The Best Retro Microwave for a Vintage Kitchen

Are you daydreaming about a kitchen that transports you back in time with its charming retro aesthetic? Look no further! A stylish retro microwave is the ideal centerpiece to kickstart your journey towards the vintage-inspired kitchen of your dreams. Explore the top options available and take the first step in crafting your dream culinary space today!

When I was a kid we lived in a house that was built in the early 1940s. It was an amazing house that was still mostly original. My mom and I still dream about that house. The only problem with it was it had a basement that was always damp (a big issue in Oklahoma, basements don’t work well here with our soil) and it was near the cement plant. These issues weren’t good for a home with three asthmatics.

The house was beautiful and had so much charm. That house was the start of my love of mid-century design. It’s why I was so happy to find the house I’m in now which is also mid-century. You can even see a few photos of the kitchen from that house on my mom’s blog.

In our vintage kitchen, we also had a vintage microwave. It was my great-grandfather’s microwave. Can you even imagine a microwave these days holding up well enough to pass it down? As a kid, I don’t think I knew how cool it was to have an old microwave like that but they weren’t as common when he got it and they were a lot more expensive.

A Brief History of the Microwave

The first patent for a microwave was issued in 1945. However, at that time they were costly to make, very large, and only sold to commercial establishments. Microwaves in 1946 weighed over 750 pounds, were almost six feet tall, and cost nearly $5,000!

The first residential countertop microwaves started selling in 1967 for just under $500. By the 1970s the price started to come down and there was a surge in residential microwaves.

Now more than 90 percent of Americans own microwaves! Ironically I’m one of the few Americans who doesn’t own a microwave. With a home that was built in 1963, there wasn’t really a good place to put one and I don’t really like using them. If you are curious about how I live without a microwave I wrote a whole post about it.

If you want to have a microwave but want one that is less boring and has a retro feel you can get some today. If I ever decide to have a microwave again I’d have to go for one of these retro microwaves!

The Best Retro Microwaves

Retro microwaves are appliances that have a vintage or classic design reminiscent of the mid-20th century. They often feature bright colors, chrome accents, and rounded edges. Here are some retro microwaves you can still buy today.