Editing Microwave oven (section)

=== Residential use ===
[[File:Fiskarsin mikrouuni 1965 (2).jpg|thumb|Finnish [[Fiskars]] microwave from 1965]]
While uncommon today, combination microwave-ranges were offered by major appliance manufacturers through much of the 1970s as a natural progression of the technology. Both Tappan and General Electric offered units that appeared to be conventional stove top/oven ranges, but included microwave capability in the conventional oven cavity. Such ranges were attractive to consumers since both microwave energy and conventional heating elements could be used simultaneously to speed cooking, and there was no loss of countertop space. The proposition was also attractive to manufacturers as the additional component cost could better be absorbed compared with countertop units where pricing was increasingly market-sensitive.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

By 1972, Litton (Litton Atherton Division, Minneapolis) introduced two new microwave ovens, priced at $349 and $399, to tap into the market estimated at $750 million by 1976, according to Robert I Bruder, president of the division.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1972/07/14/archives/litton-introduces-microwave-ovens.html Litton Introduces Microwave Ovens]. [[New York Times]], July 14, 1972, p. 38.</ref> While prices remained high, new features continued to be added to home models. Amana introduced automatic defrost in 1974 on their RR-4D model, and was the first to offer a microprocessor controlled digital control panel in 1975 with their RR-6 model.
[[File:1971rr4.jpg|thumb|1974 Radarange [[RR-4]].
By the late 1970s, technological advances led to rapidly falling prices. Often called "electronic ovens" in the 1960s, the name "microwave oven" later gained currency, and they are now informally called "microwaves".]]

The late 1970s saw an explosion of low-cost countertop models from many major manufacturers.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

Formerly found only in large industrial applications, microwave ovens increasingly became a standard fixture of residential kitchens in [[developed countries]]. By 1986, roughly 25% of households in the U.S. owned a microwave oven, up from only about 1% in 1971;<ref name="CPI_US">{{citation | url = http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpimwo.htm | title = Hedonic Quality Adjustment Methods For Microwave Ovens In the U.S. CPI | first = Paul R. | last = Liegey | date = October 16, 2001 | access-date = October 5, 2013 | publisher = Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor}}</ref> the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that over 90% of American households owned a microwave oven in 1997.<ref name="CPI_US"/><ref>{{citation | last1 = Cox | first1 = W. Michael | last2 = Alm | first2 = Richard | year = 1997 | title = Time Well Spent: The Declining Real Cost of Living in America | publisher = Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas | work = 1997 Annual Report | page = 22 (see Exhibit 8) | url = http://www.dallasfed.org/htm/pubs/pdfs/anreport/arpt97.pdf | access-date = May 8, 2016 | archive-date = October 19, 2004 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041019184847/http://www.dallasfed.org/htm/pubs/pdfs/anreport/arpt97.pdf | df = dmy-all }}</ref> In Australia, a 2008 market research study found that 95% of kitchens contained a microwave oven and that 83% of them were used daily.<ref>{{citation | url = http://newsroom.electrolux.com/au/files/2010/01/Westinghouse-How-Australia-Cooks-Report1.pdf | title = The Westinghouse How Australia Cooks Report | date = October 2008 | publisher = Westinghouse | access-date = February 5, 2015 | archive-date = February 5, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150205205537/http://newsroom.electrolux.com/au/files/2010/01/Westinghouse-How-Australia-Cooks-Report1.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref> In Canada, fewer than 5% of households had a microwave oven in 1979, but more than 88% of households owned one by 1998.<ref>{{cite journal | url = http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/11-008-x2000003-eng.pdf | title = Income and expenditures | first = Cara | last = Williams | date =Winter 2000 | number = 59 | journal = Canadian Social Trends — Catalogue No. 11-008 | pages = 7–12 | quote = Microwaves have been adopted even more avidly: in 1979, less than 5% of households had one, but by 1998 over 88% did.}}</ref> In France, 40% of households owned a microwave oven in 1994, but that number had increased to 65% by 2004.<ref>{{citation | url = http://www.freedoniagroup.com/brochure/20xx/2015smwe.pdf | title = World Major Household Appliances: World Industry Study with Forecasts to 2009 & 2014 (Study #2015) | date = January 2006 | at = TABLE VI-5: FRANCE COOKING APPLIANCES SUPPLY & DEMAND (million dollars) | publisher = The Freedonia Group | location = Cleveland, Ohio}}</ref>

