Heinz Beanzawave: USB-powered microwave

Heinz has partnered with Frazer Designers to invent the world's smallest USB-powered microwave, the Beanzawave. The device aims to satisfy the appetites of office workers who have so much work on their plate they can't find the time to step outside for a bite to eat.

The small turquoise device is officially the smallest microwave ever invented, measuring 157 by 188 by 150mm. Much like today's external hard drives, the microwave is entirely powered by the USB bus on a computer, so there's no extra plug necessary.

If you're wondering how it'll nuke your food, the answer has the Microwave Association worried as well. Gordon Andrews and Stephen Frazer, the masterminds behind the Beanzawave, have said the device uses phone radio frequencies that produce the heat necessary to cook a single serving of food in Heinz's proprietary Snap Pots.

Andrews has claimed it's actually possible to adjust these radio frequencies to cook different foods, including pies, burgers, soup or tea. He also suggested that campers and fishermen who want hot food in the field could power the Beanzawave with lithium-ion batteries.

This prototype isn't getting very good feedback from the Microwave Association, which is pretty sure this miniature technology won't ever see the light of day. But Heinz is sticking to the plan and says the final production decision rests in the hands of the public. Would you feel comfortable using the Beanzawave?

Update: Yeah, we weren't feeling too bright this morning. You really can't get that much power from a USB connection. Having had a few cups of coffee, we're stroking Sceptical Cat until we're actually eating piping hot beans at our desk.

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Source: World's smallest microwave also has world's worst name on Crave US