Do You Use a Microwave?

Sorry - I couldn't live without my microwave. I use it for reheating, warming up cans of vegetables, and defrosting items. It's just too convenient for me not to use.

I wish I didn't rely on my microwave so much . . . I've read some of the "negatives" allegedly associated with microwaves. I've stopped using plastic in the microwave.

I'm wondering if a toaster oven would work for us, for those quick re-heats.

Great question.

I am another who nukes but doesn't cook in them. Really when I think about how much counter space it takes up and how little I actually use it.....

It is not that I am against them it is just they are not the best appliance to cook in. I like good food too much.

We nuke stuff. I don't "cook" in the microwave. But we do use it to warm or re-warm things. If I make breakfast burritos, I sprinkle shredded cheese on the tortilla and nuke it for 9 seconds before adding the eggs and salsa...

We reheat in the microwave...press the button, and run into the other room until it is done.

When my in-laws lived with us, we had to reheat everything on the stove or in the over or a toaster oven because they were very anti-microwave.

We haven't had one for 8 years now. I have a toaster oven that we use regularly but we also reheat food in a pan on the stove when needed.

J.

.............that reminds me my food is ready.

We have a microwave and use it from time to time, but we'd do just fine without it if we had to. Most of the time we just use the stove top (where our cast iron skillets are permanent fixtures).

Ours is just used to reheat things or melt cheese on things. Never to "cook", just warming, etc. But I use it all day long to reheat my cup of coffee or warm water for tea, etc.

As a small kid we had a BIG toaster oven we must have used for re-heating food and leftovers, etc. But got a micro when I was in Jr high and haven't been without one since (I am in my 40's now) =)

I have been microwave free for about a month now.

I LOVE NOT HAVING IT...But I tend to forget cooking in the oven takes longer then using micro wave...So I have had to do alot of trial and error with getting things thawed...or just heated slightly.

I will not be buying or taking an old one in though. I am happier without it on my counter:)

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I rarely use the microwave.
We went 2 years with no microwave at all.
We got a good-sized toaster oven instead (for chicken, casseroles, potatoes, nuggets, corn dogs, tortillas, etc), and reheated things like pasta or rice dishes in a big skillet on the stove instead.

I used the microwave today for leftovers (quicker, less dishes) but only reheat in glass or porcelian, never in plastic. Before today, I think the last time I used the microwave was a week ago to make popcorn. Before that, probably two weeks ago to reheat my cold coffee.

I was 25 before I had a microwave (when they were invented) and the ways to heat food up were - stove top, oven or toaster oven.
There were hot pots and hot plates, but we didn't use them much.
If you wanted to cook something that was frozen you had to remember to move it from the freezer to the fridge 1 - 2 nights beforehand.
Trying to cook something that was frozen or not well thawed out meant the inside stayed raw while the outside burned.
Boiling water meant putting a pot or a kettle on the stove top.
I use the microwave to thaw, quickly boil water, warm up left overs and steam veggies.

If I had to do without the microwave, the toaster oven would be my 2nd choice.
I use the microwave a lot and try to avoid plastics. Most things I cook in the microwave have an alternate method of cooking but either it's not fast enough for me or I'm trying to do a bunch of different things all at the same time. I heat water in the microwave and add it to my pot of water on the stove so it boils faster. Heating 1 frozen sausage in the microwave takes 30 seconds- so much faster and easier than heating up a skillet just for that. I microwave most rice dishes and steamed veggies because I am terrible at remembering to stir things on the stove top.
When I cook breakfast, I use the toaster, toaster oven, stove top, and microwave all at the same time.

Yes. There is nothing "harmful" about using a microwave!

My mom used to think that and my husband teased her about being the only person he ever knew that would re-heat spaghetti in a skillet. :)

I do not "cook" in my microwave. It is used solely for reheating, etc. It is used a LOT for that. My microwave is built in over the oven and yes, i would replace it.

We also use the toaster oven a lot for things like cornbread, quick things so i don't heat the entire oven (and house).

So, YES I love my microwave!

I use the heck out of my microwave. I often "par-cook" (partially cook) things and then finish them in the oven to save time (like baked potatoes or corn dogs). I also steam veggies in the microwave, and use my Pasta Boat to prepare pasta.

Why wouldn't you use it? I use it in to defrost in an 'emergency' situation. i use it daily - to heat frozen pancakes, reheat leftovers..etc., etc...
If they are that dangerous, then I will use my cell phone, turn on the microwave, preheat my gas stove and have at it.

We do not own a microwave by choice. I use a toaster oven for smaller things.
R.

use it for reheating, boiling water and cooking rice.........but never in a plastic container........................

The science against microwaves falls into 2 categories: the emissions and the plastics.

So, don't stand close and don't reheat with any kind of plastic.

And yes, I reheat my tea all the time, I clean my sponges, and I use a rice cooker and steamed veggie basket for the micro. I never cook meats and in general don't plan on cooking anything in there, except rice and broccoli.

