The Development of the Microwave Oven and Its Influence on Gender in the Kitchen

The microwave oven is a mainstay of the modern kitchen. In current times, it is a strange sight to see a kitchen that does not feature this appliance. From the 1960s to 1980s however, the microwave underwent a drastic change that made it the ubiquitous device it has become today, and in the process, it helped diminish gender roles and stereotypes in the kitchen. The microwave is perhaps the most important kitchen invention of the last 50 years, as it drastically changed the way people cook meals, and helped make the kitchen a gender-neutral space.

Microwave ovens, despite the common conception that they are a more modern product, were invented in 1947 by Percy Spencer at Raytheon. This initial microwave was large and bulky, and carried a cost of 2000-3000 US Dollars, putting the product out of reach for the average consumer. It was not until 1967, when a Japanese subsidiary of Raytheon, Amana Appliance Company, developed a compact microwave that carried a somewhat more appealing $495 price tag. Equating to roughly 3900 US dollars today, it was not an easy purchase, but it was obtainable for higher-earning households. By the year 1975, microwaves were outselling traditional gas ranges. A major revolution in microwave cooking took place shortly after in the year 1981, the same year that the Microwave Cooking From Litton cookbook was produced, was the invention of the combination microwave. The Litton cookbook does not appear to suggest instructions for the use of this new technology however, suggesting that it was perhaps sent to the publisher before this critical invention. Microwave cookbooks just like the Litton cookbook however, did thrive in the 1980s, as the microwave oven was opening to a whole new level of consumers due to price drops during this time, and these new consumers did not know how to operate their new products. Myllyntaus describes a “Microwave Revolution” in the decade that resulted in vasts amounts of microwave ovens and microwave cookbooks alike being sold in the 1980s. A major contributing factor was the growth of the frozen food industry. Microwaves and frozen foods were an easy combination for a quick meal, and the growth in the two industries often correlated during this time period. Additionally, more women entering the workforce meant more available money to spend on these products. From 1981 (the year of the Litton cookbook’s publishing) to 1984, microwave spending per household rose from $16 per year to $24 per year, and small appliance spending overall in the USA averaged $67 per month in 1984. By 1990, 72% of American households had a microwave, truly completing the “Microwave Revolution”.

While Microwave ovens quickly became a mainstay in the modern kitchen, they also sparked debate about gender roles in the kitchen. Initially, the microwave was presented as “a saviour of the busy housewife,” with advertising focusing towards women almost exclusively. A Sharp ad from 1973 contained the text: “Your husband is returning home from a conference in 45 minutes. The chairman and his wife are accompanying him. But dinner is still unprepared. You would like to offer tomato soup with cream, followed by trout with potatoes, peas and asparagus, and for dessert, an upside down cake topped with peaches and cherries. Impossible, until now! For today in that time, you can cook the meal of your choice, set the table, put the children to bed and get changed”, showing that early advertisers were aiming to sell microwave ovens to housewives who were in a hurry to cook for their families or guests. By the time of the Litton cookbook, more women entering the workforce and the wavering of the “never eat a meal cooked by a man” idea meant that the microwave was slowly becoming more gender-neutral over time. The microwave and its ease of use began encouraging men to cook for themselves, but men and women tended to learn microwave cooking in different ways. Microwave cookbooks from the 1980s (including the Litton cookbook) likely remained targeted at women due to men more often relying on trial and error methods to figure out microwave cooking. Polls showed the microwave was seen as more gender-neutral than many other kitchen appliances, mostly due to the technology of the device, and it continued to aid in evening out gender roles in the kitchen over time. The microwave was integral in freeing housewives from being the sole family member responsible for family dinner, allowing for greater gender equality in the home. 

In conclusion, microwave ovens were a rapidly developing piece of kitchen technology that changed both how the home kitchen operated, and the gender roles within it. Meals and snacks were now easier and faster to cook, and retained a decent standard of taste and appeal. This, along with societal change in the 1960s to 1990s, helped eliminate traditional kitchen stereotypes and de-gender the kitchen. The importance of historical kitchen appliances and the cookbooks that accompany them is often diminished in the modern study of history, furthermore, topics like this one prove that the analysis of these sources has great value in unveiling more information about our past. Overall, the microwave oven was a game-changing invention that would leave the kitchen forever changed for the better.