LONDON, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- A 78-year-old man in England says his microwave oven is going strong after 40 years and an estimated 150,000 meals.
Frederick Stephens of Cheltenham says he's used his Panasonic microwave several times daily since buying it for about $345 and has only had to replace a light bulb in all those years, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.
"It was a real novelty when we bought it as there weren't many around in those days," said Stephens, calling the microwave "life-changing."
Stephens said the microwave survived the raising of two children and has been a great help in heating up his meals and nightly hot milks since he was widowed in 2005.
The world's first microwave oven was built in the United States in 1947, stood 6 feet tall and cost $5,000, the Telegraph reported.
