How Was The Microwave Oven Invented?

How Was The Microwave Oven Invented?

By:


The microwave oven is a hugely popular kitchen appliance, though it really is unlike any other appliance within the house what other kitchen item directly produces radiation to cook food in the house? However, microwaves have become hugely popular over the years thanks to their ease of use and speed in cooking and defrosting foods.

So how exactly did radiation become allowed into our homes as a completely safe way of cooking foods quickly and to a good quality?

The discovery of microwaves as a viable method of cooking actually began life as a complete accident in 1945, after microwave radar transmitters were developed for use in World War II, an American engineer called Percy Spencer noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket had begun to melt due to the radiation waves.

Spencer later fed the radiation into an electromagnetic box from which it could not escape and noticed that food placed within began to cook, or at least rapidly rose in temperature. Thus the first microwave oven was created however it was nowhere near ready for use in any kind of residential or commercial capacity in its current form.

Raytheon, the company that Spencer worked for, then filed a patent in 1947 for the cooking process and eventually began to produce microwave ovens for use in a commercial setting, first appearing in a restaurant in Boston. One of the first models released in 1954 sold for approximately $2,500 but was a relative failure, also mirrored by the first home model which sold for $1,295.

Later, in 1967, the company produced a counter-top unit that would sell for $495 this proved to be a huge success and led the way for other companies to begin creating their own versions.

After all of this, there was a massive rise in the popularity of the appliance figures show that in 1971, four years after the first successful unit, a mere 1% of American households owned a microwave, however this figure shot up to 25% in 1986. Current estimates show that at least 90% of households now benefit from using a microwave.

So, even though its original intention was not as a cooking device, by happy accidents, it became known that this appliance could be used for that very function and quickly dominated the kitchen appliance market. So the next time you tuck into a microwave meal or need to quickly defrost some food, you should remember that it was all thanks to a melted chocolate bar and an inquisitive scientist.

About the Author:
For a good microwave oven, you should simply browse online for the best appliance to suit your needs as you will be able to find a great number of offers to buy microwave ovens.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


Tags: , ,

|

Loading...
Related....
Videos...

Recent Business Articles

Comments

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!

Loading

Site Navigation:

Copyright 2005-2011 ArticleSnatch, LLC - All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service.