First Commercial Microwave Oven

Today microwave ovens are commonly found in kitchens but in 1968 they were seen as a revolution in cooking.

First commercial microwave oven.

Calledthe radarange it weighednearly 750 pounds and cost more than 2 000. Readers should be aware that such autobiographical efforts contain a wealth of information but have been put through a corporate filter and can often distort the truth either. The high price and unfounded fears about radiation. In 1947 just a year after spencer s snack food serendipity the first commercial microwave oven hit the market.

The beta microwave was placed in a restaurant in boston for testing. Also we refer to the creative ordeal the story of raytheon by otto j. A microwave oven commonly referred to as a microwave is an electric oven that heats and cooks food by exposing it to electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. Its amana division released the first domestic version in 1967.

Return to news index. This induces polar molecules in the food to rotate and produce thermal energy in a process known as dielectric heating microwave ovens heat foods quickly and efficiently because excitation is fairly uniform in the. The first ever commercial model was created in 1954 but it didn t perform well with regards to sales. John osepchuk explains some microwave oven history.

30th anniversary of microwave oven marks revolution in america s home kitchens. The first microwave oven for commercial purposes ships and hotels was introduced in 1947 by raytheon and named the radar range. It stood 5 5 feet 1 7 meters tall weighed 750 lbs. It stood five and a half feet tall weighed 750 pounds and cost 3000.

In 1965 the amana corporation was bought by raytheon and they made the first home applicable model of the microwave oven in 1967. Scott published in 1974 this book commemorates the 50th anniversary of the raytheon company. The first microwave oven weighed about 750 pounds and was nearly 6 feet tall. Despite the potential for near instant snack food the first commercial radarange microwave ovens unveiled by raytheon in 1946 were intended for use in restaurants as in the photo at top which.

Eight years later the company produced its first commercial microwave oven. Later that year raytheon introduced the radarange 1161. It retailed at 495 and was quite popular even though it did not do well regarding sales.