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Who Invented the Microwave? History, Key Dates And Facts

The powerful microwave is a wonderful marvel that defies convention and redefines kitchen magic in a world where culinary marvels are judged by speed and accuracy. This little magician, a symphony of electromagnetic waves and scientific genius, has permanently changed the way we eat.

It uses the invisible force of microwaves to quickly create warm marvels, melting moments, and sizzling delights at the click of a button. It gives our leftovers a second chance at life by casting spells on them, and with its cosmic dance of spinning plates, no space is unattended. Look at the microwave, the alluring mystique that transforms cooking into a heavenly symposium!

Inventor of the Microwave

Silver GE Microwave.jpg , , via Wikimedia Commons

Percy Spencer, an engineer and scientist with Raytheon Corporation, is credited with inventing the microwave oven. He noted a strange incident in 1945 while doing tests with a magnetron, a technology utilized in World War II radar systems.

The radar set he was working on caused a sudden and significant surge in temperature, melting a candy bar in his pocket. Spencer was intrigued by this finding and did more tests with other food products, which resulted in the successful boiling of popcorn kernels and the heating of an egg.

Recognizing the economic potential of this unintentional discovery, Raytheon filed a patent for the first microwave cooking oven, and the Radarange, the first commercial microwave oven, was produced in 1947.

History of the Microwave

Microwave oven flashon.jpg , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In the early 1940s, two scientists, Percy Spencer and Dr Arnold O. Beckman, by chance discovered the microwave and its revolutionary potential. Spencer, a Raytheon Corporation engineer, was testing a magnetron, a component of radar systems used during WWII.

One day, he observed that the chocolate bar in his pocket had melted when he was standing near the magnetron. He was intrigued by this strange incident and wanted to understand more about how the magnetron may affect other meals.

As a result of heating an egg, he successfully popped popcorn. Raytheon recognized the microwave frying oven’s economic potential and filed a patent application in 1945.

Early microwave ovens were massive and costly, and they were primarily intended for industrial and commercial applications. The first residential microwave ovens did not appear until the 1960s, but their appeal was limited even then due to their high price and size.

Microwaves are now safer, more portable, and more extensively utilized in households as a result of technological advancements achieved in the 1970s and 1980s. The convenience and efficacy of microwave cooking revolutionized the way people cook and eat. Food defrosting, reheating leftovers, and preparing freezer suppers all become simple tasks.

Microwave ovens have advanced further with features such as convection cooking and sensor technology. They are presently an essential component of contemporary kitchens that are transforming the food industry.

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Key Dates on the Invention of the Microwave

Here are the important dates that saw the successive invention of the microwave:

1. 1920: The exploitation of high-frequency radio waves 

Higher frequency ITU radio bands.png , , via Wikimedia Commons

The advent of vacuum tube radio transmitters in 1920 enabled the use of high-frequency radio waves for heating things. By 1930, the use of short waves to heat human tissue had evolved into diathermy, a medical treatment.

Westinghouse displayed food heating between two metal plates connected to a 10 kW, 60 MHz shortwave transmitter during the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. I. F. Mouromtseff’s Westinghouse team discovered that dishes such as steaks and potatoes could be cooked in minutes.

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2. 1937–1940: multi-cavity magnetron was built 

Cavity magnetron. jpg , CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The creation of the cavity magnetron enabled the generation of electromagnetic waves with sufficiently short wavelengths (microwaves). During WWII, the magnetron was a critical component in the creation of short-wavelength radar. In 1937-1940, British scientist Sir John Turton Randall, FRSE and colleagues created a multi-cavity magnetron for British and American military radar sites during World War II.

A more powerful microwave generator with shorter wavelengths was required, and Randall and Harry Boot created a functioning prototype in 1940 at the University of Birmingham in England. They discovered a valve capable of producing pulses of microwave radio radiation with a wavelength of 10 cm, which was previously unknown.

3. 1945: high-power microwave beam was invented

Percy Spencer, an American self-taught engineer from Howland, Maine, discovered the heating effect of a high-power microwave beam by accident in 1945. At the time, he was working for Raytheon and observed that microwaves from an active radar set he was working on began to melt a Mr Goodbar candy bar he had in his pocket.

The first item purposely cooked in Spencer’s microwave oven was popcorn, followed by an egg that burst in one of the experimenters’ faces.

Spencer established a high-density electromagnetic field by pouring microwave power from a magnetron into a metal enclosure from which it could not leave.

When food was placed in the box with microwave radiation, the temperature quickly climbed. Raytheon submitted a US patent application for Spencer’s microwave cooking technology on October 8, 1945, and an oven that prepared food using microwave radiation from a magnetron was shortly put in a Boston restaurant for testing.

4. 1947: The Radarange was built 

Raytheon created the first commercially marketed microwave oven, the “Radarange”, in 1947. It stood over 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) tall, weighed 340 kilograms (750 lb), and cost around US$5,000 ($66,000 in 2022 currency). It used 3 kilowatts of power, about three times that of today’s microwave ovens, and was water-cooled.

