The microwave oven first came to consumers as by-product of an experimental technology. In 1946, Dr. Percy Spencer, an engineer for Raytheon Corporation, was testing a device called a magnetron. By serendipitous accident, he realized the candy bar in his lab coat pocket had warmed. Curious about this phenomenon, he placed some popcorn kernels near the tube- they popped!

The next day, Spencer and a colleague observed the magnetron’s effect on an egg. The magnetron’s effect on the egg caused it to explode onto the faces of the observers. Dr. Spencer refined his device by building an enclosure to create a higher density field of electromagnetic waves. Food placed in this box achieved high temperature very quickly. A multi million dollar business was then born.

Raytheon quickly began developing a consumer unit, and applied for a patent before the end of 1946. In 1947, the first commercial unit to hit the market was tested in the kitchen of a Boston restaurant. The first units produced were just under six foot tall, weighed hundreds of pounds, and cost thousands of dollars.

Initial reactions to the microwave oven were cautious. The unit was cumbersome, and was water cooled. The refinements that took place in the following years, especially the air-cooled magnetron, ensured the microwave’s acceptance in the modern kitchen.

Businesses were now able to heat products more quickly than in the past, resulting in fresher products delivered to consumers. The microwave also gained popularity in unexpected ways, as manufacturers of leather, coffee, cork, and other products used the microwave to quickly heat and dry products.

Over the next 20 years, the microwave slowly evolved from a product the size of a refrigerator to the smaller, range top models more common today. The acquisition of the Amana company by Raytheon brought about introduction of the first counter top oven, a 100 watt unit that was safer and more effective than ever.

The 1970s saw an unbelievable success for the microwave oven, and a bevy of myths about the dangers of the oven became popular. Customers feared that the oven might cause radiation sickness, impotence, or blindness. As the oven became more popular, fears of the oven were eased. No one had acquired any of the supposed maladies that could be caused by the microwave oven’s electromagnetic waves.

In 1975, sales of microwave ovens reached a landmark as they exceeded the sales of gas ranges. In 1975, Japanese homes were much more likely than American homes to have a microwave. By 1976, microwave ovens became more popular than the dishwasher in American kitchens. In 1976 the microwave had reached the kitchens of nearly 60% of American houses.

Today, the microwave has revolutionized the way Americans eat. The oven has evolved into a variety of forms to suit the diverse needs of the American home and business. Today’s consumer can choose from options like convection cooking, probe cooking, and sensor cooking. The savings of energy and time have brought great convenience to American kitchen. While once considered to be a luxury item, the fast pace of American life has made the microwave a necessity. The waves created by Dr. Percy Spencer in 1946 have now spread around the world, creating a phenomenon of global scale.

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Percy Spencer was the man who discovered the microwave. The first food to be cooked with Spencer’s microwave was popcorn and the second was an egg. But nowadays, maximum number of kitchen users use microwaves because they are cheaper than the LPG gas and works fast.

Microwave Oven and Oven Grill are generally used for save time in both industrial applications such as restaurants and at home. People who want fast cooking times also can use microwave ovens to prepare food or reheat stored food in only a moments. Popcorn is one of the popular items with the microwave users.

There are three types and sizes of microwave ovens :

1. Compact microwave: A compact microwave also called portable, small, is the smallest type of typically available consumer microwave. These ovens are rated between 500 and 1000 watts of power and usually have a capacity of 28 litres. These ovens are generally used for reheating food and making microwaves meals and popcorn.

2. Medium capacity microwave: These microwaves are larger than the compact or portable microwaves. Their interiors are between 30 and 45 litres and the power consumed range from 1000-1500 watts. It is the standard “family” sized microwave.

3. Large capacity microwave: It is big type microwave designed for cooking large meals. Large capacity microwave normally use over 2000 watts and usually has a capacity of 60 litres.

There are many social and cultural changes that come with microwave. The Microwave Oven has made it simple for people to cook and reduce the time needed for preparing and cooking food. It is no longer necessary to plan a lot of time for preparing lunch and dinner, since food could be heated in a matter of few minutes. As a result, there was a desire for easy and fast food preparing, that led to a behavioral change in people not wanting to spend more time in the kitchen.

Always use good quality Cooking appliances for use in microwaves because internal temperature is very high and low quality plates and the bowls can be damaged by dehydration.

A microwave oven, or microwave, is a unique kitchen appliance that can solve all your cooking related problems in just a few minutes. Coming in different sizes and styles, it basically employs microwave radiation to cook or heat the food. The polarized molecules within the food get excited from the rays that are emitted from the magnetron. The excitation is uniform, hence the food get heated up from all the directions. This exceptional heating technique could be rarely seen in any other cooking appliances. Though the rays are dangerous when used without proper guidance but they prove to be extremely useful when it comes to heating and re-heating the food in the microwave ovens.

It was in the year 1970, when this small and magical home appliance came into the limelight with full swing. Since then, it has never turned back and today we could see the market flooding with these small wonders.

Microwaves have become a household commodity these days. Small and basic microwaves could be found in every home. Owing to the hectic daily schedule it’s now mandatory to have one at your place for your cooking needs. We look for something that can do our work in few minutes and microwaves are becoming more commonplace. This is one time saving appliances, which is becoming popular with each passing moment.

The concept of microwave oven was ambiguously discovered in 1946 by Dr Percy Spencer, while testing a vacuum tube called a magnetron. After several inventions the real microwave came into existence in the year 1947. It can heat, cook and thaw foods in just a matter of few seconds. The sole purpose to provide a quick and easy way of heating food is rapidly catching up in the Indian market. The best advantage is that it ensures that the nutrient value of the foods is preserved.

There are three types of ovens available in the market viz. Standard microwave oven, Microwaves with grill and Combination microwave ovens. There are various other features also like sensors, turntables, upgraded defrost systems etc, which make it an altogether unique and stylish home appliance.

Today, there are a number of microwave ovens for the customers to choose from. Latest microwave ovens from LG and Samsung are incorporating newer technologies to tap the market further. Now, it depends on the customers to choose the best microwave ovens for them.