It cost almost $1,300 and was too bulky to fit in the average kitchen. The first domestic microwave oven came on the market in 1955. It was years before microwave ovens were small and practical enough for home use. The first models (so-called radar ranges), marketed in 1947, weighed 750 pounds and stood almost six feet tall.Įarly microwave ovens were used exclusively in restaurants, railroad cars, and ocean liners-places where large quantities of food had to be cooked quickly. What Were the First Microwave Ovens Like? Spencer and other Raytheon company engineers went on to develop the first microwave oven. The exploding egg splattered a nearby coworker, confirming that microwaves could cook food quickly and unconventionally. Spencer then put a raw egg in a pot in front of the magnetron. Intrigued, Spencer placed popcorn kernels near the magnetron soon popcorn was popping out over the lab floor. Suddenly feeling a strange sensation, he noticed that the chocolate bar in his pocket was melting. He stopped for a minute in front of a magnetron, an electronic vacuum tube that generates high-frequency radio waves. Today over 90% of American homes have microwaves.In 1945 engineer Percy Spencer was researching radar at the Raytheon company. The popularity of quickly cooked food has only increased since the introduction of the microwave. By 1976, 60% of all American homes had a microwave. By 1975, the sales of microwave ovens had suppressed the sales of gas ovens. But as other companies began manufacturing their own microwave ovens the cost began to decrease. Sales were slow in the beginning due to the high price tag. The countertop versions of the Radarange sold for $495. The first microwave for use at home was introduced in 1967. In 1954, a smaller version, the 1161 Radarange, was introduced but the cost was still between $2000 and $3000. The Radarange was almost 6 feet tall, weighed 750 lbs and cost about $5000. Then, the first commercial microwave was built in 1947. A microwave oven was tested in a Boston restaurant. Hanson were working on a secret project to perfect the microwave oven know as “the Speedy Weenie”. US Patent 2,495,429 was granted on January 24, 1950.ĭuring the spring of 1946, Spencer and P.R. Spencer and the Raytheon Corporation filed for a patent for a method of treating foodstuffs on October 8, 1945. The internal temperature of the food placed inside the metal box began to rise rapidly. To test his theory about the tube, Spencer created a high-density electromagnetic field by feeding microwave power into a metal box. The internal temperature of the egg rose causing it to explode when placed near the tube. Then, Spencer tried the experiment with an egg. Spencer put some popcorn kernels near the tube and watched as the popcorn cracked and pop in the lab. ![]() The first two foods to be intentionally heated with the tube were popcorn and an egg. This led to many more experiments with the tube. ![]() One day, he discovered that a candy bar which he had in his pocket had melted while working with the magnetron. Instead, Spencer was working for the Raytheon Corporation testing a new type of vacuum tube known as a magnetron. Percy Spencer was not trying to invent a faster way to cook when he discovered the principal behind the microwave oven. You can add the microwave oven to the list of products invented by accident.
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