PrintQuestion of the Day: Microwave! Huh! What is it good for?
What do you use your "radar range" for?
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31 Comments:
Reheating individual portions of leftovers, cooking the occasional frozen meal, and popping microwave popcorn
Lucia at 10:56AM on 05/23/07
Melt chocolate... Hot coffee... Hot cold stuff... That's it...
It's not even good to defrost: it takes ages...
Sara - Piperita at 10:57AM on 05/23/07
Nothing. I haven't had a microwave since college, I'm 26 now, and I don't ever miss it. The only thing that I can understand is using it for popcorn... we have a Whirley-Pop (so fun).
MML at 10:59AM on 05/23/07
I use it to bring creamcheese to room temp for cheesecake, and to make burnt popcorn (not on purpose, jusst my one cooking failure). Oh and for rice. That's it. Even leftovers aren't as good nuked as baked or stovetop reheated ones.
Cary at 11:01AM on 05/23/07
Oh, I caught my last one on fire somehow. It ws several years before I let my parents buy me another one because they couldn't fathom my not having one. I'd really rather have the counter space (and new counters)!
Cary at 11:03AM on 05/23/07
I sometimes reheat leftovers in it, but rarely even that. I hate how it makes everything a sort of flubbery texture. It also takes up a huge amount of space. I'd much rather we didn't have one, but my boyfriend seems oddly attached to it.
caley at 11:05AM on 05/23/07
It's good for nothing. My other half is useless in the kitchen...so when I can't cook he uses it for warming up pre-made meals...otherwise I don't touch it.
Lilartist at 11:10AM on 05/23/07
To warm ingredients to room temp before baking, melt chocolate, warm leftovers, or just to smoosh fresh apples (I'm weird like that)
winny at 11:17AM on 05/23/07
Popcorn, steamed vegetables, prepared frozen meals, and melting butter or chocolate. That's about it.
DaveFaris at 11:31AM on 05/23/07
Reheating leftovers at work. Boiling water to preheat my coffee thermos.
Colorado Jim at 12:29PM on 05/23/07
Reheating leftovers and melting chocolate. I lived without a microwave for 2 years and was fine without it. I just really didn't like reheating leftovers on the stove. Also, I didn't like that I had to use more dishes when heating things on the stove (unless you're fine eating your leftovers out of the pot you heated them up in!)
charm city cupcake at 12:31PM on 05/23/07
I don't use mine that often any more, but typically, it's to reheat leftovers. We don't use it to actually "cook" anything. If I have to thaw anything from the freezer, I just take it out the night before I need it.
hereandthe at 12:32PM on 05/23/07
Don't own one, never have. I use the one at work to heat up water for tea, cook frozen lunches, and for popcorn (perhaps its highest and best use)
Lilla at 12:50PM on 05/23/07
I've never had one, and all my friends think that I'm deprived. Reheating coffee?? Yuck! I can't imagine any use for one, and my apartment is so small I'd rather use the space for the utensils that are truly useful.
ride&cook at 12:56PM on 05/23/07
steaming fresh veggies - with a few drops of water and a loose-fitting cover. no fuss, no muss.
kqrbob at 1:19PM on 05/23/07
When I have one, I will use it to boil water if I am in a hurry and want my tea nownownow. Otherwise, umm..... It's a good place to stick things to defrost or come to room temperature that my cats can't get into? Oh, and it makes a good bread box :}
myzkyti at 1:26PM on 05/23/07
I use the one at work (our only cooking option) for reheating the lunches I bring...but my home micro really only ever heats water or stock in a Pyrex (for coffee or risotto, respectively). Oh, and I put my peanut butter in there for 15-20 seconds when it's hard to spread.
producestories at 1:32PM on 05/23/07
Was it Julia Child who said that microwave ovens are good for drying out wet newspaper? We use ours for leftovers and melting butter (low power).
Library Lady at 1:47PM on 05/23/07
I use the timer on the microwave when I am cooking ... otherwise the occasional frozen meal when I work late...
shea at 1:50PM on 05/23/07
reheat leftovers - i'm grossed out by the "broil" function - i imagine anything broiled in the microwave would taste terrible. i could easily live without one, but when you're in nyc and dishwashers are a rare commodity, a microwave is nice to reheat leftovers without creating more dishes to wash!
ceforrester at 1:51PM on 05/23/07
I heat up milk for my coffee in a mug. Heat up leftovers. Other things, like melting butter, are less reliable. Of course there are other ways to do all of these things. It's a good point; I could make much better use of the real estate.
emily20008 at 2:01PM on 05/23/07
I use my microwave to cook up gourmet dinners. Just kidding... it's simply a leftover reheater for the most part.
jsholar at 2:44PM on 05/23/07
Coffee milk, as Emily said. Melting chocolate and butter. Corn on the cob and artichokes. Popcorn (don't burn it, wait until the pops are 1-2 seconds apart and yank it then). Occasionally thawing. I prefer heating leftovers in a double boiler or some jerry-rigged equivalent.
lemons at 2:47PM on 05/23/07
It does a real good job of cooking corn on the cob. Brush melted butter on cold corn, roll in waxed paper and twist the ends; I cook 4 in about 7 minutes on high.
grampart at 3:18PM on 05/23/07
Besides the leftover reheats and melting butter, it's also good for a quick baked potato. Pierce the potato on both sides and microwave on high for about 3 min. on each side. A lot faster than the oven!
Jeana at 3:28PM on 05/23/07
morning oatmeal, dinner veggies and occasional hot water
JEP at 7:04PM on 05/23/07
Another popcorn person here. Also use it to steam vegetables. Preheat my mug for tea (I fill the mug with water, microwave on high for two minutes, toss water). Hot cereal (oatmeal, muesli, kamut). Leftovers.
baboo at 8:53PM on 05/23/07
My microwave is mainly for Wait for wait for it.................the timer?!
It has a great timer that is loud.
It also reheats leftovers, melts butter, boils water and chocolate.
JerzeeTomato at 9:37PM on 05/23/07
Jerzee - I use mine for a timer also!
I also use mine to reheat leftovers, melt butter, boil water, steam vegetables, quick thaw meat, and (gasp) debug my sink sponge!
pageycooks at 8:25AM on 05/24/07
Your question actually got me thinking what do I actually use my micorwave for? I remember just a couple of years ago I used it for everything, just seemed easy to pop food in for a couple of minutes and there you go, even though half the stuff I heated up tasted horrible. Now the only time I ever use it is to heat up microwave soups that I take with me to work, popcorn, and frozen veggies.
Sarah P. at 2:38PM on 05/24/07
I love to use my microwave for cooking popadoms. I don't like to deep fry, because, well it makes you put on weight.
A gal at work told me that if you put spray oil on one side of the popadom and cook on high, it will come out almost as good as if it had been deep fried.
This is almost true. You actually don't need spray oil at all.
Also, I do sterilise my dish washing sponge in there.
lympicita at 5:41PM on 06/03/07