Does one need a microwave?
Mine just blew a gasket (F#$@&^!) thinking about calling a repair guy to change a $1.22 fuse for $130 when I wondered do I really need this? All it gets used for is reheating lunches.
Does a real foodie need this "tool"?
What am I missing?
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65 Comments:
i really don't think anyone actually NEEDS a microwave. i mean, didn't we all lead a happy existence before we brought those little boxes of radiation into our homes? Ok... fine, i was not even anywhere near a twinkle in either of my parents' eyes when the microwave was invented, but i have been living without one for awhile now and i really don't miss it.
Golden at 12:58PM on 10/15/09
It's great for heating water, melting chocolate or butter, or warming up leftovers, but is otherwise useless. And don't even get me started on microwave popcorn. That shit is disgusting.
SqueezeBottle at 12:59PM on 10/15/09
@squeeze agreed but the oven can melt and heat too - until it blows a fuse, then i have my wood cookstove...
BiereBeer at 1:13PM on 10/15/09
I haven't had a microwave in almost a year, and I haven't missed it at all.
sobriquet at 1:17PM on 10/15/09
I think its a good tool in the kitchen. I'll use it to melt chocolate or butter, but I mostly use it for leftovers. I try to bag up my leftovers in portions when I make food, so I can just pop something quick into the microwave for lunch the next day. I wouldn't like to fire up the stove and dirty a pot, or heat the entire oven just to reheat some leftovers. I could definitely get by without one, its just a convenience.
sousvide at 1:28PM on 10/15/09
I usually just defrost or melt stuff in mine. Would it be the end of the world if I had to melt my butter over the stove (for my air popped popcorn, of course) or remember to defrost my buttercream a day early? No, but it sure is convenient when I have that "oh crap, I forgot to..." moment. You can buy a microwave for like $50 these days so being charged that much to fix one is just silly...
meem21 at 1:31PM on 10/15/09
I didn't have a microwave for about 6 months - it was only a bummer when I was having a real junk food moment and I wanted to heat up, say, a frozen burrito or chicken wings, and I had to take 45 minutes instead of 5 to do so. But if you're not big on frozen food, I don't think life without a microwave is too terrible.
alliect at 1:32PM on 10/15/09
i totally understand the benefits of using a microwave for melting, but i can never quite defrost anything right. i've found that filling a pot with hot water and letting whatever it is i'm defrosting sit in there for awhile (in its paper inside a produce bag or something) works quite well. But, i find melting in a quick and easy double-boiler does the trick pretty quickly.
Golden at 1:33PM on 10/15/09
I agree with sousvide. It's convenient for leftovers when I'm not patient enough to wait for the oven to heat, and you can buy them for far less than $130 (craigslist, garage sales, flea markets...).
caroliiine at 1:35PM on 10/15/09
I have never in my adult life owned a microwave. In the end it comes down to control. You have no control over how much the microwave is going to dehydrate your food, or how unevenly it will melt chocolate or butter. It burns in some spots, does nothing in other spots, even with a turntable.
In my opinion the oven does a better job of re-heating left-overs etc. toss some water in there and cover the dish to prevent drying. A double boiler works best for melting chocolate and a tea kettle is fine for boiling water, even in a rush.
If I were you, I'd put it on the curb and save the $130. If you change your mind later, you can take the $130 you saved and buy a new one.
yayfood at 1:39PM on 10/15/09
I use mine for leftovers and heating up my cold coffee or tea, but that's about it.
We grew up without a microwave and my mom heated up our leftovers by steaming it on the stove, old-fashioned style. Naturally we had to wait awhile for the food to heat up, but it was incredibly successful.
avaryne at 1:46PM on 10/15/09
If you don't use it, I'd say nuke it. (Oh yeah, there's a pun.) I have a convection/micro and use the convection 98% of the time. I do on occasion thaw something quickly in the nuker as the new models don't seem to "cook" the food vs. thaw it. I also reheat a plate of leftovers for a quick lunch and if I'm especially fond of my coffee but it's become cold, I nuke that too. My micro/convec has settings for reheating plates, thawing and reheating beverages. I find it useful but I'm not sure I'd miss the nuke feature if it weren't part of the convection unit.
therealchiffonade at 1:49PM on 10/15/09
I've lived with and without a microwave. I prefer to have one, and like many others, I use it for reheating leftovers and the occasional Amy's frozen meal. The model I have is probably almost as old as I am and a hand-me-down x2. It meets my needs, but is far from being a must-have in the kitchen.
