People who don't use microwaves

I have been told the same by several german friends. Also nuking "destroys the life-force" of food.

sounds like the frau who i was at the gym recently and the guy at the counter i joke with and talk to all the time, as i was leaving when i asked if he had the usual sanitizer at the desk, he said no, and that their is some in the bathrooms which are maybe 30 yards away, i sarcastically and obviously kidding said "you want me to walk all that way and then i have to walk all the way back to get into my car!" and this frau who was standing nearby turns to me and says "your in a gym!" in a can't believe you kind of way!...

1) was i talking to you woman? 2) did i look or sound like i was serious? 3) do i look like i'm out of shape!... i'm too nice i guess to have said this to this woman!...

R2, your story has nothing to do with the topic at hand.

I've heard that it kills nutrients too. That doesn't mean it's true.

I have a wind-up microwave from 1971 which still works very well, but I hardly use it.

Datalounge hates fatties

The best way to create a buzzing excitement and get everyone up and out of their cubicle is to put bacon in the microwave.

People will lose their SHIT! Either to see if there is any bacon for them to eat, or loudly discuss who is heating up bacon.

R6 DLers are self-hating fatties much.

Is that "NO FISH" microwave Mrs Patrick Campbell's?

The late great Barbara Kafka, wrote a wonderful cookbook showing how the microwave oven could not only be a successful appliance, but in some cases superior to other cooking methods.

I’ve used this book often. The chicken terrine works perfectly in a microwave oven.

I miss the old one

My office used to have a toaster oven and a microwave. I would always use the toaster oven since I try to avoid microwave ovens. But one day some idiot caused a fire by putting a take out container with a paper lid in the toaster oven and it caught fire. Management got rid of the toaster oven and never replaced it. Bummer.

I've owned two. I gave each away before a move. I used them for melting chocolate. Just as well. In my dotage, I no longer have the counter space.

I do not own a microwave, but whenever I used one everything comes out mushy.

It is good for boiling water, but giving up limited counter space for it never seemed worth it.

Bravo to anyone who had the patience to decipher R2's unintelligible post.

[quote]I do not own a microwave

Are you typing from 1961?

I've been told they were invented in the war.

I was snooty about them in the 1980s but I utterly rely on them now.

It's true that they do take up a lot of precious counter space. I'm definitely in my dotage but I do own two microwave machines: one is part of the overhead part of the cooker where the eye-level split grill used to be; the other is on the counter (in my other house). This whole conversation makes me think that I should get rid of both; the countertop one will be easier. As for boiling water, I have an electric kettle which is rather efficient.

R17 which war was that : 1870, 1914 or 1939 (all German) or are you talking the Michigan–Ohio War?

When was the first time you used a microwave?

Mine was in Sydney in 1974. A friend of mine, the son of a very rich man, showed me how you could heat coffee. I was too young to drink coffee.

R17: 1945

The microwave oven did not come about as a result of someone trying to find a better, faster way to cook. During World War II, two scientists invented the magnetron, a tube that produces microwaves. Installing magnetrons in Britain’s radar system, the microwaves were able to spot Nazi warplanes on their way to bomb the British Isles. By accident, several years later, it was discovered that microwaves also cook food. Called the Radar Range, the first microwave oven to go on the market was roughly as large and heavy as a refrigerator.

The idea of using microwave energy to cook food was accidentally discovered by Percy LeBaron Spencer of the Raytheon Company when he found that radar waves had melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experiments showed that microwave heating could raise the internal temperature of many foods far more rapidly than a conventional oven.

The first Raytheon commercial microwave oven was the 1161 Radarange, which was marketed in 1954. Rated at 1600 watts, it was so large and expensive that it was practical only for restaurant and institutional use. In 1967, Amana, a division of Raytheon, introduced its domestic Radarange microwave oven, marking the beginning of the use of microwave ovens in home kitchens. Although sales were slow during the first few years, partially due to the oven’s relatively expensive price tag, the concept of quick microwave cooking had arrived. In succeeding years, Litton and a number of other companies joined the countertop microwave oven market. By the end of 1971, the price of countertop units began to decrease and their capabilities were expanded.

R20 when is one too young to drink coffee (or tea for that matter)? What did you do instead with your friend?

