Microwave oven history dates back to the late 1940s when Dr. Percy Spenser was employed as an engineer at the Raytheon Corporation. He was in charge of a radar related project (which was also a success, giving the Allies a distinct advantage over the Germans) and was working on a vacuum tube called the magnetron. While he was conducting experiments, he discovered that a bar of candy that he had placed in his pocket had melted while working on the magnetron. He was amazed and began to conduct experiments and studies to investigate the phenomenon.
Testing The Link Between Magnetron And Cooking
In 1946, Dr. Percy Spenser realized that the magnetron somehow melted the bar of candy that he had placed in his pocket. This made him curious and his scientific mind began to conduct various other experiments. One such experiment was to place some kernels of popcorn near the magnetron and when the tube was activated his whole laboratory was filled with sputtering pop corn! He had conducted these experiments clandestinely and once he was sure of the involvement of the magnetron in cooking, he decided to conduct another experiment, this time in the presence of one of his colleagues. According to microwave oven history, it is stated that Dr. Spenser placed an egg in front of the magnetron. Soon the egg began to tremble and in no time, it exploded- throwing hot yolk all over their faces! It was then confirmed that food can be cooked using low density microwaves!
As per the recorded microwave oven history, Dr. Spenser then created a metal box that was connected to a microwave power source with no room for the power to escape to. Food was then placed in the box and when the magnetron was activated, food was cooked at an amazing speed by the new device. Thus, the first microwave was invented to cook food at an unbelievable speed.
As per recorded microwave oven history, in 1946, Raytheon Corporation filed a patent to cook food using the microwave. Soon a commercial microwave similar in design to the first microwave used by Dr. Spenser was used in a restaurant, proving to be an instant success. In 1947, the design was further refined and the first few commercial microwaves were introduced to the public at an astronomical rate of $5000. The units were 6 feet tall and weighed 750 pounds, yet, they were a run-away success.
These are just a few facts about microwave oven history and how the microwave was invented. They are such revolutionary devices that today almost all homes have a microwave that not only cooks, bakes, grills but also saves time and energy considerably.
Microwave oven cooks food at an amazing speed and that too without spoiling the actual flavor of the food. Learn more about microwave oven at microwave oven history
Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Cooking Articles Via RSS!
