Amana

The Amana Logo The Amana brand logo.

The Amana Corporation was founded in 1934 (then known as Amana Refrigeration) by George Foerstner. The company got its name from the group that originally held ownership, the Amana Society, a Christian organization descended from German and Swiss colonies that landed in the early 1700s. For the first 20 years of the company's history, it was dedicated to the production of top-notch refrigerators and freezers. Amana hit its first major milestone by introducing the world's first upright freezer for the home in 1947.

Amana ASD2526VES Refrigerator The Amana ASD2526VES refrigerator.

In the 1950s, Amana expanded its product lineup by delving into the market of air conditioners. Later, in the 1960s, they expanded further into microwave ovens after being acquired by the same company that had invented the device, Raytheon. With their newly combined resources, Amana produced the first popular microwave oven for use in the home, calling it the Radarange. Since then, Amana has grown to manufacture many common kitchen appliances, including dishwashers, ovens, washers, and dryers.

Fast-forward to 1997, Amana was bought by Goodman, who then sold it only four years later to the Maytag Corporation. Five years after that, Maytag merged with Whirlpool, who currently carries both brands' line of products. Because of this, many refrigerators with the Maytag, Kitchenaid, and Sears Kenmore brand also use Amana water filters for their water and ice dispensers.