When was the Microwave Invented

Be it about heating a glass of water, be it about baking cakes, a microwave oven is a popular choice for a wide range of heating and cooking processes. Microwave is a kitchen appliance that cooks food by means of dielectric heating. Microwave radiation is used to heat the water and other polarized molecules in food. The characteristic feature of microwave heating is uniform heating. The microwave heating of food molecules achieves a uniform rise in the temperature of the food being cooked. Microwaves also speed up and ease the process of heating or cooking.

When was the Microwave Invented?

Percy Spencer, an American engineer and inventor, is credited with the invention of the process of cooking food using a microwave. He discovered the process, while he was building magnetrons from radar sets. While he was working on an active radar set, he found that a bar of chocolate he carried in his pocket began melting. He deduced that the microwaves from the radar set caused the chocolate to melt. Interestingly, the first foods to be cooked using the Spencer’s microwave were popcorn and an egg that reportedly exploded on one of the experimenter's face. Going ahead with his microwave theory, Spencer designed a high-density electromagnetic field by powering a metal box with microwaves. He observed that the food placed in the metal box heated due to the microwave energy.

It was only in 1947, that a company called Radarange manufactured the first microwave in the world. It was bulky; it consumed power of 3 kilowatts and used a water-cooling system. Eventually, many other companies started manufacturing microwaves. Microwaves soon reached the households of the common masses. They are among some of the very popular kitchen appliances in use today.