Microwave, do you live without one or an alternative?

[CoffeeAndDiamonds]

DH and I lived in London and Dublin for a couple years, and neither rental had a microwave. I was pretty adamant that we should buy one, but we actually did just fine without.

I did have a microwave at work - you should've seen my coworkers' faces when I microwaved tea lol

 

[AprilBaby]

@AprilBaby, I actually got an Instapot months ago but I’m intimidated by it!

I love it! I can go from frozen chicken breast to table in 47 min.

 

[Bron357]

I could live without one if I had to.
very handy for fast thawing stuff, reheating leftovers and reheating beverages gone cold. Also good for melting butter and chocolate quickly.
we have a convection microwave so it can also act like an oven, handy sometimes. I don’t actually cook any meals in the microwave.
what I would find harder to give up is the slow cooker!

 

[MeowMeow]

I use mine 1 to 2x a day. Rarely more. Usually it's used to melt butter or defrost some chicken quick lol. We use our stove and toaster oven more often. I do a majority of my cooking with these. 1x a week we use the real oven for turkey night lol.

 

[BMI]

It's been twenty years since we stopped using a microwave and I don't foresee myself ever having one again.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I dont think i really know whstvan instant pot is
i think thet have them on mastercheif - but what don't thet have on mastercheif !!

I have a slowcooker and a pressure cooker - i only use the pressure cooker once in a blue moon to do pickled pork
When i was working i used to chuck a frozen chook in the slow cooker before i left for work and when i got bome it was safely cooked ready to be striped for butter chicken or whatever

 

[dkata]

We live without one already for 4 years. You can reheat everything on the stove or in the oven, I have also a steamer, where you really can prepare steamed vegetables, rice, fish etc. i have a water cooker also, so I think microwave is absolutely replaceable, I don’t even miss it.

 

[meely]

We use ours everyday. Heating plates (if using the hob not the oven for cooking), warming milk through for my kids bedtime drink, heating up fresh store bought soup a few times a week, we also use it for microwave rice and for partially cooking chicken before we bbq it.

 

[Austina]

I’ve had a microwave since 1980, when they were the size of a TV, I’ve had one ever since and wouldn’t be without it.

 

[dk168]

When I was spec'ing for an oven for my campervan/RV, I considered whether to go for a microwave, a convection oven or a combi microwave oven.

I am used to a combi microwave oven and find it very versatile. However, even the smallest size is quite bulky and heavy to be placed on a shelf above the counter.

A microwave does not grill, or create a crispy crust on pies, or make toasts.

So I opted for a mini 12L oven instead that can grill as well as bake.

I shall need to make more part-cooked food in oven compatible glass dishes for the freezer to take with me on camping trips instead of plastic tubs.

I can do away with a microwave, but not a convection oven and grill.

DK

 

[missy]

We used to have a convection microwave in our NYC home. It was good but we rarely used the convection part so when it needed repairing we just got an entirely new microwave as the convection microwave was expensive.

We have a built in under the drawer microwave at our beach house and love it. I have no desire to go without one. Why would I? They are relatively inexpensive and are great workhorses of the kitchen. IMO.

 

[stracci2000]

I love my microwave and I use it several times a day.
Mostly for reheating my cup of tea, and warming up leftovers.
Occasionally for steaming vegetables.

@YadaYadaYada
the handle came off of ours, too.
I looked into ordering a replacement, but they were pricey, like $29 before shipping.
So DH found 2 knob shaped drawer pulls and screwed them into the places where the original handle was attached...An easy fix!

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

I love my microwave. From reheating coffee and tea to softening fresh vegetables before they hit the broiler it is amazing. Today I used to partially melt tallow when making bird suet. That would have been such a mess on the stovetop.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Ive always been a bit weary heating water or reheating drinks in there because of overheating the water

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Well y’all convinced me that a microwave really is an essential item. Our oldest also took issue with not having one “mom, how will I heat up my pancakes in the morning?” Lol!

We ended up with a convection microwave that matches our oven. I’m interested to see if the convection aspect makes a difference in food quality.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I really like how the microwave freshens up bread
i wrap it in a moist damp tea towel and nuke it on a plate for aprox 20 seconds on high

I love popcorn but Gary can't stand the smell and it kind of stinks a microwave out big time so i have to wait till there is something i want to see at the pictures

 

[lambskin]

I’ve had a microwave since 1980, when they were the size of a TV, I’ve had one ever since and wouldn’t be without it.

Our microwave is 32 years old! Still works. it is huge. Bought a top of the line Amanda radar range and it was the first to have a stainless steel inside. All the bells and whistles...even a thermometer to insert into a hunk of meat. ( yuck would never cook like this)I think it was around $300 on sale. Showing signs of age as white plastic yellowing and edges chipped. Probably slower too. But we rarely use it except to melt stuff and to reheat take out. I could use the counter space but if it ain’t broken...when it does come to getting a new one I will buy smaller and fewest settings possible.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Back in the very early 80s when microwaves first got popular mum got a huge one called a convection 4
she cooked meat in it
the meat tasted ok but skin never browned - not good on chicken

Back in the day we used to have pudding every night (everyone was skinny too back then)
She would make a self saucing chocolate pudding that i remember being quite nice
Never very nice the next day (rubbery) but there were never leftovers anyway

 

[MeowMeow]

I really like how the microwave freshens up bread
i wrap it in a moist damp tea towel and nuke it on a plate for aprox 20 seconds on high

I love popcorn but Gary can't stand the smell and it kind of stinks a microwave out big time so i have to wait till there is something i want to see at the pictures

Oh man. Thread drift. But now I need to buy popcorn kernels next week. Huge craving now lol. I make mine on the stove with some olive oil. We used to buy microwave popcorn but then I read something about it that made me nervous and I'm trying to eliminate more wrappers from our trash when possible. So I just make mine on the stove. Some fresh butter and some salt and it's still super tasty! Just don't eat it under a fan lol. It cools the butter and it doesn't taste as good xD

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Oh man. Thread drift. But now I need to buy popcorn kernels next week. Huge craving now lol. I make mine on the stove with some olive oil. We used to buy microwave popcorn but then I read something about it that made me nervous and I'm trying to eliminate more wrappers from our trash when possible. So I just make mine on the stove. Some fresh butter and some salt and it's still super tasty! Just don't eat it under a fan lol. It cools the butter and it doesn't taste as good xD

Yum
we did used to make it that way

Before anyone we knew ever had olive oil
Just cooked im butter

 

[lambskin]

Not a fan of microwave popcorn. We make it the old fashion way on the stove with corn on veggie oil. We then pour hot melted butter and salt Over the popcorn. Yeah, cleaning the pan is a b*tch and some kernels burn or don’t pop. But IMHO, yum!