I don't own a microwave either

Great for reheating chilli. Indian mush food. Making raclette for 1, with already boiled potatoes. Melting cheese for whatever reason. Italian mostarda fruit, wrapped in ham, nuked. Chocolate for dipping. The leftover half of an omelette. Frozen vegetables in canned soup, in winter, when too tired to cook. Etc.

People who are always criticizing what others are eating or how they cook...are usually the fattest, most unhealthy-appearing types themselves.

R21, just link Wikipedia. BTW I don't need all this info about ... the microwave machine ... like I don't need to know much about the internal combustion engine either.

The first microwave oven I saw was in the “Home of the Future” at Disneyland in the ‘60’s

I first saw a microwave oven when they shoved my grandmother into it.

This thread is full of pedantic turds.

I believe we got one from Sears in1976. When we were home alone during the day we occasionally put a grasshopper in it.

It wasn’t pretty.

I rarely use my microwave. Mainly just to heat water if I make instant coffee. I absolutely never use it to cook food. Besides what the microwaves to the nutrition in food, it turns food into rubber.

R16, no from NYC.

My coffeemaker, my convection toaster oven, and my juicer do not leave much room for a waterboiler

What do cook in your microwave that tastes good?

Anyone?

R33 readymade meals taste good, if they tasted good when they were manufactured. I agree, though, that microwave is not that much of a boon.

Ours died and we haven’t replaced it. It’s pretty good for reheating starches. Proteins tend to get rubbery. And I like cheese to get brown and crispy.

Reheating things in the toaster oven or on the stovetop doesn’t take that much longer.

But I’m not afraid of them.

You’re afraid of microwaves r35???

“There is this old frau at work who frowns upon everyone who uses the microwave...”

She’s afraid her tin foil hat might light up and spark the truth.

I cook and I've never owned a microwave. I just never felt I needed one. For what exactly?

I'm in Fla now but used to be on the 51st parallel where we had a coal/wood-burning stove (it was a family thing). The stove was cool and heated the whole place. It would generate too much heat here, air-conditioned as we are. And I wouldn't know where to get the coal (I could probably use wood in Fla). I have a microwave but now we are discussing, I don't seem to have used it in at least a week. My husbear (I know, sorry, but he is) is still in the north and I know he would not want me getting a stove in here. But it's coming up to Christmas after Thanksgiving and I like an open fire (no, I am not thinking of burning the house down, Rose)...

I use mine multiple times a day.

I'm on my 5th one. The first one, a Litton, lasted 16 years.

They are lasting progressively shorter periods with each one.

R36, I am NOT afraid of microwaves, like the old lady in OP’s anecdote. I don’t worry about them killing nutrients or giving us cancer.

But I don’t use one at home because they aren’t useful enough to me to justify the space.

Well hon, you need to kick that bitches ass.

Wow, R41 writes like a real frontiersman. As does R42, gaaad!

Use mine primarily for reheating dinner plates and especially for cooking frozen vegetables.

[quote]I rarely use my microwave. Mainly just to heat water if I make instant coffee. I absolutely never use it to cook food. Besides what the microwaves to the nutrition in food, it turns food into rubber.

You drink instant coffee but pretend to be particular about what you ingest? Bless your heart.

Why are you reheating dinner plates hun?

R54, stop being a dick. OP asked a question and people are answering.

Microwaves are great for reheating soups and pasta.

R47 is drunk.

PRO TIP: Microwave your vodka. It burns off the alcohol so you don't answer posts that haven't been written yet.

I use my microwave about once every 2 weeks. I'll use it to heat up soup or a tv dinner

Я люблю тебя, но я не буду микроволновку мою водку. R49

Sorry guys, for got to change my key bored, its "I love you but I will not microwave my vodka."

[quote] What do cook in your microwave that tastes good?

I make steel-cut oats (pre-soaked). Have to put a few dried fruits in there. The sugar content will break the surface tension and you won't have Vesuvius in there. You can make soft scrambled eggs with cheese. Yes, I know how to make soft scrambled eggs on the stove.

If you're willing to experiment with different settings, e.g., the power level, you can actually cook in there.

I have a microwave that sits over the stove burners. So, it doesn't use counter space.

I fry bacon, heat water for tea and coffee, heat precooked meals (TV dinners), freshen pastries, scramble eggs, poach eggs, steel cut oatmeal, cheese grits, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, and a lot of other things I can't recall at the moment.

They're useful to me.