The name was chosen as the winning entry in an employee competition. In the galley of the nuclear-powered passenger/cargo ship NS Savannah, an early Radarange was placed (and still is). An early commercial variant produced in 1954 used 1.6 kilowatts and cost between $2,000 and $3,000 (about $22,000 and $33,000 in 2022 money).

5. 1961- 1966: Japan’s Sharp Corporation began manufacturing microwave ovens 

Sharp Corporation (Tokyo Ichigaya Bldg.).jpg , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sharp Corporation of Japan began producing microwave ovens in 1961. Sharp created the first microwave oven with a turntable between 1964 and 1966, as an alternate method to encourage more equal cooking of food.

Raytheon purchased Amana in 1965 to increase production capabilities in order to push its Radarange technology into the home market. They launched the first popular home model, the countertop Radarange, in 1967 for US$495 ($4,000 in 2022 values).

Unlike Sharp versions, a motor-driven mode stirrer at the top of the oven cavity revolved, keeping the food immobile.

6. 1980s: Advancements in technology lead to the introduction of more features in microwaves

In the 1980s, technological developments in microwave ovens resulted in significant improvements, including the introduction of novel features such as convection cooking and automatic sensing.

Convection cooking made cooking more even and faster, while automated sensors made cooking more precise and simple by monitoring food moisture and adjusting cooking durations accordingly. These enhancements dramatically increased the utility and convenience of microwave ovens.

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7. 2000s: Microwave ovens become a standard household appliance in many parts of the world

Microwave oven Post box.JPG , , via Wikimedia Commons

Microwave ovens gained popularity in the 2000s, becoming a common household appliance in many parts of the world. Their advent changed the culinary world by bringing unparalleled convenience and efficiency to meal preparation and reheating.

Microwave ovens became essential equipment as hectic lifestyles became the norm, providing quick and simple meal choices and becoming a fundamental component of modern kitchens throughout the world.

Facts about the Microwave

Below are some facts about microwaves;

1. A microwave oven heats food by passing microwave radiation through it

Microwave radiation is used to cook food in a microwave oven. Microwaves are a type of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation with frequencies ranging from 300 MHz to 300 GHz.

It is a frequent misperception that microwave ovens heat food by functioning at a specific resonance of the food’s water molecules. Microwave ovens, on the other hand, heat by forcing molecules to spin under the influence of a continually changing electric field, often in the microwave frequency range, and higher wattage output of the microwave oven results in faster cooking times.

2. Microwave heating is more efficient on liquid water than on frozen water

Microwave heating is more efficient on liquid water than on frozen water because molecules move more slowly. Defrosting is done on a low power level to allow conduction to transmit heat to the remaining frozen sections of the meal.

Temperature also affects the dielectric heating of liquid water: Dielectric loss is highest at 0 °C at a field frequency of around 10 GHz, and it increases with increasing water temperature at higher field frequencies.

3. Cookware must be transparent to microwaves

Microwaves require microwave-safe cookware. Microwaves are reflected by conductive cookware, such as metal pots, and are therefore prevented from reaching the food. Microwaves will be absorbed by cookware constructed of materials with high electrical permittivity, resulting in the cookware heating rather than the food.

Melamine resin cookware is a typical form of cookware that will heat in a microwave oven, lowering the microwave oven’s efficacy and presenting a hazard from burns or shattered cookware.

4. Modern microwave ovens use either an analogue dial-type timer or a digital control panel for operation

Control panels include an LED, liquid crystal, or vacuum fluorescent display, numeric buttons for entering the cooking time, a power level selection feature, and other features such as a defrost setting and pre-programmed settings for various food types such as meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, frozen vegetables, frozen dinners, and popcorn.

In the 1990s, manufacturers like Panasonic and GE began producing versions featuring a scrolling text display that displayed cooking directions.

Power settings are usually implemented by continuously turning the power off and on, rather than truly altering the impact. As a result, the maximum setting reflects continuous power. Defrost might signify two seconds of power followed by five seconds of no power. An audible warning, such as a bell or a beeper, and/or “End” appear on the display of a digital microwave to signify that cooking has been completed.

Microwave control panels are commonly used as examples for user interface design since they are seen to be difficult to use.

5. A variant of the conventional microwave oven is the convection microwave oven

A convection microwave oven is a hybrid of a microwave and a convection oven. It enables food to be cooked fast while remaining browned or crisped, as in a convection oven.

Convection microwave ovens cost more than standard microwave ovens. Some convection microwave ovens, particularly those with exposed heating components, might emit smoke and burning aromas as food splatter from previous microwave-only use is burnt off the heating elements. Some ovens employ high-speed air to cook food fast in restaurants; these are known as impingement ovens, and they cost more and require more electricity.

In a world where time is the most valuable commodity, the microwave reigns supreme as a culinary time-bender, breaking norms and transforming kitchens into havens of fast wizardry. This heavenly miracle rose from humble origins to become a beloved friend in modern families, earning its place as a revolutionary kitchen enchantress.

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