Invention of the Microwave Oven
Today was the day, in 1955, the microwave oven, for home use, was introduced by The Tappan Company. A microwave oven, or simply a microwave, is a kitchen appliance that cooks or heats food by dielectric heating. This is accomplished by using microwave radiation to heat water and other polarized molecules within the food. This excitation is fairly uniform, leading to food being more evenly heated throughout (except in dense objects) than generally occurs in other cooking techniques. The use of high-frequency electric fields for heating dielectric materials had been proposed in the 1930s.
Do these look familiar? I remember when the first home microwaves were introduced. They were very expensive. Now, you can pick a small one up at Walmart for less than $100.
The heating effect of microwaves was discovered accidentally in 1945. Percy Spencer was working on an active radar set when he noticed that a peanut chocolate bar he had in his pocket started to melt. The radar had melted his chocolate bar with microwaves. The first food to be deliberately cooked with Spencer’s microwave was popcorn, and the second was an egg, which exploded in the face of one of the experimenters.
My house is on its third microwave. I blew one up by putting a foil wrapped burger in it. Not good. The second one died of old age. I like my new one because it has setting for different foods. If I want to pop some popcorn, I select the popcorn button. Easy peasy.
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October 28th, 2010 at 8:06 am
I can’t believe they’ve been around for so long! Seriously.
Christina H´s last [type] ..Belleza: Recogidos rpidos y fciles
October 28th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
One of the greatest inventions ever known to man. We want things fast, we want things quick, we want things now!
ryan
French Macaroones
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I think that the invention of the microwave oven started the decline in the family dinner time, where the entire family sat down together at one time and ate and shared stories about their day. Now it is just too easy for everyone to eat on whatever rotating schedule they happen to be on. Great convenience, but really the beginning of the end of a good era!
November 4th, 2010 at 4:15 am
Sounds like a trivia. I have also read about Dr. Percy Spencer. Like many great inventions in history, the microwave oven is also an invention of past technologies. a microwave oven always comes in handy even in modern convenience. We use it to prepare fast and easy meals, frozen dinners, and even coffee and tea. What’s more, there are lots of people who couldn’t imagine living without a microwave. Thanks to Dr. Percy Spencer.
November 5th, 2010 at 3:29 am
I could say that microwave oven develops rapidly over the years. With the latest designs and features, we can now cook the food we want in a faster rate and easier way. Thanks for the post!
November 5th, 2010 at 5:33 am
I like to toast bread every morning. Our microwave oven is very useful especially if I am in a hurry to go to work. I could cook food in just a a couple of minutes and I am very thankful for having one at home. Reading your post made me realized about its uses that certainly helped me for years. Actually, we are using one of the oldest microwave oven at home. I am thankful that it is still working in spite of its old age.