My FIL was so cheap he wouldn’t let my MIL buy a microwave. Their son is disabled & gets 24 hour home health aides. One of the aides brought in a microwave to heat his food up. Claimed he’d bought a new one and it was his old one and they needed to keep it in their house. Probably got it off Craig’s List or something.

Until then, the aides had to wait for my MIL to heat their food in the oven and she would put the oven on low so she could yak her head off at them while it was heating. She used to do that when we stopped at her house for tea on our way out to our house from our apartment in the city. She’d fill the teapot with 2 quarts of water and put it on the lowest setting, taking 25 minutes to boil.

Now we no longer have an apartment and I never go there anymore.

[quote]Microwaves are great for reheating soups and pasta.

I have a perfectly good range. Do I really need a contraption to heat up soup? Is tossing pasta in a pan such a chore?

No, R56 -- but it does save on dishwashing if you can heat food in the the dish/bowl that you're going to eat it from.

I just don't like the way things cook in there. I never had one until Christmas when I was given one as a gift. The only thing I really love cooked in the microwave are those shitty frozen burritos. I don't know why. Sometimes I use it to reheat leftovers.

R57 I assume that you are a multi-millionaire WASP who still washes dishes himself to save the Ming dynasty plates.

I use mine a few times a week. But every time I open its door, I'm reminded of an aunt who believed that microwaves made one leg shorter than the other. We would tease her by calling it The Short Leg Machine.

Absolutely distrust microwave ovens, I don’t own one, never use one, never stand next to one in use the rare times I encounter one.

I've posted on the many previous microwave threads that if they truly were a detriment to health, I'd like to think we would've discovered it by now. I rarely use them though. I should say rather, I don't cook in them really, except potatoes. I only heat food up: soup, bread, rice, leftovers I've frozen in individual servings, etc. I do have a friend, and a BIL, who believe they cause cancer. My friend has left the kitchen before when I popped something in it. Only Russians have studies they are bad for health.

I was killed by a microwave.

They can also destroy electronic devices in proximity.

I refused to own a microwave for health and safety reasons. Then I finally broke down and bought one about 15 years back. Now I feel about it like people feel about their smartphones. I'd be completely lost without it. Use it for heating up my morning coffee and meals, defrosting and cooking vegetables.

Does a spot-on job "baking" potatoes and sweet potatoes. Pierce, wrap them in a wet paper towel, nuke for 3-4 min, turn over, then nuke for another 3-4 min. Takes just like baked.

R2 please learn grammar.

[quote]Takes just like baked.

Takes? Takes? Oh for fuck's sakes!! Tastes Tastes Tastes Tastes Tastes Tastes Tastes Tastes

(6AM and one sip of coffee is too fucking early to proofread)

R65 you’re heating up your morning coffee in the microwave? Why? How? Is it stale leftover coffee? That’s your routine?

R68 One heaped teaspoon of instant coffee (Lavazza, Percol or Alta Rica). One level teaspoon of demerara sugar. Fill cup with full fat milk. Nuke for exactly one min 50 sec. Remove from microwave, stir and ahhhhhhhhhh.

Microwave Sponge Cake, R33.

R69 fair enough. Coffee or black tea made with only hot milk is a delight indeed. Shame about the radiated molecules in yours though.

R69 /R65 That's the only way I like instant coffee BTW! Always with full fat milk or cream, no water. I usually try to get the Nescafe from Greek or African markets... much better than the one they sell here in the States for the American market. Tip for you, since you're keen on potatoes in the nuker: for mash, try cutting them up in quarters, no water, and cover with either a plate or plastic wrap. So much better than boiling them.

[quote]Shame about the radiated molecules in yours though.

R71 Considering the poisons in the air we breathe and the water we drink, radiated molecules are simply more of the same.

R70 I like the Dr. Outker Mug Cakes... so easy. I haven't made one in awhile.

[quote]ip for you, since you're keen on potatoes in the nuker: for mash, try cutting them up in quarters, no water, and cover with either a plate or plastic wrap. So much better than boiling them.

R72 Thanx and yes, I do that. I cook all veg in the microwave. Better/healthier/tastier than boiling the living fuck out of them.

Don't have one, don't want it.

Microwaves are great! Especially for reheating leftovers in the summer time, when you don’t want to heat up your whole house by turning on the stovetop or oven. Or making popcorn. I’m sure if they were killing us we would know by now, especially since according to studies printed in the media everything else causes cancer.

