After 40 Years, Amana is Still Cooking Up New Conveniences

Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- When the world's first countertop microwave oven, the Amana Radarange, debuted in 1967, it was initially viewed with skepticism but was hailed as a technological breakthrough. Now, in celebration of the microwave oven's 40th anniversary Amana introduces the next generation of microwave cooking with a new convection microwave that offers added conveniences and practical features. Since the sixties, consumers have enjoyed saving time and energy in the kitchen. In fact, the microwave has saved Americans an estimated trillion minutes in cooking time since its introduction, allowing consumers to do other things they enjoy. Over time, the microwave gave Americans not only cooking flexibility, but an entirely new category of food items developed solely for microwave use.

Today, the microwave oven has become a standard kitchen appliance in homes across the country. A microwave oven can be found in 90 million U.S. households and research shows that 95 percent of Americans own a microwave. Consumers even rated the popular appliance as one of the top five necessities they couldn't live without.

"The Amana microwave revolutionized cooking more than 40 years ago and is just as relevant today than it ever has been," says Laura Hall, cooking category manager. "Our new Amana countertop microwave convection oven continues to provide the convenience, practicality and added time savings consumers so desire."

Convection: For Even Cooking
Amana brand's new microwave offers the added convenience of convection, which cooks foods evenly and quickly. Consumers can cook roast pork, meatloaf or casseroles without having to worry about hot, overly cooked spots or cold, undercooked sections. Convection also makes it easy to prepare delicious baked goods in the microwave, including cookies, brownies, muffins, biscuits, quick breads and even pies. It is like having a second oven at your finger tips.

Roomy Interior for Today's Cooking Needs
Cavity size helps consumers decide which pan can easily fit into the microwave. The new Amana microwave features a large interior cooking cavity. The countertop convection oven features a 15-1/4" x 10-7/8" by 15-1/4 inch interior -- large enough to accommodate a wide variety of foods.

21ST Century Styling for Today's Kitchens
Amana brand's new microwave oven is designed to fit seamlessly into today's kitchen settings. The sleek and sophisticated new countertop model provides an added level of style to the original and blends flawlessly with other appliances. Colors include Black, Stainless Steel or White.

Plenty of Power at Your Fingertips
With the new microwave oven, Amana puts plenty of power at consumers' fingertips. The countertop microwave convection offers 1500 watts of power -- enough to cook a five-pound ham or beef roast, or a six-pound chicken or turkey.

In addition to the new microwave oven model, which will be available to consumers in September of 2007, Amana also offers 10 countertop and over-the-range models. The manufacturer's suggested retail prices range from $139 to $599.

Fast Food Redefined Online Cookbook
As part of the anniversary celebration, Amana will also introduce its first online microwave cookbook, "Fast Food Redefined: 40 Years Ago, Amana Invented a New Way to Cook." The new Amana microwave cookbook, featuring 40 fast and easy recipes celebrating 40 years of microwave cooking, is available free to visitors of www.Amana.com/cookbook.

More information about Amana microwave ovens and other Amana brand appliances is available at www.amana.com.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation