Microwave oven
In 1947, Raytheon built the "Radarange", the first commercially available microwave oven. It was almost tall, weighed and cost about US$5,000 ($ in dollars) each. It consumed 3 kilowatts, about three times as much as today's microwave ovens, and was water-cooled. The name was the winning entry in an employee contest. An early Radarange was installed (and remains) in the galley of the nuclear-powered passenger/cargo ship NS "Savannah". An early commercial model introduced in 1954 consumed 1.6 kilowatts and sold for US$2,000 to US$3,000 ($ to $ in dollars). Raytheon licensed its technology to the Tappan Stove company of Mansfield, Ohio in 1952. They tried to market a large 220 volt wall unit as a home microwave oven in 1955 for a price of US$1,295 ($ in dollars), but it did not sell well.
Jacob Bromwell (company)
Jacob Bromwell is a privately held American designer, manufacturer, marketer and distributor of kitchenware and household goods. Founded in 1819, it is the oldest housewares company in the United States. The company manufactures several historically significant products including the Original Popcorn Popper, Classic Tin Cup, and Legendary Flour Sifter. The Original Popcorn Popper is one of the company's oldest and best-selling items, and has been made with the original equipment and dies since the late 1800s, when the company acquired the patent from William Wood, its inventor. They were originally sold at a wholesale price of $3.50 for a gross. The Legendary Flour Sifter was patented in 1930 by a descendant of Jacob Bromwell's, Thomas G. Melish.