Adoption has been slower in [[Developing country|less-developed countries]], as households with disposable income concentrate on more important household appliances like [[refrigerators]] and ovens. In [[India]], for example, only about 5% of households owned a microwave oven in 2013, well behind refrigerators at 31% ownership.<ref>{{cite web | title = Household penetration rate of home appliances in India in 2013 | url = http://www.statista.com/statistics/370635/household-penetration-home-appliances-india/ | access-date = February 5, 2015 | publisher = Statistica}}</ref> However, microwave ovens are gaining popularity. In Russia, for example, the number of households with a microwave oven grew from almost 24% in 2002 to almost 40% in 2008.<ref name=USDA-microwave/> Almost twice as many households in South Africa owned microwave ovens in 2008 (38.7%) as in 2002 (19.8%).<ref name=USDA-microwave/> Microwave oven ownership in Vietnam in 2008 was at 16% of households, versus 30% ownership of refrigerators; this rate was up significantly from 6.7% microwave oven ownership in 2002, with 14% ownership for refrigerators that year.<ref name=USDA-microwave>{{citation | url = http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/612721/householdamenities.xls | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130626225554/http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/612721/householdamenities.xls | archive-date = June 26, 2013 | format = XLS | title = Ownership of household amenities among selected countries | publisher = Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture | year = 2009 | access-date = February 5, 2015 }}</ref>

Consumer household microwave ovens usually come with a cooking power of between 600 and 1200 watts. Microwave cooking power, also referred to as output wattage, is lower than its input wattage, which is the manufacturer's listed [[power rating]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

The size of household microwave ovens can vary, but usually have an internal volume of around {{convert|20|L|cuin cuft|sp=us|}}, and external dimensions of approximately {{convert|45|-|60|cm|ftin|abbr=on|}} wide, {{convert|35|-|40|cm|ftin|abbr=on|}} deep and {{convert|25|-|35|cm|ftin|abbr=on|}} tall.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francis|first=Andrew|date=April 12, 2017|title=Microwave Sizes Comparison|url=https://www.reviewho.com/microwave-sizes-and-dimensions-guide/|access-date=March 10, 2021|website=reviewho.com|language=en}}</ref> Countertop microwaves vary in weight 23 – 45 lbs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 17, 2020 |title=How Much Do Microwaves Weigh? Averages from 54 Models |url=https://applianceanalysts.com/microwave-weights/ |access-date=December 17, 2024 |website=ApplianceAnalysts |language=en}}</ref>

Microwaves can be turntable or flatbed. Turntable ovens include a glass plate or tray. Flatbed ones do not include a plate, so they have a flat and wider cavity.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Williams|first=Alison|url=https://escholarship.org/content/qt3s29h7wd/qt3s29h7wd.pdf|title=Surveys of Microwave Ovens in U.S. Homes|publisher=Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory|date=December 5, 2012|pages=6, 18 and so on}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=ANNIS|first=PATTY J.|date=August 1, 1980|title=Design and Use of Domestic Microwave Ovens|journal=Journal of Food Protection|volume=43|issue=8|pages=629–632|doi=10.4315/0362-028X-43.8.629|pmid=30822984|issn=0362-028X|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|date=July 1, 2016|title=Thawing in a microwave cavity: Comprehensive understanding of inverter and cycled heating|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0260877416300395|journal=Journal of Food Engineering|language=en|volume=180|pages=87–100|doi=10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2016.02.007|issn=0260-8774|last1=Chen|first1=Fangyuan|last2=Warning|first2=Alexander D.|last3=Datta|first3=Ashim K.|last4=Chen|first4=Xing}}</ref>

By position and type, [[US DOE]] classifies them as (1) [[countertop]] or (2) [[Kitchen stove|over the range]] and built-in (wall oven for a [[Cabinetry|cabinet]] or a [[drawer]] model).<ref name=":1" />

A traditional microwave only has two power output levels, fully on and fully off. Intermediate heat settings are achieved using [[duty cycle|duty-cycle modulation]] and switch between full power and off every few seconds, with more time on for higher settings.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

An inverter type, however, can sustain lower temperatures for a lengthy duration without having to switch itself off and on repeatedly. Apart from offering superior cooking ability, these microwaves are generally more energy-efficient.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last1=Kako|first1=H.|last2=Nakagawa|first2=T.|last3=Narita|first3=R.|date=August 1991|title=Development of compact inverter power supply for microwave oven|url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/85575|journal=IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics|volume=37|issue=3|pages=611–616|doi=10.1109/30.85575|s2cid=108870083 |issn=1558-4127}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last1=Lee|first1=Min-Ki|last2=Koh|first2=Kang-Hoon|last3=Lee|first3=Hyun--Woo|date=2004|title=A Study on Constant Power Control of Half Bridge Inverter for Microwave Oven|url=https://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO200411922336424.page|journal=KIEE International Transaction on Electrical Machinery and Energy Conversion Systems|volume=4B|issue=2|pages=73–79|issn=1598-2602}}</ref>

{{As of|2020}}, the majority of countertop microwave ovens (regardless of brand) sold in the United States were manufactured by the [[Midea Group]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=McCabe |first1=Liam |last2=Sullivan |first2=Michael |title=The Best Microwave |url=https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-microwave/ |access-date=May 21, 2020 |work=Wirecutter |publisher=The New York Times |date=May 20, 2020}}</ref>