I don't own a microwave and that seems to blow a lot of people's minds, but honestly... I don't need it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t use my microwave that much but for things like frozen peas, frozen corn, reheating leftovers, melting butter, etc. - I strongly prefer microwave to stovetop. Also for warming up my coffee!

The trick to heating frozen peas and corn on the stovetop is to not cook it for more than, like 2 minutes. Def a stove over a microwave option.

As far as melting butter, I just put it in a bowl on top of my stove while I preheat the oven and it usually takes care of it.

What if you need the butter melted but you have nothing to bake?

Saucepan, stove on, 45-50 seconds.

A microwave can probably do it quicker, but doesn't seem worht buying one just to do that.

I can microwave butter in a tiny ramekin rather than dirtying a saucepan and needing to clean it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t use my microwave that much but for things like frozen peas, frozen corn, reheating leftovers, melting butter, etc. - I strongly prefer microwave to stovetop. Also for warming up my coffee!

The trick to heating frozen peas and corn on the stovetop is to not cook it for more than, like 2 minutes. Def a stove over a microwave option.

As far as melting butter, I just put it in a bowl on top of my stove while I preheat the oven and it usually takes care of it.

Right but I can microwave peas in 2 mins without the need to boil water. Similarly, I can melt butter in 30 seconds. So I’m going to use the microwave.

You shouldn't use much water to boil peas. The whole process takes less than 4 minutes. It's not hard.

It's nice if you find the microwave useful, but it hardly seems worth buying one to do peas 180 seconds faster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t use my microwave that much but for things like frozen peas, frozen corn, reheating leftovers, melting butter, etc. - I strongly prefer microwave to stovetop. Also for warming up my coffee!

The trick to heating frozen peas and corn on the stovetop is to not cook it for more than, like 2 minutes. Def a stove over a microwave option.

As far as melting butter, I just put it in a bowl on top of my stove while I preheat the oven and it usually takes care of it.

What if you need the butter melted but you have nothing to bake?

Saucepan, stove on, 45-50 seconds.

A microwave can probably do it quicker, but doesn't seem worht buying one just to do that.

I can microwave butter in a tiny ramekin rather than dirtying a saucepan and needing to clean it.

Both ways create a dirty dish, they seem equally bad in terms of dirty dish results.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If you use it more than once a week then I’ll assume you’re a lazy chef.

I'm not a chef nor am I lazy nor am I a chef (and neither are you ). I commute 2 hours each way. My kids can quickly microwave leftovers I spent hours cooking over the weekend a lot safer than they could by using my gas stove top. Happy now?

Teach your latchkey kids to use a toaster oven.

Really? Can you send me instructions on how to heat up chili or stew in a toaster?

IT's just like using a real oven: https://traditionalcookingschool.com/food-preparation/reheating-foods-without-a-microwave/

Super simple.

Wait so now we are back to the stove? I'm confused. I thought you wanted me to teach my "latchkey kids" how to use a toaster.

I believe they said “Teach your latchkey kids to use a toaster oven .”

Why would I want another giant appliance on the counter when the one I already have works just fine? Make it make sense.

Can't make toast in a microwave.



you walked into that one!

I have a toaster. I do not have a toaster oven. Not sure it's the get you think it is.

So, you have a toaster AND a microwave and you think that saves you counterspace over having a toaster oven?

Do you put chili in your toaster?

Of course, I have a toaster. And I dont keep it on the counter. I know!!! It blows your mind, doesn't it?

You are yet to explain to me why you made the dumb suggestion totally unsolicited in the first place.

Congratulations on owning a toaster? I guess?

Congratulations on making suggestions to people that never asked for them and then not being able to explain why you made them in the first place.

I'm the OP and my original point was that some people really get upset when they find out I don't have a microwave, and I genuinely wanted to know if people found legitimate uses for their microwaves. I could get a microwave and I'm open to ideas.

So far, what I've encountered is a lot of triggered weirdos who feel very angry that I don't have a microwave, someone who wants to *checks notes* put chili in a toaster (I do not recommend) and one person who has genuinely replied that she finds post-work time stressful because of her long commute and being able to reheat something in five minutes is worth it. She's been interesting to hear from, and the rest of you are being weird.

No one cares that much about you.

Six pages of tearful accusations of condescension and deranged demands to help "latchkey kids" put chili in a toaster (still not following that one :lol suggest otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t use my microwave that much but for things like frozen peas, frozen corn, reheating leftovers, melting butter, etc. - I strongly prefer microwave to stovetop. Also for warming up my coffee!

The trick to heating frozen peas and corn on the stovetop is to not cook it for more than, like 2 minutes. Def a stove over a microwave option.

As far as melting butter, I just put it in a bowl on top of my stove while I preheat the oven and it usually takes care of it.

What if you need the butter melted but you have nothing to bake?

Saucepan, stove on, 45-50 seconds.

A microwave can probably do it quicker, but doesn't seem worht buying one just to do that.

I can microwave butter in a tiny ramekin rather than dirtying a saucepan and needing to clean it.

Same. It's how I make ganache too. Double boiler? No thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you use it more than once a week then I’ll assume you’re a lazy chef.

I'm not a chef nor am I lazy nor am I a chef (and neither are you ). I commute 2 hours each way. My kids can quickly microwave leftovers I spent hours cooking over the weekend a lot safer than they could by using my gas stove top. Happy now?

