Here's Why You Never See Commercials For Microwaves, According To Reddit

These days, microwaves are a staple kitchen appliance that most Americans use daily for everything from perfectly reheating food to whipping up freshly baked cookies anytime. However, despite the ubiquity of microwaves, you almost never see commercials for this convenient kitchen appliance. If the conspicuous lack of it has you questioning everything, never fear, because the internet has answers. According to Reddit, there are several logical explanations for the absence of microwave commercials in the United States. 

In a thread on the r/NoStupidQuestions subreddit, users suggested that the main reason you don't see microwave commercials is pretty simple: no one needs to be convinced to buy a microwave. As one commenter put it, "Those babies sell themselves." Of course, you often see commercials for extremely necessary and ubiquitous items, like toilet paper. Reddit users posited that the key difference is that microwaves aren't a product you buy often – most people shop for toilet paper regularly, but only buy a microwave every five to 10 years at the most. As such, constantly paying for microwave commercials doesn't make much economic sense. Although another Redditor pointed out that brands are still doing advertising, just through other means, like say, paying to barrage you with pop-up ads for weeks after you search for the "best microwaves." What's more is that there haven't been any major innovations in microwave technology in recent years, and most microwaves work quite similarly, so there's no fancy new functions to advertise in commercials.

Microwave commercials may be a rarity in the 21st century, but there was a time when they were nearly as commonplace as beer commercials. Although the first commercial home microwave oven was released in 1967, the appliances didn't gain widespread popularity until years later. Throughout the 1970s and '80s, microwave commercials were quite common, and usually included explanations of the functions and potential uses of the appliance — for example, one 1987 Sunbeam commercial featured a dad gushing over the many applications of his family's new microwave, from popping popcorn to cooking a complete chicken dinner to reheating cold coffee (which you should actually do with a different gadget).

By the turn of the 21st century, microwaves had become so ubiquitous that commercials touting their usefulness were no longer necessary (although some would argue you don't need a microwave). These days, you're much more likely to see commercials expounding the merits of air fryers or Reddit's favorite kitchen appliance, the Instant Pot. Of course, as these trendy gadgets become increasingly commonplace, one can only assume we'll start seeing commercials for the next hot kitchen technology instead — like AI-powered "smart" appliances promising instant steak.