Kerosena at 1:59PM on 10/15/09
Oh dear, I'm afraid I use mine all of the time. Reheating, reheating, reheating, and um, also cooking veggie burgers, starting potatoes, and so forth. Softening butter...melting...the list goes on... I haven't lived without one since I was eleven. Although I use the stove much more than I did growing up, after my parents divorced, my mother ONLY used the microwave. But, you say, your mother wasn't a vegetarian, was she? Oh no, she wasn't--that's right, she used it even for meat :P
HeartofGlass at 2:03PM on 10/15/09
Need? No, not really. I could cook on a campfire with a pot and a whittled tree branch to stir things.
But convenient? Yes. I use mine mainly for reheating things, but it's darned useful for that. It's for those days when I don't have time to start dinner early and I don't want to mess with a lot of cleanup after. I can heat and serve in the same bowls (theoretically, I could serve in cooking pots, too, but I don't want to devolve into that habit of my mother's) or I can heat individual portions. I could reheat things in the oven, low and slow, but that's not going to get dinner (or lunch) on the table as fast. And there are a few vegetables that I like to cook in the microwave rather than boiling or steaming. Again, I could cook those things on the stovetop, but waiting for water to boil at high altitude is annoying, and then it's not as hot as it should be. So sometimes it makes more sense to use the microwave rather than wait for water to think about maybe coming to a boil.
When I got my new stove and decided to replace the hood that was probably from two or three generations back, I went with a microwave with a vent. But it's not just a microwave, it's also a convection oven. So when I'm cooking something incompatible in the lower oven, I've got an extra oven that I can set at a diiferent temp. And the "keep warm" feature is particularly useful. As things are finished and put onto serving plates, I can put them in there to stay warm while I get the next things done.
I could live without a microwave, but I could also live without my kitchenaid mixer or my stove or my outdoor gas grill. But there's no good reason why I have to live without those things, if I want to have them.
dbcurrie at 2:05PM on 10/15/09
Even though I never felt I really needed a microwave i find I'm using it more and more for re-heating, softening, melting, cooking a fast sweet potatoe, making a quick oatmeal and all that other stuff we could handle on our conventional cooktops or ovens. BUT...the convenience and speed really appeals to me. What doesn't appeal is the footprint these ovens occupy on the counter (and no, I'm not gonna wall mount it). Wish I could switch my biggie for a mini micro.
bessfour at 2:06PM on 10/15/09
Need it? No. But, I like it for parcooking some dense things (like baking potatoes) so that they won't take as long in the oven to finish and crisp. If you're going to use it, then it's valuable. If you're not, then don't spend the money.
Amandarama at 2:17PM on 10/15/09
We've lived without a microwave for a couple of years now, since ours too bit the dust. Haven't missed it one bit. And frankly, the more data comes out saying that it may not be all that healthy to nuke food, the more glad I am.
tatianak at 2:30PM on 10/15/09
I don't NEED one, but I sure do use mine a lot and would miss it if it were gone. Ours is used mostly for heating leftovers, boiling water, hotpockets, etc.
caramel at 2:59PM on 10/15/09
I remember when we first got a microwave. I think I was around 5 or 6. I sat at the dining room table playing "computer" with it. The touchpad of the buttons was so futuristic, and the door popped open when you hit a button! It was so magical that food could heat up so fast. And now it's like, "three whole minutes to heat up a hot pocket? i don't have that kind of time!"
I'd say wait a week or two. If you find yourself frequently intending to microwave something and lamenting the inability to, I'd say buy a new one. If you hardly notice its absence, then congratulations.
eeels at 3:06PM on 10/15/09
I grew up always using a microwave-- popcorn, nuking leftovers, teas, frozen burritos, pizza, etc-- and then I saw the world beyond soggy pizza crusts, and now spend my time burning my tongue on crispy pizza crusts. They're worth the pain so much more than their soggy counterparts.
I lived without one for 16 months, and I really did miss it. Not having a toaster oven (or an oven!) for 8 months really sucked, but not having a microwaves was nothing.
machellebelle at 3:27PM on 10/15/09
This actually came up in conversation with friends yesterday. Two friends, a couple, recently moved and haven't yet used their microwave. They don't know if they will. They agreed that their gas stove often reheats things more quickly than a microwave. I've often found that my electric stove is pretty quick too. A microwave feels quicker, maybe because the stove element needs to heat up first.
CanadianFoodieGirl at 3:51PM on 10/15/09
I haven't had one in years and the only thing I pop up to my parents to use theirs for is for making homemade mozzarella. I'd say try life without one for a while and see how it goes for you! Who knows, maybe the TV is next...
