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Have you ever wondered what was it like when you couldn't heat your food on a microwave oven? What is the history of this worldwide known tool? Here we will tell you everything about it.

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Dr. Percy Spencer created the first true microwave oven by attaching a high density electromagnetic field generator to an enclosed metal box.

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Oct. 8, 1945 - Patent filing for first microwave

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Oct. 8, 1945 - Patent filing for first microwave

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Raytheon filed a patent for a microwave cooking oven, eventually named the Radarange.

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1947 - First commercially produced Microwave Oven

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1947 - First commercially produced Microwave Oven

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It was about 6 feet tall, weighed about 750 lbs, and cost between $2,000 and $3,000.

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1955 - First Domestic Microwave Available to the Market

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1955 - First Domestic Microwave Available to the Market

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By 1955, Raytheon had begun licensing its microwave technology, and the first microwave oven designed for consumers went on sale from Tappan. The Tappan RL-1 was wall mounted with the addition of a timer, 2 cooking speeds, and the ability to brown your food. It cost US $1,295, putting it out of the reach of most people.

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1955 - Addition of the Air-Cooled System

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1955 - Addition of the Air-Cooled System

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Because the water cooled system was not practical for a household microwave, Tappan engineers add an air-cooled system into the microwave.

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Description

Developed by Tappan in conjunction with Raytheon, the RL-1 was the first microwave oven designed for home use. With a retail price of $1,295, only 34 units were manufactured in 1955, the first year of production. The company sold a total of 1,396 units before production ended in 1964.

When first introduced in the 1950s, microwave ovens were promoted as the wave of the future, the latest in modern electrical cooking. By 2000, microwaves were found in 90 percent of U.S. households. The same technology now used to pop popcorn, defrost a roast, or reheat a casserole originated as a method of detecting ships and planes, as well as tracking and coordinating Allied aircraft during World War II.

In 1940 British physicists discovered a way for generating invisible electromagnetic waves that could bounce back undetected after contact with a ship or plane. Called radar for radio detection and ranging, the British used the technology as an early-warning system. Eighty percent of all magnetrons used by the Allied forces were produced in America by Raytheon.

For Raytheon to survive in a postwar world, it sought commercial uses for its successful war product. Engineer Percy Spencer suggested using the magnetrons, which generated heat from the vibration of molecules reacting to the frequency of the microwaves, for heating food.

Raytheon's first microwave oven, the Radarange, was bought by a Cleveland restaurant in 1947 for $3,000. The 1955 model produced for home use failed to sell well due to its steep price as well as customer confusion about how to use the appliance. By 1976, a brand-new microwave oven cost less than $300 and people bought them for offices, dorm rooms and break rooms. The microwave has become more than a tool for re-heating-it is a large part of lifestyles that do not always accommodate lengthy cooking times or complex food preparation.

Object Name

electrical appliance

microwave oven

maker

Raytheon Manufacturing Co.

Tappan

Physical Description

metal (overall material)

glass (overall material)

plastic (overall material)

Measurements

overall: 27 in x 24 in x 27 in; 68.58 cm x 60.96 cm x 68.58 cm

ID Number

1991.0727.01

catalog number

1991.0727.01

accession number

1991.0727

Credit Line

from Frigidaire Company

See more items in

Work and Industry: Electricity

FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000

Exhibition

Food: Transforming the American Table

Exhibition Location

National Museum of American History

Data Source

National Museum of American History

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Developed by Tappan in conjunction with Raytheon, the RL-1 was the first microwave oven designed for home use. With a retail price of $1,295, only 34 units were manufactured in 1955, the first year of production. The company sold a total of 1,396 units before production ended in 1964.

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1967 - First affordable Microwave Oven for sale

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1967 - First affordable Microwave Oven for sale

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In 1967 the first domestic microwave oven was introduced, it was called the Amana RadaRange and ran on 100 volts, costing just $495; much smaller, safer and more reliable than previous versions. This is an important milestone in the history of the microwave as it was the beginning (very slowly) of the use of microwaves in the home.

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Amana Radarange Commercial (Barbara Hale, 1976)

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Little by little they managed to implant their invention not only in homes, but also in different industries such as wood drying. In the 70s was its great boom. In 1975 it overtook the gas cooker in terms of sales. Ten years later it was already in 60% of American homes.

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Cooking habits in the United States have changed dramatically because of the time and energy-saving convenience of the microwave oven. Once considered a luxury, it has evolved, thanks to modern technology and popular demand, into a practical necessity for an active world.

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The grill function of the microwave oven was so consuming that it was prohibitively expensive. In addition, you had to be very careful that the food did not overcook or even burn. In the 90s brands such as Panasonic and GE began offering models with a scrolling-text display showing cooking instructions.

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2016 - A Modern Microwave and How it Works

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2016 - A Modern Microwave and How it Works

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A microwave oven heats food by passing microwave radiation through it. Microwaves are a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation with a frequency higher than ordinary radio waves but lower than infrared light. Microwave ovens use frequencies in one of the ISM (industrial, scientific, medical) bands, which are reserved for this use, so they don't interfere with other vital radio services.

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A microwave oven is something that almost everyone has in their house and, basically, it is part of our lives. We depend on this spectacular electrical device to heat the food or make pop-corn. We think this invention makes our lifes easier and, probably, it is not going to change since now, we live in a technological era.
In conclusion, microwave world domination ;).