Microwave Ovens

[Broo]

My parents bought one in the '80s and it finally died after 30 some years.

Back then, they paid quite a lot for it ($800 I seem to recall). It was bigger and had less heating power than modern ones, but lasted 3 decades.

Meanwhile, me and my wife are on our third one after only 8 years together. In order to reach a price point, quality takes a drop. More expensive (and hopefully better built) ones are much harder to find around here.

 

[Rolla07]

Go with Panasonic again..why not. I have a cheap old one. Its pretty nasty but im keeping it until it breaks!

 

[Pelican]

Originally Posted by sloinker
Originally Posted by Pelican
Have a look at the Breville Quick Touch, that is going to be my next one in a few months.

I have a Breville espresso machine. It is top quality and I have owned a few other brands. Sometimes it pays to spend the extra money.


This brand was a revelation to me! I found it while looking for a blender, ended up buying the blender and their 16cup food processor that has a motor warranty of 25 years, am also considering their espresso machine, but my jura is only 2 yrs old so I may wait a bit longer on that. What surprised me even more is that it's an australian make.

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by Broo
My parents bought one in the '80s and it finally died after 30 some years.

Back then, they paid quite a lot for it ($800 I seem to recall). It was bigger and had less heating power than modern ones, but lasted 3 decades.

Meanwhile, me and my wife are on our third one after only 8 years together. In order to reach a price point, quality takes a drop. More expensive (and hopefully better built) ones are much harder to find around here.
It's crazy to think that a microwave was once an exotic piece of technology, but I guess they were found only in high end kitchens during the late 70s-early 80s.

That's how a lot of technology is when it debuts: Super expensive because they have to build it well before they figure out how they can cheapen it .Laughable capabilities (compared to future models) but much longer life than necessary due to build quality. First gen plasma TVs are built like tanks, especially the old Panasonics.

 

[Donald]

The first ones were called an Amana "RadarRange".

 

[NYEngineer]

I remember when my parents got our first microwave. I was up in my room and heard this loud BANG! and then screaming and laughing. My dad, my mom and a friend tried to hard boil an egg in the microwave and didn't pierce the yolk first. My dad stuck a fork in it and the egg exploded.

Another time, shortly after, we were having baked potatoes with dinner. I said what's different about these potatoes, they're soft. My dad said "They're done"..

 

[john_pifer]

Originally Posted by Donald
The first ones were called an Amana "RadarRange".


Yep, we had one when I was growing up in the early 80s. My mom cooked practically everything in it (she never realized that the microwave is for reheating or defrosting or boiling water).

Coolest name for a microwave, ever!

The story goes that a guy working on a radar on the DEW line had a Hershey bar melt in his shirt pocket, and that's where the idea for using RF for cooking came from.