In 1945 Percy Spencer was building magnatrons for radar sets at Raytheon. One fateful day he left a chocolate bar in his pocket while testing the magnetron and was surprised to discover the bar had melted. Further testing found that the microwaves had melted the bar. Next came popcorn kernels, which popped. And then an egg, which exploded in the face of the tester. It was clear they had stumbled upon a new cooking method, and on October 8, 1945 Raytheon applied for a patent.
In 1947 the first commercial microwave was built, known as the Radarange, and the cooking world would never be the same. Unfortunately, the high voltage needed to run the device, and the impractical water cooling system made them unrealistic for home use.
By the 1950s the technology had improved and the Tappan Stove Company licensed the technology so that they could sell a home microwave oven. The Tappan oven was designed as an in-wall oven with a 220 volt fixed power source. Introduced at the price of $1,250, they did not sell well and the first home microwave was declared a failure. It was more than a decade before it was given another try.
In 1967, Amana, which had been acquired by Raytheon in 1965, would change the world with the first practical residential microwave oven. The Radarange sold for a mere $495 and promised flameless electronic cooking in the home. By 1970, 40,000 units a year were sold. That number ballooned to one million by 1975, actually out-selling standard gas ranges, driven by higher efficiency models and a falling price point. In terms of percentages, 1% of all homes in America had a microwave in 1970. By 1976 the number was about 60%, or approximately 52 million US residences. Today those numbers are closer to 90%, and a home is not complete without one.
All because Percy Spencer left a chocolate bar in his pocket.
-Professor Walter
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