Microwave ovens were used by royal chefs in the homes of Charles and Diana. Her erratic eating habits often meant food had to be ready in minutes if she chose to eat or she'd change her mind about what she wanted just as everyone was sitting down to eat a meal the chefs spent hours preparing, so the quick cook convenience of microwaves were a necessity.

[quote]I have a wind-up microwave from 1971 which still works very well

That's a Fisher Price television, dear.

While apartment hunting last year in the Boston area, I looked at three new complexes that came fully equipped in the kitchen except no stove. Just a refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave.

Learn all about it the Amana RadarRange from Della Street

I had a colleague who would bitch about this very topic in the staffroom at lunchtime while people were reheating their food. She also lectured me about my low carb diet while chewing on donuts. Nevermind that she was as fat as a house. It was a stressful time of year and everyone just wanted to eat their lunch and be done with it.

Harvard Medical School on Microwaves and Cooking.

It is fine to use a Mircowave. If you overcook some vegetables using any heating method, they may lose some nutrients. And only the nutrients that are more vulnerable to heat, such as vitamin C. It's not the microwave. Though, overcooked vegetables (if you like them this way) are always better than no vegetables.

Optimum veg cooking is via steaming. But when you can't be arsed to haul out the wok and bamboo steamer, nuking is a close second.

People who don't own microwaves seem to think that most people who own them actually use them to cook most of their food. That's usually not the case. Most people use their microwave to reheat foods that have already been cooked on a stove. Microwaves are also great for defrosting frozen items so they are ready for the stove in a much shorter time.

Microwaves save a ton of time and energy consumption on your light bill. I live in a hot climate and would dread having to use my stove to reheat meals, causing the whole house to get even hotter, and having to run my AC even more.

R70 What’s the recipe for Microwave Sponge Cake?

There is no way I will have one in my house. I won't give Obama the chance to spy on me.

My brother growing up refused to use thinking the microwaves would zap him and wouldn't be able to have kids. He's a new grandfather now.

r33, microwaves cook waxy potatoes in their skins MUCH better than any other method (boiling leaves them soggy, baking gives them the wrong texture). Roasting waxy potatoes in the oven is even better, but that only works when you coat them thoroughly in oil, so delicious as it is, that's not a version that you want to make often. Floury potatoes (like russets) are better when you bake them in the regular oven. Microwaves do a decent job with reheating. If you have leftover rice, splash a little water on the bottom of the dish when you reheat it in the microwave. Vegetables can be reheated in the microwave, fatty meats do fine (chicken thighs, pork ribs or steaks). Lean meats get rubbery as people up thread mentioned. Fries must be reheated with a paper towel or napkin under them - but still might end up a little soggy, not crispy. Bacon can be cooked very quickly in the microwave, again using a paper towel underneath and one on top. Corn on the cob can be cooked in the microwave by leaving the husks on and cooking for about 3 minutes. Remove the corn with an oven mitt, cut off the end and slide the husks and silks right off the corn. Microwave popcorn, great. Reheated pizza in the microwave.....not so great. (Soggy crust)

I have that same sign in the OP's photo above my bed.

So are they good for anything other than prepared foods? (And even those seem mushier than ones you heat in a conventional over.)

Are microwave ovens a frau affectation?

I bet that the baked potatoes made in a microwave do not get a crisp skin.

[quote] You drink instant coffee but pretend to be particular about what you ingest? Bless your heart.

Exactly where did I say I was particular about what I ingest? If a microwave cooked food that was edible and not like rubber I'd gladly use mine all the time.

Don't make up facts that aren't there just to serve your own bitchy purposes.

It's the Bless your heart troll.

Ignore.

I prefer rewarming things in the toaster oven but I certainly wouldn't tell others they should do it and make up some fake reason

A close relative accepted a chef's position in my city so she stayed with me for a few months after relocating here. First thing she did was make me get rid of my microwave because to her it was unnecessary and taking up valuable counter space. I was pretty floored at the idea. I've had mics all my life but when I thought about it, it is true that's its infrequent use in my house didn't justify the space requirements in my small city kitchen. I finally gave in figuring I'd just bring it back out when she moves but she put it out on the street with a "Free" sign. Lol!

