#19: The First Microwave
Household microwaves weren’t commonplace until the 1970s. That’s why it’s surprising to some when they learn that the first microwave was actually invented in 1947. The Raytheon Radarange is considered the first commercial microwave oven. The microwave was discovered by accident when a Raytheon engineer melted a candy bar in his pocket and discovered that certain radar waves could heat food.
Hence the Radarange was born. The original machine cost $50,000 by today’s standards. Obviously, it wasn’t very accessible to the average consumer. The Radarange was huge, heavy, and cumbersome. In the early days, it was mostly used by well-off corporations and private companies. Raytheon later licensed its microwave technology, leading to other companies inventing smaller microwaves.