'Oldest working microwave' still going after 40 years and 150,000 meals...really?

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Matt, you are correct

There is NO WAY that microwave is from the 1960s - the touch controls alone can tell you that - touch controls were not common here until the late 1980s, unless you count top notch models like Neff, Bosch, or Miele built ins - otherwise it rotrary mechanical timers, limited power selection facilities and certainly no programmable cooking cycles. It certainly is a crock ....
Al
 
My guess

Would be 86-87
A certain member of Vacuumland (with lots of VintageHoovers lol) has a very similar model sat in his kitchen that is probably slightly older than he is. From memory it may actually be branded National as opposed to Panasonic(Jack can you enlighten us if you read this):).

The oldest Microwave im aware of still in regular use is a Moffat from approx 1974. A friends dad has it in his shop for heating pies etc. It was made in the US (ive posted a pic before) and the general opinion was its a Litton built unit.

Seamus
 
Moffat 1974?

Seamus

I am thinking 1974 might be a tad early - any chance of posting a link to your previous picture. It was my understanding that early Moffat units were "badged" Tappen models. I am just trying to recall when I first saw a microwave in the flesh (tricity I think), it was late 1977, in a house I went to for my first cooker (2nd hand) - a late 1960s Jackson Hallmark.
Al
 
My turn for a senior moment....

Hey Al

Oops Tappan it was - Litton as you are obviously aware make commercial machines!!

I will look on my computer for a pic this eve - its actually identical to the example in the Science Museum!!

Seamus
 
I am ahead of you in the queue...

For Senior moments, and sadly not just of the Hoover variety either! I may have a pic myself of the Moffat unit (actually I think it may be a Tappen, but they are the same) - I always liked that style although they were huge! Two models that I remember, one with full and half power and one with adjustable power. My first microwave was also a Moffat, slightly smaller, rotrary timer and illuminated buttons - bought in 1981
Al
 
Looks similar to my parents' microwave - perhaps it's an older or more deluxe version...this is the only microwave we've ever owned, but I'd estimate it more at around 20 years old. It's certainly not 40!

(yes, it needs a wipe-over, but that's their job, not mine!)

VintageHoover++12-4-2009-05-03-30.jpg
 
Hi Guys

I have a Belling "Dual Power" microwave from the late 70's I believe but not totally sure. It weighs a bloody ton! Still works very well. It's currently though having a rest and ive got our other one which is about 6 years old back in as I don't want to wear the belling out. Will bring it back in next year.

I have attached the only pic I can find of it. I know I took some more when I got it but can't find them.

Mark
xx

mark1973++12-4-2009-06-27-3.jpg
 
It can't be 40 years old

because in 1969, my parents bought a new house in the States and my dad took me with him to look at a microwave for my mom's kitchen.

Nothing we looked at was even remotely like this. I recall mechanical timers and much larger units.

By the way, he taught me an important lesson: In the middle of the oven was a smaller box. It had two perfect emeralds in it.

Never, he said, give your wife something to cook or clean with for Christmas, her birthday or your anniversary. Yes, the clues were there, we had brochures of microwaves from the State Fair all over the place, that autumn, carelessly lying in the gun cabinet, on the snow-blower...and none of them looked anything near this modern. Not even the Amana's, tho' I have a vague mental image of one with a red fluorescent display, but that could be a composite from a few years later.

Still, our RadarRange from 1976 is going strong, and that was built 33 years ago.
 
In this day and age, it is too simple to google the model number in order to verify the facts of this story before it is punlished. News articles such as this just reinforce the view that "journalists" are incompetent and the news media is a joke.

I just sent the Telegraph feedback stating this.
 
Half That!!

Certainly not 40yrs unless I`m in a time warp... these where sold around 1982 to 1985,

Great microwaves just keep on going I know of many manual ones that are still going!!

Litton...oh yes big & heavy, later made the Zanussi models without turntable, and those cute Tricity, small but sturdy!!

Anyone got a Toshiba from that era??
 
I bought my first microwave in 1975 which was a Toshiba 500 after about a year I gave it to my folks and bought a Litton with auto defrost in 76 but it still had mechanical timers. Wasn't for a year or two after that when the touch pads came out. Moffat was/is a Canadian stove mfr co. and they partnered with Litton to sell their microwaves in Canada later under the Litton-Moffat nameplate.
That's definitely not a 40 year old mw, the old mans gone a bit dotty on his dates.
 
