This year marks the 53rd Anniversary of the invention of the Microwave Oven. These are now considered staples in the modern-day kitchen, but just where does the technology come from and how was it discovered?
With this in mind we’ve summed up a brief history of the microwave oven and put together some of our microwave tips heading into this festive season
The idea of heating food with radio waves was not new, given the likes of Bell Labs, General Electric, and RCA had all been working on variations of the technology for some time. Additionally, at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, Westinghouse demonstrated a 10-kilowatt shortwave radio transmitter that cooked steaks and potatoes between two metal plates. Despite this showing on such a grand stage nothing came of these culinary enterprises.
Between 1937-1940, British physicist Sir John Turton Randall and his team, developed the multi-cavity magnetron (the high-powered vacuum tubes inside of radars) which allowed for production of small electromagnetic wavelengths (microwaves). The Magnetron was given to the U.S. government in September 1940 in exchange for their financial and industrial help during WWII.
One of the companies that were contracted by the U.S. government to build magnetrons was Raytheon. As the war came to an end, so did the market for the magnetron tubes that had been used to generate microwaves for short-range military radars. Magnetron makers like Raytheon eagerly sought new applications for the technology.
A self-taught engineer from Howland Maine, Percy Spencer worked for Raytheon and accidently stumbled upon the discovery that microwaves could quickly heat food. This story shows that while some scientific discovery is methodical and rigorous in nature, others are serendipitous benefits of chance.
While visiting a lab where magnetrons were being tested, Percy suddenly felt a peanut bar start to melt in his pocket. This was not new to scientists, but he wanted to know more. After sending a boy out for a package of popcorn, he held it near a magnetron and the popcorn subsequently exploded all over the lab. Next morning, he brought in a kettle, cut a hole in the side and put an uncooked egg (in its shell) into the pot. Then he moved a magnetron against the hole and turned on the juice. A sceptical engineer peeked over the top of the pot just in time to catch a face-full of cooked egg! The reason? The yolk cooked faster than the outside, causing the egg to burst.
Spencer’s discovery triggered the company to apply for the patent in 1945. Yet, despite the potential for near-instant snack food, the first commercial Radarange microwave ovens unveiled by Raytheon in 1946, were only intended for use in restaurants and for reheating meals on air-planes. They were massive, expensive appliances, built around 1.6-kW magnetron tubes that had to be continuously water cooled.
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 and cost US $1,295 (almost R 20 302) putting it out of the reach of most people. Ten years later, Raytheon acquired Amana Refrigeration, and the first Amana Radaranges started showing up on household counter tops in 1967 for a more affordable $495(R 7 760).
74 years on from Percy Spencer’s accidental discovery the likes of Defy, LG, Midea and Samsung offer various types of Microwaves including Solo, Grill and Convection. With all these options available on the market, it is important to keep certain things in mind when making that all important microwave purchase:
Things to keep in mind when purchasing a microwave:
Your Kitchen: Your microwave needs to fit in to the kitchen it will become a part of. If aesthetics is important to you, then you need to think about how it will look with everything around it. If the other appliances in your kitchen are stainless steel, then you will likely want to go with a microwave that matches. Or perhaps you want a pop of colour in your kitchen.
Size: No matter what type of microwave you end up going with, size matters. To start, you must consider the space available to you in your kitchen. You don’t want to face the fate of bringing home a microwave you love only to realize that it won’t physically fit in the space you’ve allotted to it. For a built-in or over-the-range microwave, you must fit it exactly to the size specifications available. If you opt for a counter-top model, you have a little more flexibility in the size you go with, but you still need to carefully consider the amount of counter space you have to work with, as well as how much you’re willing to give up.
Wattage: The main thing you need to know about wattage is that the higher the wattage, the faster the cooking time and more evenly you can expect the microwave to heat the contents inside.
Price: is always an important consideration when buying any appliance, no matter how large or small it may be. You will quickly notice the price ranges for microwaves will vary considerably, with a lot depending on which type of microwave you decide to invest in.
Preprogrammed Settings: How valuable preprogrammed settings are for you has everything to do with your personal preferences. Most microwaves will come with at least a Popcorn setting that allows you to cook based on the size of the bag. Defrost is another common setting that will be found on most microwave ovens.
