Get to know the history of the microwave, that miraculous invention that allows you to heat your stale pizza.
1940 -BORN IN WAR -The English John Turton Randall and Harry Boot create the cavity magnetron, a device that emits electromagnetic waves with short length: microwaves. The technology served to revolutionize radars in World War II.
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1947 -LIGHT SAUSAGE -Radio Chef Inc. built the Speedy Weeny, a hot dog oven, and installed it in a New York train station. The 20-second hot dogs were the first microwaved product to be massively consumed in the US. In the same year, Raytheon launched a commercial microwave: the Radarange
1947 -The Radarange was 1.8 m tall, 340 kg and cost the equivalent of today’s $50,000
1955 -ON THE WALL -Another American company, Tappan, created the first domestic version, mounted on walls and the size of a conventional oven. The price of US$ 1,300 (more than US$ 10,000 today) contributed to the failure of the device
1967 -WIDESCREEN -The “portable” Radarange arrives, for tables and counters. With 55 cm wide and 38 cm high, it was the first modern model sold. It cooked a hamburger in 60 seconds and cost $495 ($3,500 today)
1976 – BAIN BAIN – The electronically programmable microwave is launched by Amana. Even with competition between US and Japanese manufacturers, the microwave oven has evolved little from that time to the present day.
2012 – This Panasonic product controls the power of the waves (the other microwaves always operate at 100%, with interruptions in emission to simulate power variations)
SOURCES Wired, Raytheon, History Channel and Google News sites