A real vintage microwave

If you check out Roberts thread
25871 The rated #1, #2 and Absolute Last Rated Automatic Dishwashers, after you have been stunned by all that is in the foreground I believe there is an Amana microwave on the right hand rack at teh back of the kitchen. This must be early 1970s at least, if not earlier. The first time I ever hear about microwaves, in around 1972, the article (Ideal Home) featured a very similar looking machine
Al
 
This is true

My Radar Range is totally clear when it was manufactured. It is stamped on the back of mine. It says 1976 clearly. Mine I certainly did not buy new, but on 04 July 2003 in a thrift store in Lebanon, Ore for ten dollars cash. the first microwave my family ever had was a Litton that Mom bought from Micocenters Of America(where my Mom and I took cooking classes to learn how to best use our new machine) in 1983 and believe me, it was nothing fancy.It was so entry level, it did not have a clock on it,although, it did the job well. It had touch pads on it that after ten years many of which had started to wear, not the pad, but what was under it. My Radar Range sometimes has troubles with the one and the zero, and has its own senior moments, it is 33 years old.So to this story, since I know better, and granted, it was a slow news day,and it was made very clear that the guy was a widower, is really Hogwash, but then again, maybe I am just full of hogwash,perhaps? I would Love to see the manufactures sticker on that thing to know exactly when it was built. When did Panisonic start importing Microwaves into the UK?
 
My grandparent really had on that old. It was an Amana Radar range. It was off white, with a rotary dial. It had the smallest capacity ever.
 
Mark

My Grandma had a Belling dual power microwave just like the one you have until about 10years ago. Fantastic machine, a repairman told her never to throw it away as new ones are all junk in comparison, what was she supposed to do though? The turntable no longer turned and the power buttons no longer worked and parts were NLA by the time she replaced it :( I don't recall it having the bit with what I assume are approx cooking times on the top? I imagine unless some models didn't have that, it was lost long ago.

Mike,
My parents had a Tricity Microwave, was bought as a wedding present in 1988, it was all white with rotary controls. I certainly remember it being very compact compared to other models of the time.

They bought a Panasonic in the summer to replace their 10 year old Sanyo when the door snapped off! It's nothing compared to these great vintage models but it seems pretty decent by modern standards. I recommended it to them because of good reports about them on here :)

Matt
 
Al

What would the Jackson Hallmark have bene like?

I never really encountered Jackson cookers until recently when I bought a 1960's magazine with the Jackson Topline advertised inside.

Quite a smutty advert with plenty of sexual innuendo, I suppose I ought to scan it in for all to see.

Was quite a rare thing in my family to have an electric cooker at that. An aunt had the Moffat cooker with the eye level rotisserie from the early 1970's but that was about it.

Even looking around peoples houses here in Crewe I dont remember that many either. Creda starlights, Hotpoint Hispeeds (orange/red twisting controls) and the odd one or two Tricity Presidents.

Most everyone had gas stoves.

R
 
The National Panasonics from the late 70's to the mid 80's all had woodgrain cabinets, at least in Australia.

Mum's is from 84 and it looks similiar, but older with Chrome highlights and a mishmash or Brown, Woodgrain and Chrome. Both Grandparents had models from 81 and they have lots of chrome, with a splash of brown and the woodgrain cabinets, they also have a raised door handle with a button on it to open the door.

That shape door button is late 80's early 90's at least with what we had in AU.

I dont know about the rest of the work, but all Panasonic stuff was Branded National or National Panasonic up until the mid 80's here, so by calling it Panasonic again its dated to the late 80's, early 90's, when the switch from brown to white occured.

Mum's is still in perfect condition and still going strong at 25 years old. Its main uses have been defrosting, reheating and cooking vegetables, so its never had a hard life.
 
Montgomery Wards

I father has a microwave/convection over that he bought in 1982. It still work perfectly. The thing is he paid $800 for it then. A tube popped off the first year we had it. It was fixed and never a problem since. They don't build them like that anymore.
 
How about this Tappan "Electronic" Oven?

This big, heavy unit originally came from California; transported back to Mass. probably in the late 70s. It's not even called a "microwave" oven. Note the atomic logo on the panel. Still works, but I just have it in storage.

Blackstone++12-5-2009-07-46-27.jpg
 
Plus, when it eventually dies there must be a fortune in $1 coins in the bottom. When it was new, and I was 3 or 4, Dad would put his change on top, and took great delight in poking the gold coins into the air vent.

Its never been services, so all those coins must be stuck in fluff and grease that is probaby congealed in the bottom.

brisnat81++12-6-2009-02-43-8.jpg
 
Hi Matt

Your correct in that the piece on the top of the Belling is a time to cook chart. Your grans may have got lost at some point as it's only stuck on with 2 sticky pads. Our one fell off as Andrew knocked it and it cam unstuck. It's good you mentioned it as ive put it somewhere safe while I got round to buying some more sticky pads and I can't remember now what ive done with it!

Mark
 

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