GretchinF at 4:02PM on 10/15/09
I never had a microwave nor do I want one. I use my toaster oven to heat small amounts of food, and my oven range for larger items. I have absolutely no interest in getting a microwave.
SavtaShayna at 5:34PM on 10/15/09
I don't think you NEED one, but they sure are handy.
Besides speeding up defrosting and reheating foods, I use mine for all sorts of other reasons. Boiling water for tea in a minute or less. A few seconds on a lemon or lime for more juice yield.
A couple of minutes with winter squash to make cutting them easier. Start potatoes in a microwave before popping them into the oven to finish baking.
And during holidays or parties, for warming foods and sodes that were prepped ahead while the stove top and oven are full.
I guess it all really depends on your lifestyle and how you cook. For our house, a microwave is well used.
CJ McD at 6:59PM on 10/15/09
I've never owned a microwave, though I have lived either in places that came with them or with people who had them. Even then I never used them for anything other than heating up coffee that got cold every now and then.
I find my electric kettle much faster at heating water, and without the weird inconsistency I remember of microwaved liquids. I prefer my rice cooker for heating up leftovers (if the insert is not clean, then I steam leftovers on the stove), and my toaster oven for reheating pizza. Actually, I prefer my leftover pizza cold, as it has a different consistency and more structural integrity; it's as if the pizza becomes two dishes in one.
The one time I had to use a microwave at work, I had no idea how to make it work. My colleagues seemed to find that amusing.
piglet at 7:30PM on 10/15/09
Let me tell you, the first time I realized I needed a microwave was the first morning in a second home without one. It was dark, I had set up my coffee pot timer to have it ready by a certain ungodly hour, and guess what, I take my coffee with milk, and like my milk to be warm. So I had to warm up the milk in a little pot on the stove. What happens of course is that milk boils over the second you look away. So I tried that a few times, had to wash pot every day, and clean stove a few times, then I went to some yard sale and got one for 25. Voila. I need a microwave.
I have been steaming vegetables in the microwave as well, a great time and clean up saver. Apparently also a good way to retain nutrients.
Oatmeal in the morning -- ready in one minute.
Warm brownies. Warm cookies. Warm milk to go with that. All in a couple of minutes.
Flan, in about 10 minutes.
Melted chocolate and butter in about 2 minutes.
Softening brown sugar.
But I never made popcorn in a microwave, and I don't like to defrost meat in it. Neither do I warm up water for tea in it.
Carioca at 7:43PM on 10/15/09
There are very few things we really NEED, but its a nice convenience to have. I think if you ask around, you could find someone to replace a fuse for a hell of a lot less than $130.
dmcavanagh at 7:44PM on 10/15/09
i don't have one. i used to live with a boyfriend who had one, but i never used it. he used it for heating up his coffee. we had a tiny manhattan kitchen and the space it took up annoyed the crap out of me.
cybercita at 9:15PM on 10/15/09
I don't have one and would not waste the space, but if it's late and you decide you want a baked sweet potato for supper it's handy. Most overrated thing ever invented.
ride&cook at 9:27PM on 10/15/09
Like any modern conveniece, if you've never owned one, you can happily exist without it. If you do have one, you are likely to take it for granted, and miss it if it were to go away.
I know people that do not have a television set, broadband internet service, or an automobile. Would I want to live without these things? No.
I was duly impressed when I heard Jacques Pepin, my idol, say that he will not cook bacon any other way except in a microwave oven. I do not do this myself, or use my microwave for real cooking, but, like most here, rely on it primarily for heating up leftovers. But, for one solitary purpose, warming a jar of chilled honey in seconds, so that I can easily pour and measure it in a recipe, it is worth it.
salpico at 9:40PM on 10/15/09
@salpico, i also don't own a television, a digital camera, or an automobile. broadband, yes. but just recently.
cybercita at 11:36PM on 10/15/09
I've been microwave free for a month, and I'm loving it! It would be nice to have one to reheat food, I suppose, but that's about it (and it's easy enough in the oven or on the stove). The one thing I thought I would really miss it for is melting butter for baking recipes, however, since the majority of my microwave messes have resulted from turning my back on melting butter just to have it explode all over the microwave walls, I quickly realized that the safety and cleanliness of melting on the stove is definitely worth the time spent washing a small saucepan!