Anyway, I'm surprised how good leftovers are when heated on the stove or in the oven and it's simple and quick We have stainless bowls in a bunch of sizes that work great in the oven. They heat up quick! She bought me some good non-stick pans for sticky leftovers like mac & cheese, or Kung pao, or pasta in marinara. It really seems to work better in many ways. No more superheated spaghetti mush with stone cold hard meatball.

I will say I think it costs more to not use the microwave, though. I cook with gas so it's not very expensive but the increased cost is noticeable but manageable.

I just made some Jello "Cook 'n' Serve" chocolate pudding in mine to use some milk before it spoils.

If you do a lot of cooking and baking and live in an air conditioning dependent region, a microwave and a gas grill can be very useful in keeping heat out of the house.

My next range will be induction so maybe I'll use it more than I do my current gas range.

Sorry, R96, but she's a guest in your home and telling you what she thinks is unnecessary in your kitchen?

I'd throw her out before I tossed an appliance.

^^and don't forget the "Free" sign.

Microwaves are causing gen Z kids to be vicious!!!

R3 AND R15.. i was trying to use a analogy of people speaking up and commentating about/to you when they were not asked..

There are many R86. Several on allrecipes.com.

R99 She's a lesbian. Does it all make sense now?

I love you, lezzies ❤️Muwahh

They do take up precious counter top real estate, but I use mine to keep bread and other things stored and out of the way. They're great for steamed veggies, potatoes and quick reheating of soups, stews and pastas. However, microwave reheated chicken creates a taste that makes me want to vomit. It does something to the fat in the chicken (oxidized fatty acids or something).

[quote]They're great for steamed veggies

Well, "veggies." What more needs to be saidzies?

Heating up left-over pizza in the microwave is a sin!

Seriously, it ruins the crust, rubberizes the cheese, and turns the toppings into warm plastic. Bad!

Always use an oil-coated pan on the stove, on low heat, covered. It melts the cheese perfectly, crisp-ifies the edges of the toppings, and lightly toasts the crust. All while retaining its moisture. Almost like fresh. Takes only a moment.

My microwave is above my stove so it occupies cabinet space, but I love it.

For re-heating coffee I let get cold. For prepared food. For boiling water. I think it’s essential.

R107, tried it, takes forever to reheat cold pizza that way.

Mine is 22 years old and works great. Need I be concerned about leaking microwaves that might be getting out? It doesn’t seem so. I’d hate to lose it because it is built-in and I imagine it would be a production to replace.

The only problem is the clock keeps going blank. I guess that’s just a computer card, right? I probably will never fix it, but I have to reset it daily, a minor annoyance.

I haven't had one for years. The only times I miss it are popcorn and thawing very frozen Ben & Jerry's pints.

^^^ Stovetop kettle corn is so much better. More work but really? Shaking a pot? Is it killing ya?

For a B&J pint, take it out of the freezer, put it on the counter and slip an everyday insulated oven mitt over it. Let sit for 30 mins in a warm (72-73 F) room - longer if ambient temp is cooler. The insulated mitt moderates the melting so you don't have soup on the outside and rock in the middle.

[quote]Does a spot-on job "baking" potatoes and sweet potatoes. Pierce, wrap them in a wet paper towel, nuke for 3-4 min, turn over, then nuke for another 3-4 min. Takes just like baked.

No they do not taste just like baked.

The beautiful crispy skin (rub with olive oil and salt) cannot be duplicated in a microwave,

R113 I agree!

Here OP.

I love microwaves. They're great for doing all kinds of things, and yes you can cook with them.

But... there are certain things they can't do, or at least can't "replicate" properly.

Re-heating pizza and baking potatoes properly are two examples of this.

What about me, bitches??

Bake your potato in the microwave, then cover in oil and salt and pop in the oven for about 10 minutes. That's what I do in the summer when I don't want an oven on for 45-60 minutes for a potato.

They are good for softening up ice cream.

I worked with a woman who would put her instant oatmeal in a styrofoam cup, add water and microwave it. I don’t know, but I think that wasn’t a good idea.

We got our first microwave in the 70s by filling up a tank of gas. The gas station attendant came out with a fairly large Litton box.

I make a perfect 35 sec scrambled egg (with a dash of Worcestershire sauce) every morning in my microwave.

[quote] Stovetop kettle corn is so much better.

