In 1955, the kitchen received an appliance that looked more like a laboratory technology than an ordinary stove. On October 25, the American company Tappan introduced the first microwave oven designed specifically for home use. The model was created in collaboration with Raytheon and was called the RL-1.
The appliance did not look like today's compact oven, which is placed on the kitchen counter. The RL-1 was a large structure for built-in or installation above the stove and operated with a voltage of 220 volts. The price was also impressive for its time - $1,295. The National Museum of American History reports that only 34 were produced in the first year, and the high price and lack of clarity for consumers on how to use the new technology limited sales.
From Radar to Family Kitchen
Microwave cooking began as a side application of military radar technology. Raytheon engineer Percy Spencer was working with magnetrons - electronic devices that generate microwaves for radar systems. During an experiment, he noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket had melted. Experiments with popcorn and an egg followed, showing that microwave energy could heat food.
Raytheon created the first commercial Radarange oven in 1947. It was huge, weighing hundreds of pounds, and was intended for restaurants and industrial kitchens. The next step was to shrink the technology down to a size suitable for the home, and Tappan was licensed to develop a consumer model.
“Electronic cooking offers new flexibility in home cooking,“ said Tappan president Alan P. Tappan in a November 1955 publication.An expensive experiment that became a daily occurrence
Early advertising presented the oven as a means of quickly preparing meats, vegetables, sauces, and hot snacks. According to descriptions from the time, a five-pound roast could be cooked in about 30 minutes, and the food could be heated directly in a serving dish.
However, the technology remained far from the mass market. Production of the RL-1 continued until 1964, but the model never became a common appliance in American households. The change came with smaller, cheaper ovens. In 1967, Amana introduced a countertop model priced at $495, and by 1976, a new microwave oven in the United States cost less than $300.
So the appliance that began as an expensive demonstration of radar technology gradually became part of everyday life. By 2000, microwave ovens were in about 90 percent of American households.
Sources: americanhistory.si.edu, spectrum.ieee.org, oregonnews.uoregon.edu