ChristineB at 11:52PM on 10/15/09
Microwave butter in a pyrex cup on lowered power setting, with a folded paper towel over the top to absorb any spatters = no mess.
salpico at 12:26AM on 10/16/09
Microwaves are really just about convience. I have a lot of people in my home and two younger siblings who are always running around and always hungry. Now, do I want to wait for my oven to heat up when the kids beg for a hot pocket and want it instantaneously? No. Do I want to wait for my stove to heat up when five minutes later my lilttle brother wants some warm milk? No. In these cases a microwave is a godsend. In my life there just isn't enough time to wait for ovens and stoves. If I didn't have a microwave I would have to do things the old fashioned way. In a home with lots of people, not a lot of time, and rushing around, the microwave becomes an essential tool in the kitchen. But this is just my situation. I never grew up without a microwave. Depending on what your home life if like I think that you should try and live without one for a while. If you end up missing it you can get one for $25-$50 easy.
SaltyDonuts at 1:21AM on 10/16/09
I think a toaster over is a better use of counter space and produces much better results than a microwave for re-heating food. Obviously it takes longer but I usually just put the food in while it's preheating to cut down on some of the time. You could of course use the oven, I just feel like it's a waste of energy to heat up the oven just to reheat food.
blubyrd at 9:21AM on 10/16/09
blubyrd: I totally agree. People seem to have no patience. It takes about 5 minutes (on my stove at least) to boil water on my gas range. If I had to get rid of every electrical appliance and keep just one, it would be my toaster oven.
SavtaShayna at 9:28AM on 10/16/09
microwaves freak me out. i don't like to stand near them when they're on. i do have one, but it's strictly used for the clock on it and occasionally as a timer for stuff i have in or on the stove. i would throw it away entirely, but i've decorated it over the years with various stickers & can't bring myself to heave it-it looks too good. lol.
gastronomeg at 10:48AM on 10/16/09
I only cook food on flame produced by organic flax seed grown organically and under sustainable conditions, plus I stock up on it when it is in season.... ARRRRRRRRRRGH!
Jesus on a Pony! Come on, buy the F&*#$%! $1.22 fuse and use the damned thing. It's a microwave for the love of pete! Not a cosmic death ray! yes, reheating things in an oven or on a stovetop are wonderful, more moist, crisp etc... But sometimes zapping shit for 45 seconds is all I want to spend reheating leftovers.
Pavlov at 11:10AM on 10/16/09
I don't have a microwave and I don't miss it at all.
Shelby at 11:10AM on 10/16/09
and by the way.... when you're reheating food in the microwave (you can get a 1200 watt one for about 40 dollars. For those "not in the know", that's basically a welding machine) call it, Radar Love!
Pavlov at 11:16AM on 10/16/09
My ex moved out this summer: I told him to take the microwave.
I don't really miss it all that much.
Like leftovers: I can use my toaster oven for most things. Soup: Just put it on the stove!
I also use my kettle quite often.
hungrychristel at 11:25AM on 10/16/09
Pav - you are soooooo The Man. :)
therealchiffonade at 3:50PM on 10/16/09
NOPE - I thought I did, but my 14yr old microwave over died on me at the end of last year. It's been 10months+ without it and I have missed it only very few times. Not a big deal in my house... my toaster oven works for me just fine... without the radiation.
MadelynRodriguez at 4:48PM on 10/16/09
@ pavlov the service call is $130 my well healed friend for the $1.22 fuse. Cant repair by oneself as they hold a lethal voltage even when unplugged - maybe you weren't aware of this we fact...hence the question
BiereBeer at 6:11AM on 10/17/09
@BierBeer... I am aware of how to change a fuse in a microwave, and have even been known to change the oil in my car. I will send you the link below and all you owe me is a good pizza (not microwaved either). My follow up comment was another way of saying, if you feel your only option is paying the 131.22, here is another... a new 1200 watt will run you 40 odd bucks and will do everything but spot weld doors on Buicks!
http://www.partselect.com/repair.aspx?appliance=microwave&part=replace-fuse
Either way, good luck with your Microwave fuse blues... I happen to think it's way to handy to be without.
Pavlov at 9:11AM on 10/17/09
way TOO handy to be without..... damn.... I hope @lambowner isn't looking!
Pavlov at 9:26AM on 10/17/09
@Pav rocks!
Anyhoo... Does one need a microwave? Of course not. Nor do you need a blow dryer, but it sure makes doing your hair in the morning easier. I rarely cook in a microwave, but it's an awesome quick reheat tool. As a person who takes one day a week to prepare the bulk of my week's meals, it is invaluable. Look, you'd never use it to reheat, say, roasted chicken, if you wanted to eat the skin, or would you use it to reheat pizza if you cared AT ALL about the crust, but outside of that, it does make life easier.
