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Posted on 01/02/2023 5:13:20 PM PST by DallasBiff
Did you know that the microwave oven wasn’t actually invented until after World War II? In fact, it was developed by two scientists who were working on radar technology for the military. They discovered that if they directed microwaves at food, it would heat up quickly. And so, the microwave oven was born! This blog post will explore the fascinating history of this kitchen appliance and how it has evolved over the years.
Microwave ovens have come a long way since they were first invented. In the early days, they were large and expensive, and only restaurants and hospitals could afford to use them. But over time, the technology has become more affordable and portable, so now almost everyone can enjoy the convenience of a microwave oven.
(Excerpt) Read more at mcguinnis.com ...
Microwave ovens were first used by NASA astronauts put in quarantine after space missions. The one used by the Apollo 11 crew is still in the Smithsonian Institution.
VP Camel talk.....
I read about uWave testing awhile ago, and it sounded very slanted towards the manufacturers POV.
Something like 200 pounds of water in a sack put near the uWave, and then see how much the unit raises the water temperature. If not raised too much, then voila... it's safe.
Not so reassuring to humans that are less than 200 lbs, like women and kids. Not so reassuring to any human of any weight that has bodies with substances within besides water.
At least it’s not a story problem :-)
I believe that chocolate bar story is real, and was really how it was discovered.
That is how much invention happens. Something unexpected happens, and someone sees an opportunity to dig deeper.
The family went together to get one for our mother/stepmother. It had to be Christmas 1975 or before. This was about the time they were becoming something a middle class family might obtain.
I think it was a Wards Model. It had the extra browning element.
If I remember correctly it cost about $400. That would be $2,200 today.
Cooking food by heating it destroys the enzymes. No different than microwaves.
“If I remember correctly it cost about $400. That would be $2,200 today.
“
A 2% Inflation Target is THEFT.
Ummm…
What?
Butter and sour cream? Sounds really yummy and I haven’t had dinner yet. Alas, no baking potatoes in the house. Can you fax some over?
Personal memory: My parents grocery-shopped in Maynard, Massachusetts, when I was small. Maynard was pretty close to Hanscom AFB in Bedford, home of what we knew as the MIT “RadLab”, where the British experiments with radar were brought over to when it wasn’t a sure bet that Britain would survive.
I must have been no more than 10 when the adjacent hardware store had a radar cooking demonstration. They were heating hot dogs in seconds and handing them out. That would have been 1955 or so. I have the idea that the demo was by Raytheon, but after 65 years.......
A legend has it that the concept of cooking food was triggered by radar operators noticing that birds who flew in front of a powerful radar dropped dead instantly. Flash cooked as it were.
That is how much invention happens. Something unexpected happens, and someone sees an opportunity to dig deeper.
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The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka!” (I found it!) but “That’s funny ...” —Isaac Asimov
My wife and I have not had a microwave oven in the house for years. Everything is much better cooked on stovetop, oven or grill. Even heated up. For example, compare reheated pizza in microwave vs reheated pizza in oven. There is no comparison. The reheated oven pizza tastes just like when you got it. The microwave reheated pizza is a disgusting, soggy mess.
https://www.edn.com/1st-domestic-microwave-is-sold-october-25-1955/
I remember Dad getting a replacement one for Mom for Christmas. She wasn’t happy.
as a teenager in the 60s I was a dishwasher in a restaurant. They had a couple of microwave ovens and I was amazed at how fast a meal could be heated. I was told they cost several thousand dollars each ... which made them unaffordable to homeowners. That’s why I had never heard of them until then.
I always wondered about that. I’m an old ham radio operator and I have wondered how the standing waves don’t fry the transmitter in a microwave oven. Is there some weird trick with resonance or something?
I bought my first one at JC Penney in 1980. It was still working in 2000 !
Microwaved cold coffee is just fine.
The polar aspect of water spreads the heat around just fine.
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