Microwave Oven: The Efficiency Revolution
No other appliance has revolutionized the way we do our cooking in the 20th century than the microwave oven. Cooking can be done faster than ever, and foods have been developed specifically for use inside this speedy kitchen appliance. They also are efficient users of electricity, as only the foods placed inside are heated. The vast majority of American homes own one.
The history of this machine is interesting because scientists did not set out to create a device for cooking. In World War II, the magnetron was invented, a tube that produces actual micro-waves. By installing magnetron’s in Britain’s radar system, the waves were used to track down Nazi war planes on their way to bomb England.
It was only after this that Percy LeBaron Spencer of the Raytheon Company realized that these waves could heat up the internal temperature of foods much faster than a regular oven. When he was experimenting, he found this out when a candy bar melted in his pocket.
Raytheon released its first microwave oven in 1954. This release was very large and unwieldy, and was really only practical for institutional use for places like restaurants. It wasn’t until 1967 that the machine was for sale for home use, though it was still expensive. It wasn’t really until 1971 that the price had come down enough for it to be easily accessible to the majority of American families.
How do modern countertop microwave ovens work? Using the radio waves mentioned above, they work at a frequency of roughly 2,500 megahertz. At this frequency, radio waves can be absorbed by water, fats and sugar, but not by glass, some plastics, or ceramics. This way only your target food is heated up.
Modern microwaves are much smaller and efficient than their large predecessors. As they’ve been improved, these machines have become a staple in the American kitchen. By targeting your food and speeding up time spent preparing meals, the microwave has given us more time and revolutionized the way we cook.