Hmm, I've never blown a fuse on my microwave. Though maybe I have and just thought it died? I will check this when my current one passes away.
chisai at 11:20AM on 10/17/09
I haven't had a microwave in years, and one of the benefits is all the microwave-requiring junky "food" that I DON"T eat. When I had one, the temptation to swing by the corner store after bar close for a box of pizza rolls or some other such microwaveable mess was one to which I frequently gave in. But now, not nuker= far far fewer frozen entrees or snacks. After all, if I have to wait for the oven to heat up, I might as well just make a grilled cheese- cheaper, faster, and less toxic.
thatgrrl at 11:50AM on 10/17/09
From your link
CAUTION: Your microwave oven is capable of giving you a serious electrical shock, even when it is unplugged. We strongly suggest you seek the assistance of an appliance repair technician when conducting any microwave oven repair.
BiereBeer at 2:03PM on 10/17/09
A microwave can be better than the oven or stove to reheat very liquid things. Things involving water or steam. It is fast and activates the heat from within the objects. However, if the objust is mostly solid, its ok, but not better, and may be worse than the oven or stove.
In the microwave I can reconstitute dry rockhard biscuits. I dont think I would be so successful elsewhere. I can heat water super fast. I can reheat chicken or pork to very warm and still moist (with lid) where the oven may dry it because of the time it takes to reach "very warm".
As for the question, it begs the next question, do you pay $130 for a repair on a $80 item? How much to buy a new microwave?
blizcheetah at 8:03PM on 10/17/09
@Pav, it that flax wasn't grown by indigenous peoples, locally, you haven't done your part.
A microwave is a tool. Not everyone needs the same tools. There are multiple ways to get the same results. I could reheat my dinners on the engine of my car, if I wanted to. Or I could build a fire in the backyard.
Honestly, there are times when every burner is in use and the oven's got something in there, and the rice cooker is on and I still use the microwave while all that is going on.
The biggest value (to me) of the microwave is that I can reheat something without cooking it much further, if that's my goal. And I can do it quickly. A plate of pasta reheated in the microwave is a lot different than pasta that's been reheated on the stove.
I make tamales in large quantities and freeze them in vaccuum bags. The easiest way to reheat them is to poke a vent hole in the bag and pop it in the microwave. Other things like that, too.
dbcurrie at 11:24PM on 10/17/09
@BiereBeer... ok so you only owe me half a pizza then....
Pavlov at 5:05AM on 10/19/09
Question-how does an unplugged microwave give you a shock?
dmcavanagh at 6:11AM on 10/19/09
I have not had a microwave for over two years now. The only thing I have had issues doing is making fast popcorn, however fresh stove-top popcorn is so much better, and getting to toss fresh popcorn with your own butter/saeoning mixture is like so much better than any quick popping method. Ohhh, and when I'm lazy, Jiffypop is soooo much fun!
You can reheat most stuff in a pan, or if you want to go old school, you can place a place of food you are reheating over a boiling pot of water, just be careful taking it off.
I also lost a considerable amount of weight not having one.
CarolineD at 11:02AM on 10/19/09
Is this the part where I share that our office microwave started shooting out flames this morning whilst reheating coffee?
avaryne at 11:25AM on 10/19/09
I didn't have one for about a year, then got a free one finally - it was such a relief. It is such a pain to reheat things on the stove, especially when you're really hungry for dinner at the end of a long day of work.
I also like the microwave so I can defrost things like english muffins enough to split them before I toast them - I store them in the freezer because I live alone & go through the package quite slowly.
I certainly wouldn't pay $130 to get it fixed, though. You could buy a new one for $60ish or get a used one for probably $30ish, or even free.
emisara at 2:30PM on 10/19/09
@dmcavanagh, What @BiereBeer was referring to is called a Capacitor, most all microwaves have one, and It works like this:
The capacitor is an invention that was used to store up an electrical charge (like a battery), and then discharge it into a circuit. This can be used to smooth out electrical impulses, or turn a constant electrical flow into a series of impulses. Capacitors hold electric currents even when not connected to any power source.
So you see, If you do not discharge the capacitor correctly, you may get shocking results when trying to replace a blown fuse in the microwave.
