To the older GLpers, can you remember when microwave ovens came out and what was people's reactions?

I can remember when the color TV came out.

I can remember when my mother got our first one for Christmas in 1979, I was 10. Even then I knew how crazy expensive it was, I think around $900.

There was a long period of experimenting & not so great dinners, ha.

I don't own one now, when my last one died, I let it go.

We were afraid we had spent money on some strange appliance we wouldn't use that made food tasteless.

But we discovered many foods just needed to have the water in them get warmed up and hotdogs were ok.

I waited about 10 years before getting one.

Never like being first in line.

Love it now

amana radar range

I remember my parents being suspicious of the radiation from them. They didn't get a microwave until sometime in the 1990s.
I'm 58 by the way.

Last Edited by Dixie63 on 02/16/2021 12:33 PM

I can remember when the first people on our road bought a TV period.

I was about 4 years old, and the whole community went apeshit. 2 or 3 channels. Those people had a houseful of "guests" for a couple of weeks, just wanting to see the dang thing.

58 years young.

My reaction was "That's a damned expensive popcorn popper"!

In Russia, they do not use microwave ovens. Never have never will. Go figure how much they push their use on Americans.

My brother tried to dry our wet cat in it.Because it worked on his socks.

I don't specifically remember any actual reaction, after all we went to the moon and such advancements were expected. They were cool but not any more so than a projection TV, I remember the first portable air compressors and those were cool too. They worked WAY BETTER than the crap we have now. I don't know why. It is weird.

There was concerns about radiation leaking out and long term effects of eating the food cooked in a microwave.

I don't own one. It's a piss poor option for cooking pretty much anything IMO.

Don’t remember reading or hearing any adverse reactions or publicity to microwave ovens when they first came out. Seems that didn’t start until around 20 years later

They were expensive is what I heard the most.So were VCR.

I remember my mommy freaking out I'd blow up our suburb in 1994 after I told her my new microwave would let me nuke stuff...

By the way, the first projection TV's were not something a millenial could relate to, they were giant contraptions that projected the picture on a movie screen. It was not an all in one unit. And they needed constant calibration. I was never impressed with those but all the guys went to the bar to watch the game and in that context it was cool I guess. It had to be dark almost like a movie theater for those to work. Fine for a bar. They'd look fine for a year or so and then they'd wear the phosphor out on the projection tubes and sorta turn to "Yes I can tell what that is" mush.

I remember when they first invented Water.

Damn..it was thirst quenching.

It sucks for popcorn and there is so much fat and garbage in those microwave popcorn bags. I don't get why people would buy them for home use. Spend a couple more minutes and make good popcorn that is tastier, cheaper and healthier.

That is so sad.

Still, at last he had dry socks.

I remember putting an egg and watching up close and BANG it blew up.

I dont own one now and wouldn't buy one

I remember eating the microwave popcorn a few times. I thought it was tasty at first. But as time went on I was very happy to still have my West Bend popcorn popper. There is no better popcorn and they are cool to watch.

My first one I got we were going to cook biscuits in it

Can biscuits , I put them on a paper plate because you couldn't use glass plates, anyway the paper plate cought on fire and the biscuits were hard as a rock

I can remember learning about the possibility of using microwaves for cooking in school so it was no real surprise when they became available to buy.

No, I can't.

I remember in high school one of the cheerleaders family got a microwave and they made hotdogs in it.

I thought it was bizarre and still do.

The only thing I use microwave ovens for is warming coffee and some leftovers. It’s convenient for that.

I didn't want to get into 'the best popcorn popper' debate. I just wanted to highlight how shitty microwave popcorn is.

...but since you started it...

IMO the best popper is a Whirley-Pop style popper, but there are many good poppers. Even the stuff at the movie theaters or many bars is excellent.

The popcorn itself is also a key, and you don't get much choice in a microwave popcorn. I like the small white kernels. Very little hull on a popped kernel and per 1/4 cup generally gives a higher volume of popped corn.

a sad day for the cuisine. I stay away from those appalling machines.

I remember.
You had to get one from Sears. The only cost a nickel then and the road to Sears was uphill both ways.

I remember when footballs were square, and made out of wood.