The Technological Development of the Microwave Through History

The microwave oven can be found in almost all North American households. It is praised for it’s function to heat food quickly and conveniently. The first microwave ovens were not available until 1947 (Gallawa, 2009). Before the microwave, there were convention ovens and even earlier are gas ranges. The oven, however dates back to 3200 BC (Wikipedia, 2008).
The very first ovens household ovens were created by the Indus Valley Civilization in 3200 BC, but many historians credit the Greeks, during 300 AD, with fully utilizing the oven. At the time ovens were made from mud and clay. The ovens were heated by placing coal or wood in the bottom of the oven and using racks to place food on top of the fire to bake. This design stood for sometime. The Romans during approximately 1000 BC used wood fired ovens (Wikipedia, 2008). These ovens were constructed out of bricks, clay or cast iron. While still fundamentally the same, wood fired ovens differed from the old Greek ovens in their heat source. A wood burning oven only uses woods for heat and the food is cooked beside the fire whereas Greek ovens had the heat coming from below. Using solely wood gave food a rustic wood flavour that no modern oven can produce (Al Frono, 2009). During the industrial age, the oven saw changes in its size and purpose. Due to mass production, all types of consumer goods were being produced in large quantities. The oven or rather kilns had a part in this by making products such as dinnerware and pottery. Thus the industrial sized oven was born. Smaller cast iron ovens were used for the household. The first microwaves were commercially available in 1947, created from World War II radar systems and an accident by Dr. Spencer (Gallawa, 2009). These microwave ovens were six feet tall, costed up to $3000 and required a plumbing system to prevent overheating. This limited use of the new ovens to factories and large kitchens. It wasn’t until 1967 when the first 100 volt countertop microwaves were released commercially that the microwave started to find its way into the common household (Gallawa, 2009).
A culture with the oven as the dominant cooking device usually meant bread was the staple food and the land grew and relied on wheat. The Greeks were the example of this. They are said to have “pioneered sweetbreads, fritters, puddings, cheesecakes, pastries, and even wedding cakes.” (Wikipedia, 2008). But all European cultures later on also used the oven to make foods made from dough. They did, however, incorporate meats into baking as well. During the industrial age the function and use of the oven didn’t deviate much, expect for large numbers of industrial ovens need to mass produce pottery and food. Still at the heart of every home in the city and country there was an oven to be used for heat and cooking.
The microwave oven, by far had the most impact on society. Due to sales of the microwave soaring, more people were experiencing the speed and convenience of microwave cooking. The food industry seemed to capitalize on the new oven the most. Mcdonalds perhaps being the most successful as they managed to make burgers that were faster, cheaper and better than anyone else in the fast food industry. Hospitals and airlines managed to keep food costs down largely due to the microwave. By 1986, the microwave oven seemed to have met it perfect companion, TV dinners in microwaveable trays (Wikipedia, 2009). TV dinners in the 70’s were highly popular due to their quick 20 min cooking time and the prospect that even dad could cook a turkey dinner. With the new microwaveable trays and portions, cooking time was reduced to under 7 minutes. Both products popularity soared and to present day one of the most consumed form of food, “[i]n 2003, the United Kingdom spent £5 million a day on ready meals, and was the largest consumer in Europe (Wikipedia, 2009). The variety of food also indicates the popularity of frozen meals; Fried chicken, tacos, Salisbury steak, pancakes and eggs, the list is endless and caters to almost every cuisine. These foods seemly fits into today’s modern fast paced society. The microwave also aids schedules that don’t allow for slow cooked meals.

The microwave is a new invention that has made a cook’s job easier by speeding up the cooking process. Its predecessor the oven, paved the way for the new zapping oven. The oven was a cultural icon shaping and forming the food of the cultures that used them. The Greeks perfected bread and cakes. Industrial ovens aided in mass production. The convection oven allowed dad to cook a turkey dinner and the microwave allows for quick meals for busy people.

Bibliography

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Wikipedia. (2008). Oven – Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oven

Wikipedia. (2009). TV dinner – Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.
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