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!
I wonder if that candy bar that Dr. Spencer had in his pocket on the day of testing was an O'Henry Bar?
This vintage cookbook, in mint condition, 
