Did Amana Invent the Microwave Oven?

We have Amana to thank for many of the kitchen appliances we use every day.

Ever thought about who invented the microwave?  Was someone looking for a faster way to cook food? A smaller cooking vessel? A way to blow up Peeps? The answer is none of the above. In short, Amana did not invent the microwave oven, but they did introduce the first countertop microwave oven in 1967.  It was back in 1947 that the ability to cook food product using microwaves was discovered – by accident!

THE STORY

During World War II, the engineer Dr. Percy LeBaron Spencer was using magnetrons to study the use of war-time radars. A magnetron is a device made up of vacuum tubes that produce microwave radiation and were used in radar at the time. Spencer happened to have a candy bar in his pocket while working and when he realized it had completely melted, he (like any other engineer) had to figure out why.

Upon further experimentation, he confirmed that the microwaves he was using had melted his beloved snack. He also realized that microwaves could not only melt food—they could cook it a whole lot faster than other methods used at the time. Dr. Spencer worked for the Raytheon Corporation, who took his discovery to the next level and created the first commercial microwave, the 1161 Radarange. The 1161 Radarange was a 1600W mammoth machine and way too big for home use and even most restaurants (we’re talking over 6 feet tall and 800 pounds!).

In 1967, Amana was a division of Raytheon and was busy creating the first upright freezers and side-by-side refrigerators for the home, but realized the potential of a microwave oven that could be used in the home as well.  Soon after, Amana created the first domestic microwave oven, called the Radarange®. Since households at the time were only using convection ovens, the microwave oven changed American cooking forever and we have Amana to thank for making it available to all restaurants and households.

MORE FROM AMANA

One of our latest favorites from Amana is the MXP22 Xpress High-speed Combination Oven. The MXP22 combines radiant, convection, and microwave cooking in one small machine.  Measuring at 25 inches wide and 27 ½ inches in depth, the MXP22 is perfect for hotels, convenient stores, campus dining, stadiums, or any application battling high demand in a small production space.

Because this unit combines 2000W of convection heat from the top, 2200W of microwave heat from the sides, and 3000W of infrared radiant heating from the bottom, you can cook most foods 15 times faster than using a regular convection oven. Although these three elements of heating work together, you can control them separately at 10% increments anywhere from 0 to 100% which means the options are endless when it comes to creating the perfect result with multiple menu items. And yes, that means you essentially have a microwave until you turn the other elements on.

Endless cooking options sounds great until you consider the amount of  inconsistency that could result from employees cooking dishes at different times and different levels of heat. Luckily for you, Amana was way ahead of that issue and added a USB port which allows you to store up to 360 menu items and then program them into the oven. Applications include everything from baking a whole pizza (in less than 3 minutes) to toasting sandwiches to baking brownies!

From its creation in 1934, Amana has been a manufacturing company dedicated to “putting the ability in afford-ability.” They’ve come a long way since spearheading innovations such as the first consumer microwave. Today, Amana has a line of reliable, simple to operate, commercial microwaves ideal for restaurants and institutions who require a powerful cooking machine for their kitchen.