It wouldn't be to me, since I can't stand kettle corn. I like my popcorn to just be buttery and salty, not sweet. I've cooked popcorn on the stove before and it makes a mess, burns, and doesn't taste as good.

Most people microwave pizza too long. You should cut it up and microwave for 20-30 seconds, let it sit and then go another 20-30 seconds as needed. If you just let it nuke for 2 minutes straight, of course its going to come out like rubber. That is true of most breads when you microwave them.

R47 Are you from the future?

Why is OP linking redstate?

I use microwaves for many things, but especially reheating food, since I'm too lazy and too impatient to use the stove.

You can even make passable poached eggs in one. Search "microwave food hacks" on YouTube and there are some really decent ideas.

Or search "microwave hacks" on Google for non-food related hacks.

I can't imagine not having a microwave, I rarely use them to actually cook anything but there are so many uses. Frozen like a brick ice cream can become easily scoopable after just a few seconds in a microwave, need a warm compress, a damp washcloth in the microwave works wonders, oatmeal, warming up a can of soup, brown sugar that has become hard will soften in a few second in a microwave. Defrosting anything is so much faster, an egg in a cup with some Pam spray can give you an Egg McMuffin in just a few seconds. A cup of tea, or hot chocolate in a few seconds, then there is all the pots and pans you don't dirty by heating something on the stove top.

What kind of crazies don't use microwaves? You reheat things in them, and they are a simple way to cook vegetables.

Anyone have the Stonewave Microwave Cooker? I'll be damned, but this is one of the rare instances where I actually like an infomercial product. It doesn't stain, the lid is vented so it doesn't pop off, and the handle stays cool. It's perfect for heating up stuff like tomato sauce, or steaming veggies & rice, heating up soup. I just wish they were a little bigger to fit a can of soup. There were also some concerns about their safety, since they were made in China (possible lead in the glaze).

I picked up a few on a whim at Dollar Tree, when they were selling them for a buck.

Are the similar to the Corning “Grab-It” bowls?

OP, that pic is genius

Convection ovens don’t take that much longer. And the food doesn’t come out all Chernobyly and abused!

[quote] [R57] I assume that you are a multi-millionaire WASP who still washes dishes himself to save the Ming dynasty plates.

No, R59. I wash dishes myself because I don't have a dishwasher and it would be overkill to install one in my old house, just to wash the few dirty dishes produced by feeding me and the cats.

R123 Begone, Satan, inventor and master of all deceit!

Induction cook tops and convection ovens are the way to go. Always.

What in this world, in this (USA) country these days won't kill us! I love my microwave.

R99 is spot on when it comes to R96 's friend. And BTW, no real chef worth his or her salt uses non-stick pans. Microwaves, yes, on occasion, non-stick: bozo no-no.

I use non-stick for eggs, r137.

[quote]Heating up left-over pizza in the microwave is a sin! Seriously, it ruins the crust, rubberizes the cheese, and turns the toppings into warm plastic. Bad!

It's been my observation that many, many people don't realize that they can CONTROL how their food turns out in a microwave simply by cooking at different power settings. For reheating pizza, use a low-power setting for maybe twice or three times as long as you'd heat it on the "regular" (high) setting. This method works especially well with vegetables. Experiment with different foods at different (lower) settings. You might be very surprised at the difference.

I guess since I live alone I do not really need this. It is pretty easy for me to make a meal without leftovers--and I like cold leftovers.

But some of what you are saying---reheating pasta, why? It is so fast and you can just make it fresh. And soup? you can reheat that in seconds on a stove.

The mushiness and uneven heating makes a microwave seem pretty bad for vegetables.

But since i tend not to make big piles of food and eat prepared foods maybe one every two or three months, makes me scratch my head on this one.

R137 I thought so, too, which is why I proudly (arrogantly?) had no teflon in the house. However, I've since learned that an All Clad 9-inch non-stick sauté and its companion 13-inch fry pan can be your best friends. Eggs, delicate fish, seared scallops, and many other foods benefit greatly when properly prepared in a quality non-stick. I've since learned that every single respectable restaurant, bar none, has and uses non-stick cookware for use in specific dishes. The "Never Non-Stick" crowd are now mostly just old fraus with a house full of parakeets - birds being susceptible to toxic fumes emitted by poor quality non-stick pans heated over 400 degrees F. All well appointed kitchens have at least one good non-stick pan. No exceptions.