ALL THE TIME. Ours broke a couple of years ago and we had to wait a few days to go get one - talk about a nightmare. If I have it I can go a few days without it...but when it's taken away, ouch!

I do use the microwave. Mostly we use it for steaming veggies, defrosting meats, popcorn, & reheating leftovers.

I use my microwave all the time.

As an alternative you can use a toaster oven to heat up small amounts of food.

I use it rarely, mostly to heat water sit the baby's bottle in.

To heat food I first take it out of the fridge before I'm actually ready to eat it. It's cool enough in my house to let it sit on the counter for a little while, so it can get closer to the temperature that I want to eat it at. I have a small side oven in my stove that I use. Because the food isn't cold, it doesn't take as long to warm up. I use a small cast iron skillet because it grabs and holds heat well.

I use our toaster oven or the convection option on our Micro/Convection Oven combo unit.......I rarely use the microwave.

Our stove/ oven died on us about 6 months ago. I miss it so much! Since then we have used the microwave alot! There is some stuff you just can't cook in a timely fashion with the electric skillet or crockpot/ broaster oven. ( pastas or veggies, left overs)

Before that we hardly ever used it but the kids used it to cook thier lunch/ snack... burritos or mac n cheese cups stuff like that as something to eat before running back out the door on thier next mission.

I haven't owned a microwave in over a year, you get used to it, I also don't own an automatic coffee maker (I use a perculator). I have a toaster oven that comes in really handy and I love the fact that I have a gas stove so heating stuff up takes only a minute or two. I feel like I've lost weight because of this. There are so many times when I could have just shoved something into the microwave for a quick snack and been satisfied. Instead, I would look around and realize I didn't feel like cleaning up after trying to cook a small snack, so I would end up grabbing something I could just munch on.

Nope. I don't even own a microwave anymore. My husband bought me a toaster/convection oven and I love it! It heats up quickly, but doesn't make the kitchen hot like the big oven does. It also uses way less electricity.

I warm most things in the convection oven, and I use it for cooking/baking too. I've used it to thaw some things too if I am in a hurry, but usually thaw things overnight in the fridge. I warm liquids in a pot on the stove. If you put a lid on the pot it warms up fast, even on low heat.

Honestly, if you want to live without a microwave you can. The only thing I cannot do without it is make microwave popcorn :-)

[Off topic but have you ever looked to see how fast the electric meter spins when the big oven is turned on? I checked mine once and was shocked. Mine looked like it was about to spin off the poll and launch into space! It used to speed way up when I had a microwave too - but barely changes when I use the convection oven.]

HI--
We never use a microwave for food. For hot water we boil it. For leftover's we typically either put it in the toaster oven or we use our waterless cookware (it vacuum seals so a little bit of water added steams the food). It takes a few minutes longer then a microwave, but it tastes better and we avoid radiation.
J.

lol I JUST saw Martha Stewarts show today and she and this other lady were heating someting in the microwave and while she was waiting for the timer to go off, she said "I actually have a mc at home which I probably use once every 2 months or so."

Whatever Martha.

Yes, I use my mc. I stand back when its on and I never let my son nearby while its going. I only use it to heat things up...never to cook or defrost anything, so its only going for a minute or 2 at a time.

I do most of my vegetable cooking and gentle rewarming of leftovers in the microwave. I have done a great deal of continuing research over decades since they were first offered. I was slow to sign on until they were shown to be largely safe (if you're not working daily right next to your microwave oven while it's on), and they actually produce many foods with more nutritional value than other modes of cooking.

Here's one article that appears to cover most of the bases: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/microwave-safety/

I use ours all the time but only for heating or reheating, I don't "cook" anything in it at all.

I recently this summer bought a toaster oven because its so hot here that I don't cook AT ALL in the summer. So I have found ways to use the toaster oven for heating and cooking instead of the oven or microwave.

I use my microwave only to re-heat items. I usually make a lot of food a few nights of the week and then re-heat it since I teach dance at night and don't come home till late. BUT, if I am cooking, I use my oven. The microwave is only needed for re-heating. I would not suggest cooking a meal in the microwave. In culinary arts university, we had no microwave. Everything was done on the stove or in the oven. :)

Instead of a microwave we use the below oven. I purchased one several months ago from a family dollar store that works much better and was cheaper than the new below one we just purchased. I love my little oven for many reasons as I do not always have to turn on our big oven for small things and in the summer time it does not heat up our home like our big oven does.

http://www.homeatfive.com/Cook/Electrics/Ginnys-Brand-9-i...

Yes, I use my microwave all the time. I also love using my toaster oven - not as fast but I get better results with some things.

I love the microwave. There is this big debate about microwaves depleating nutrients out of food, but the fact is nurtients just depleat as you cook the food it doesn't matter how fast the food is cooked. When my son was a newborn he wouldnt let me put him down long enough to cook anything on the stove.