Microwave ovens started to become common in homes in the early–mid 1970s, and were firmly mainstream in the U.S. and many other countries by the 1980s.

Quick timeline

  • Late 1940s–1950s: First commercial and home microwaves exist but are huge, expensive, and rare in regular households.
  • Late 1960s: More practical countertop models for home use appear and start to gain traction.
  • Mid‑1970s: Microwaves are described as “commonplace” in many American kitchens, comparable to standard stoves.
  • 1980s–1990s: Ownership surges; by the 1990s, over 90% of U.S. households have a microwave.

Simple answer for “when were microwaves common?”

If you’re wondering “when were microwaves common” in the sense of a normal thing to find in an average home:

  • In the U.S., that tipping point is around the mid‑1970s.
  • By the 1980s , most people who could afford basic appliances either had one or were used to seeing one at home, work, or in convenience stores.
  • By the 1990s , they were essentially standard kitchen equipment in many developed countries.

Mini forum-style note

If you read older forum or social-media threads, people who grew up in the 1970s often remember a microwave arriving as a “big deal” gadget, while those who grew up in the 1980s usually remember it as something their family “always had” in the kitchen.

Meta description (SEO-style):
Wondering when were microwaves common? Microwaves were niche in the 1950s, popularized in the late 1960s, became common in homes by the mid‑1970s, and were nearly universal by the 1990s.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.