R141 I don't necessarily believe the new coatings are completely safe, and the constantly greasy feel of their surfaces have always turned me off. Chinese and Indonesian production makes me uneasy as well. I use a small copper-bottomed, stainless lined thin egg pan for my eggs and omelettes... it's dedicated only to that task. My mum's a professionally trained Cordon Bleu chef. She gave me the pan, bought in France in the sixties. I'm not afraid of butter, and nothing sticks to it ever. I use soap pads to clean it.

R141 By the bye, as to the other delicately-textured foods you mentioned: I use well seasoned old carbon steel or cast irom without any sticking. To each his own, but fond and Maillard reaction is never quite right in these pans.

^^^R143 I was just in the middle of typing about Maillard reaction when your post hit. I actually prefer the wonderful, flavorful Maillard reaction on my delicate scallops and not stuck to my stainless steel pan. For sturdier proteins like pan seared beef, a traditional stainless steel pan on med-high heat that's de-glazed for a flavorful sauce would be a better route, no doubt. It all depends on your menu and prep techniques.

R144 I've considered them at various times in my life, after non-PFOA & PTFE free versions came on the market, but I just don't see the need for them in my kitchen. I'm not a typical consumerist either, so if it's not broke sort of reasoning is my ethos. I've never owned an electric coffee machine either. Americans find that weird about me too.

All of the above sounds like a lot of work. Microwaves are supposed to be easy. If you want better tasting and textured food you will likely not be using a microwave.

Microwave Fudge and Microwave Peanut Brittle are both easy and very tasty.

You can make a roux very easily in a microwave -- no standing stirring for 45 minutes over a stove.

Asparagus and artichokes turn out best when steam-nuked too. Beets are great in there as well.

Lawrey's makes Microwave Pork Rinds and these are great:

You can toast nuts in a microwave. I toast almonds easily and often. Pecans too.

Honey in a glass jar crystallize? Nuke it for 2 minutes on 50% power.

R148 Maybe a very floury tasting blond roux for a flavorless white sauce but I like to really toast my flour and fat by constantly whisking for a torturous 15 minutes minimum until the flour turns golden and takes on a rich, nutty character. The roux, which at the beginning was almost dough like, will suddenly collapse and become liquid and start to turn brown. Remove from heat. Whisk in stock, broth, milk, or cream and be prepared to thank me for the most rich, delicious smooth sauce you've ever had. Try that in your microwave.

To borrow a favourite turn of a phrase here that pops up every so often (I'd like to think it's one cool bloke, but whatever) R153 I'll see your toasty tasty roux, and raise you a dry-pan browned flour roux.

You can make any color roux you need by adjusting the time in the microwave.

You can make any color roux you need by adjusting the time in the microwave.

^^^ R154 I'm not against a dry toast and you do your thing but I assure you, your sauce will not compare to mine. It's just not possible. I literally make the best roux of anyone I know except my late French-Canadian grandfather who fucking killed it! But I'm not one to boast. Lol! 😜

R157 I do both. If one really needs to have the thickening power of the flour, I must advise toating it dry does diminish its ability to do so, therefore more is needed. I'm sure yours is delicious BTW. French Canadians know how to cook. The browning of dry flour is popular amongst Eastern Europeans, and Ashkenazi Jews. Some Germans I know do it too, so not quite sure exactly where the technique began.

^^^ R158 This is the DL! Stop compromising and being reasonable and respectful! What will people think?

😝

[quote]I like to really toast my flour and fat by constantly whisking for a torturous 15 minutes minimum until the flour turns golden and takes on a rich, nutty character.

I must have poor sense of taste like Anderson Cooper, because I'd never stand over a stove for more than 15 minutes on something like this.

R160 You'd never survive an attempt at proper risotto then.

R139 is right. There are usually 10 power settings on a microwave but most people use only the HIGH setting. The lower settings allow you to more evenly heat whatever you're cooking without overcooking parts.

Imagine turning your regular oven to 500 degrees for everything. Some parts of your food would burn while other parts would remain uncooked. This is how most people use microwave ovens, partly because the controls are often needlessly complicated and every microwave's controls are slightly different and partly because we are in a hurry. It's easier and faster to set it for 2 minutes on the default setting (high) than to set it for 4 minutes and figure out what keystrokes will set this particular microwave to medium.

