Before around the 1920s, some people didn’t think there was demand for a device that pretty much did what other kitchen appliances did but faster. However, in 1937, a patent was issued to Bell Laboratories for “Relate[ing] heating systems for dielectric materials [...] to heat such materials uniformly and substantially…”. This invention, first shown at the 1933 Chicago world’s fair by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, would become the microwave oven.
The microwave oven is based off of the principle that high frequency radio waves can create heat (discovered in the mid 1920s) swith the use of vacuum tube radio transmitters. A vacuum tube is a small evacuated (no air) tube that can restrict or amplify the flow of electricity through a circuit. This is helpful because it allows the flow of electricity or radio waves to be changed. This in combination with a radio frequency generator, allows the modulation of the waves that can be used to heat up solids. That was basically the design for the first Microwaves.
This product initially hit the market in 1954. It was about 6 feet tall and cost about $16,000 to $24,000 today. Because of the high price and large size, interest in the microwave did not grow. Later, in 1955, Tappan Stove Company released their version of the microwave which was about $10,500 today. In the 1960s Litton Industries invented the technology to spread the heating more evenly and to increase the overall lifespan of the microwave unit. After this breakthrough, the price dropped and the demand increased. In 1967, Raytheon released the ”countertop radarange”. This was the first microwave model that a consumer could fit on their table with a relatively lower price of $3,200. As the 1970s came by, the technology and innovation increased as the average price decreased. By about 1975, there were roughly one million microwaves sold.
Overall, the idea of the microwave oven and the actual device of the microwave oven changed the way americans cooked in the mid to late twentieth century. As the twentieth first century came by, almost every american household had a microwave oven in it. This ended up dramatically changing up the lifestyle of many americans. The microwave oven further proves the idea that as technology improves and scientific discovers keep being made, new interesting gadgets and tools will be available for everyone.
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technology is a crazy thing and its hard to think about what i would have done before microwaves if my food got cold or leftovers would have to be thrown out. Think about how many Thanksgiving dinners that would ruining because you would not be able to microwave the leftovers the next day. Im just happy we eventually figured it out because its a crazy idea about radio waves being able to heat up food and it would seem cancerous and unsafe to some but we figured it out with modern technology and I'm thankful for that.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all what happened to your text? Anyways great job! I think you make a good point about the people of that did not see a need for a microwave. Where as now if they lived in this times they would see they use it everyday because the idea of efficiency. We don't have the time nor the patients to wait in order to eat up an oven. Over so many years you work with what you have!
ReplyDeleteFound some sources on Microwaves: (check it out)
- https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a19567/how-the-microwave-was-invented-by-accident/
- https://www.nytimes.com/topic/subject/microwave-ovens