporating water . </P>
who were the inventors of sugars in the way is consumed today
British chemist Edward Charles Howard United States engineer Norbert Rillieux