The Microwave Then vs. Now

The first microwave ovens were 6 feet tall and 750 pounds, making them very expensive and only for commercial use. Over the years many people tried to make adjustments to the earlier microwaves, which was the case because microwaves are not bigger than regular ovens now.

It is truly amazing how far the microwave has come, but no one could have known that the first microwaves were bigger than an actual oven. This picture looks like an actual oven, not a modern microwave.

The second microwave called the 1161-Radarange manufactured in 1954 was actually less expensive than the Radarange manufactured in 1947, but it was still very expensive! The 1161-Radarange cost $3,000 back in the 1950s, but in modern days, this microwave would cost $21,000. This is an insane price to pay for a microwave, now microwaves don't cost more than $1,000. It was definitely not worth the money back then.

After Raytheon released their second microwave the 1161-Radarange, Raytheon licensed their technology to the Tappan stove company, and together both companies contributed to the RL-1, the third microwave. This was the first ever microwave to be designed for home use, which was a big deal. This microwave was a step forward to the modern day microwaves. This microwave still was very expensive costing $1,295, which is about $10,500 in modern times. That is half the price of the 1161-Radarange, but still this is an expensive microwave. This price made most customers stay away from buying it.

Litton Company was the first company to introduce a microwave that is built similarly to modern day microwaves. The microwave that Litton created was constructed with a magnetron feed that could survive a no-load condition which means there was nothing in the microwave to absorb microwaves. This made microwaves safer for use. Customers tended to embrace these safer models of microwaves. At least this microwave wasn't as expensive as the first and second microwave models.

Amana, a division of Raytheon corporation in 1967 created the Amana Radarange. Amana was developing refrigerators and freezers for kitchens, until the division realized the potential for microwaves to be affordable and a part of the kitchen. This Radaranage from Amana costed $495, which is about $3,200 in modern times, which isn't as bad as the other microwaves prices. This microwave could cook hamburgers in 35 seconds, which is insanely good. Amana is credited with making microwaves available to restaurants and homes, and is also the reason that microwaves are so famous today.

Microwaves after the 1970s didn't really change much at face value, but microwaves are way more advanced than they used to be. Modern microwaves have improved in many ways, such as not heating the kitchen, being energy-efficient, and cost-efficient. There are also many different companies that make microwaves, opposed to back in the 1950s when it was only Raytheon manufacturing microwaves.