The Charms of Ordinary Days: November 2009

Friday, November 13, 2009

1940's Microwave & An O'Henry Candy Bar!

The microwave oven was discovered by accident by Dr. Percy LeBaron Spencer in 1946! What started off as a test of a new vacuum tube called a magnetron for Raytheon Corporation turned into a discovery of monumental change for the world of cooking.

Standing near the testing site, Dr. Spencer was surprised to see that a candy bar he had in his pocket had suddenly melted! Imagine his surprise! Spurned on by this phenomenon, he decided to investigate further. He experimented with a few kernels of popcorn and then stood by in amazement, as they quickly heated, crackled, and burst!

Dr. Spencer then designed a metal box with an opening into which he fed microwave power. Soon the Raytheon engineers developed a bigger and better "box" based on Dr. Spencer's findings. The larger box was 5-1/2 feet tall and weighed over 750 lbs!

But, since the magnetron tube had to be water-cooled, plumbing was required so the machine was not widely accepted at first. However, after new improvements were made and successful testing was accomplished in a Boston restaurant, many other eateries became interested. The ability to keep products refrigerator-fresh until ready for use was a huge selling point and the market expanded.

The first microwave oven was presented by Raytheon in 1947. It was named the "Radarange," a name selected through an employee contest. Between 1952 - 1955, Tappan introduced the first home model which was priced at a whopping $1295! In 1965 Raytheon obtained Amana Refrigeration and soon after redesigned and sold the microwave oven for just under $500. By 1975, sales of the microwave outsold those of gas ranges. The microwave oven was here to stay!