In case @ BiereBeer is interested here's how to discharge a microwave capacitor:
A capacitor is discharged by creating a short circuit between each of the two capacitor terminals, and between each terminal and the chassis. The chassis is the metal mounting (bare metal surface) of the capacitor. Read these directions thoroughly before you proceed.
With your microwave unit unplugged, touch the blade of a well insulated screwdriver to one terminal. Gently slide the screwdriver forward until it reaches the other terminal, holding it there for a few seconds. Be aware that this often results in a loud and startling 'POP'.
Repeat this procedure in order to create a short circuit between each capacitor terminal and the chassis (bare metal mounting plate surface). This same method can be applied to a capacitor having three, and not two, terminals.
Sorry, I know this was a bit off topic, but thought it germain to the discussion.
Pavlov at 3:02PM on 10/19/09
sorry, germane not "germain"..... whew.... I need a beer!
Pavlov at 3:03PM on 10/19/09
Buy a new one. Fuses within the equipment usually only blow if there is an internal power problem. If you did not get a surge in the house that took out other devices, there may be a greater issue than the fuse. I came to the conclusion that most small appliances should be treated as disposable as the repairs usually cost more than a new machine, especially electronics like a microwave. Oh, and the screwdriver trick could be fun in another way, if the amperage is too high, or the screwdriver is a cheap metal, you can weld the screwdriver to the frame while discharging the capacitor. If you try it, where rubber gloves to insulate as well as the insulated handle, can't be too safe.
With kids in school and the running around it requires, the quick reheat times make it invaluable for reheating meals to get to conferences, games and other activities when every adult in the house works. Left over arroz con pollo tonight.
Meat guy at 3:51PM on 10/19/09
This topic has cycled through before so let me just reiterate the same points I made a year and a half ago:
We were renting an apartment years ago that had the microwave over the stove. When it died we just did without it, never requesting a replacement from the landlord and I don't recall it being a hardship. When we later bought a place the kitchen of course had a brand spanking new stainless steel microwave over the stove.
We use that baby multiple times a day from breakfast to dinner and I honestly don't know how I was without one for those years way back when. I know I did it and it wasn't a big deal, but I use mine constantly nowadays. We still cook our hot cereal on the stovetop everyday out of habit from those years, but while the cereal is cooking, we make eggs in the microwave. I often defrost something for dinner and I can't imagine roasting spaghetti squash in the oven when cooking a half squash only takes 6 or 7 minutes in the microwave (think about the energy saved!). I keep frozen cubes of homemade stock in a freezer bag and usually melt these in a coffee mug with some water so that I don't have to add "ice" to something cooking on the stove. And all these folks who eschew the microwave and would rather melt chocolate in a double boiler seem crazy to me!
I guess I don't cook many things in the microwave from start to finish, but if the stove is crowded, I certainly don't mind making fresh broccoli or asparagus in the microwave. Plus there is less cleanup as you can usually serve right from the cooking dish. I know that I could do without one, but I just find it too helpful and convenient. Anything done in a food processor or stand mixer could be done by other means as well, but what's the big deal in taking advantage of convenience? I say no big deal either way.
Otabenga at 4:14PM on 10/19/09
So call me "crazy." I melt chocolate on the stove in a make-shift double boiler. And I don't use a food processor either (I enjoy slicing/dicing/dhopping with a knife).
SavtaShayna at 4:43PM on 10/19/09
It's the best thing I've found for steaming a whole fish, Cantonese style. I don't have the BTUs for a wok and a steamer rig, so the microwave is awesome. And since that was my favorite dish growing up (thanks, Dad!), I will assert both to "needing" my microwave, and to maintaining whatever might exist of my foodie credibility (whatever that means).
shoneyjoe at 1:46AM on 10/20/09
Mark Bittman wrote an article on this in April 2008 - you can find it here.
You don't need a microwave, but it sure does make life easier. And it does a bang up job on eggplant - soft, tender, and way less oil than stovetop cooking.
charm city cupcake at 7:58AM on 10/20/09
Microwaves very effective at blowing up chestnuts. First they spin like tops and then BANG! Awesome fun.
Or eggs, but they don't spin as well.
If you get the thing set high enough, you can make butter foam fountains.
If you have an old microwave, putting in a plate that has a pretty gold rim is pretty entertaining. Zap! Zap!
Flies are smart enough to hide in the corners.
For culinary application that requires a molten center and frozen exterior, then the microwave is perfect.
As a book case, I find it too small for anything but trashy paperbacks.
And it makes a terrible doorstop.
Perhaps I should get a TV?
Judith klinger at 10:07AM on 10/21/09