The History of Microwave Popcorn

Microwave popcorn was invented in 1945.

Microwave popcorn is a popular snack all over the world. It is sold in a wide variety of flavors by multiple food manufacturers and producers. Before its invention, popcorn had to be prepared in a lidded pan on the top of a stove or over an open fire.

The Inventor

Percy Spencer, an American electronics expert born in Howland, Maine in 1894, invented microwave popcorn. He was also the first person to patent it. Spencer developed the first prototype for commercial production of the snack. He secured 120 patents before his death in 1970.

How Microwave Cooking was Discovered

Spencer was visiting one of his laboratories at Raytheon Laboratories in 1945 and paused in front of a power tube called a magnetron. When the magnetron, which activates radar, was turned on, he reportedly experienced a weird feeling in his body and immediately saw that a chocolate candy bar he had stashed in his pocket had started to melt.

Microwave Popcorn is Born

Amazed by the melting chocolate bar, Spencer decided to test the process on popcorn. He put unpopped kernels in a bag and placed it next to the magnetron. The kernels burst into fully popped popcorn.

References

• IdeaFinder.com: The History of Microwave Popcorn