They won't brown anything or result in a Maillard reaction, but for most reheats (crispy items notwithstanding), steaming vegetables, thawing frozen meat, making custard/bacon/scrambled eggs, brownie-in-a-mug, oatmeal, etc., microwaves are pretty useful.

Having heard rave reviews about "air fryers", I gave my mom one for Christmas. They're convection ovens, basically. For her, it's much less useful than a microwave, though it outperforms the microwave (in flavor, not speed) when it comes to crisp, "fried", or baked items. She has to use the included recipe book if she wants to make something and the controls are even less intuitive than a microwave. I think they're best at cooking frozen french fries.

R150 Those look devilishly delicious BTW. Me gusta Chicharrones.

Chicken breast in the microwave. Power 2, sprinkle with chicken flavored powder and a bit of dried basil. 17 min. for one breast. Tender, juicy. Sometimes it has to be turned over at the halfway point. Try it.

What the hell is chicken flavored powder?

Here ya go:

R24 : I was under the impression that mostarda was a preserve.

I love my microwave and use it all the time to reheat and bake potatoes but I would never trust it to actually cook chicken. There are always spots that don't get nuked no matter how many time I would turn it over.

R121 you can make perfect scrambled eggs in a pan in about the same amount of time.

The key to cooking with a microwave is to first master the cooking concept through the traditional methods. I make Hollandaise sauce in my microwave (very easy), but I had to learn how to make it the old-fashioned way before I understood what I was trying to achieve. I use a mix of methods now. I'll roast a pot roast in a cast-iron Dutch oven, in a slow oven, but then thicken the gravy with roux that I've cooked, very slowly, in the microwave.

R169, but then you have to wash the pan. In the microwave, you can cook the egg in the bowl or on the plate that you eat it from.

[quote]but then you have to wash the pan.

OH, NO! Fate worse than death!

Non-ionizing radiation like microwaves don't change anything about food that wouldn't happen by conventional heating.

I'd be lost without mine at the moment: an IKEA mini-kitchen with a micro and cube fridge in a hallway is my cooking area while the real kitchen is being gutted. I get by.

I'm sure a few posters here would love the No Fish Allowed sign.

The same people that say microwaves “kill nutrients” in food are the ones who think CBD does anything and spend a fortune on essential oils. Don’t listen to them, they clearly have mental disabilities.

However, I don’t think I’d ever use the microwave at work. Not because I’m anti-microwave, but because of all the germs. It never seems clean. Even when there’s no food remnants left in it and it’s been wiped down, I just get the feeling that all the gross stuff is still there and is getting into my food. Like somebody’s spitting in it.

I eat nothing but processed food. I don’t know what the inside of my overnight looks like. I drink diet soda, I use the microwave to defrost all of my frozen meals from the store. I eat cookies and crackers and the occasional fast food. Everything I eat was prepared by someone else.

I love my microwave.

I primarily use mine for bacon, if I don't want to use the oven, the occasional frozen meal, and steaming broccoli. I buy the Reynolds steaming bags. They're great for broccoli.

I had m kitchen re-modeled last year and now have a low-powered microwave over the stove. It's narrow but works for me. Only downside is I'm short. I have to use a step stool to clean it but I can easily get food in and out of it.

R175 points out the fallacy that microwaves kills nutrients.

But then he shows himself a victim of the "contamination fallacy." Even when clean, he feels there is something contaminated about the office microwave that prevents him from eating food prepared in it.

Human nature is interesting. We can recognize the delusions of others while clinging to our own.

I realized I hardly use my microwave anymore.

There was a time when it was my main appliance, but for whatever reason I rarely use it. I used to use it for vegetables but unless I crank open the kitchen window the whole place reeks of broccoli or cauliflower afterwards.

I would even zap water for tea, but a few years ago I bought one of those electric kettles like the Brits use and find that's actually faster

Not morally opposed to it though.

Bacon microwaved is great. Put it on a microwaveable plate in between two layers of paper towels, eg 4 slices for 2 minutes—and they come out crispy and you can toss the paper towels which will have absorbed the grease and protecting the oven’s surrounding interior from splatter.

I took a good look at my microwave and realized there are all kinds of buttons on there that I have never touched: Popcorn, Pizza, Kids Meals, Slow Melt..... Is there really a difference among all these buttons?

I don't have microwave.

I'm going to try that next time, R180. Thanks.