Teach your latchkey kids to use a toaster oven.

Really? Can you send me instructions on how to heat up chili or stew in a toaster?

IT's just like using a real oven: https://traditionalcookingschool.com/food-preparation/reheating-foods-without-a-microwave/

Super simple.

Wait so now we are back to the stove? I'm confused. I thought you wanted me to teach my "latchkey kids" how to use a toaster.

I believe they said “Teach your latchkey kids to use a toaster oven .”

Why would I want another giant appliance on the counter when the one I already have works just fine? Make it make sense.

Can't make toast in a microwave.



you walked into that one!

I have a toaster. I do not have a toaster oven. Not sure it's the get you think it is.

So, you have a toaster AND a microwave and you think that saves you counterspace over having a toaster oven?

Do you put chili in your toaster?

Of course, I have a toaster. And I dont keep it on the counter. I know!!! It blows your mind, doesn't it?

You are yet to explain to me why you made the dumb suggestion totally unsolicited in the first place.

Congratulations on owning a toaster? I guess?

Congratulations on making suggestions to people that never asked for them and then not being able to explain why you made them in the first place.

I'm the OP and my original point was that some people really get upset when they find out I don't have a microwave, and I genuinely wanted to know if people found legitimate uses for their microwaves. I could get a microwave and I'm open to ideas.

So far, what I've encountered is a lot of triggered weirdos who feel very angry that I don't have a microwave, someone who wants to *checks notes* put chili in a toaster (I do not recommend) and one person who has genuinely replied that she finds post-work time stressful because of her long commute and being able to reheat something in five minutes is worth it. She's been interesting to hear from, and the rest of you are being weird.

No one cares that much about you.

Six pages of tearful accusations of condescension and deranged demands to help "latchkey kids" put chili in a toaster (still not following that one :lol suggest otherwise.

Are you the OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t use my microwave that much but for things like frozen peas, frozen corn, reheating leftovers, melting butter, etc. - I strongly prefer microwave to stovetop. Also for warming up my coffee!

The trick to heating frozen peas and corn on the stovetop is to not cook it for more than, like 2 minutes. Def a stove over a microwave option.

As far as melting butter, I just put it in a bowl on top of my stove while I preheat the oven and it usually takes care of it.

Right but I can microwave peas in 2 mins without the need to boil water. Similarly, I can melt butter in 30 seconds. So I’m going to use the microwave.

You shouldn't use much water to boil peas. The whole process takes less than 4 minutes. It's not hard.

It's nice if you find the microwave useful, but it hardly seems worth buying one to do peas 180 seconds faster.

Lol. It’s not that I care how much water it takes. Boiling water takes longer. I am not sure what your point is. You claim people are sho med you don’t need a microwave then you provide pages of examples of how there are slower ways to do things in more steps. Some people appreciate convenience. You don’t. End of thread. Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t use my microwave that much but for things like frozen peas, frozen corn, reheating leftovers, melting butter, etc. - I strongly prefer microwave to stovetop. Also for warming up my coffee!

The trick to heating frozen peas and corn on the stovetop is to not cook it for more than, like 2 minutes. Def a stove over a microwave option.

As far as melting butter, I just put it in a bowl on top of my stove while I preheat the oven and it usually takes care of it.

Right but I can microwave peas in 2 mins without the need to boil water. Similarly, I can melt butter in 30 seconds. So I’m going to use the microwave.

You shouldn't use much water to boil peas. The whole process takes less than 4 minutes. It's not hard.

It's nice if you find the microwave useful, but it hardly seems worth buying one to do peas 180 seconds faster.

Lol. It’s not that I care how much water it takes. Boiling water takes longer. I am not sure what your point is. You claim people are sho med you don’t need a microwave then you provide pages of examples of how there are slower ways to do things in more steps. Some people appreciate convenience. You don’t. End of thread. Thanks for sharing.

I don't think the thread can end until OP feels completely validated

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP here, a revelation was that almost all of Trader Joe's food has instructions for (and recommends) using a conventional oven to heat. It takes a few minutes more, but it's not like you have to be there for any part of it. I go fold laundry or whatever. Costco stuff tends to be 50/50, either explicitly NOT good for the microwave, or unheatable without a microwave. Wegmans is pretty non-microwave oriented.

You use your oven for convenience foods. Oven is better for frozen meal stuff. I use my oven for that too. I prefer a microwave for melting butter and chocolate. Heating milk lightly for bread recipes. Thawing corn, peas. Heating homemade leftovers. I can use the same dish for heating that I eat with so it saves dishes. I would have to hand wash a lot more using the stove top. It also takes much longer on the stove. We do not have top of the line instantly heating stoves.

[Anonymous]

DS is the only one who uses it. We had lived somewhere for a few years that didn't have one and got used to it and found that when we moved back to the states, we never really went back to using one. It's convenient for DS and we would rather him use it when he's alone vs the stove or oven until he's a bit older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I use mine multiple times a day and don't think too much about how long to put things in for.

Corn - 4 minutes
Reheating chicken - 45 seconds, then flip and 30 seconds
Popcorn - 2 - 2.5 minutes
Rice - 90 seconds
Chinese food - 45 seconds, stir and 30 seconds

I will reheat soup on the stove.

I'd be SUPER careful reheating rice. I don't FULLY understand the toxin thing, but I don't really want anything to do with reheated rice.

I guess I don’t either. I reheat rice in the microwave all the time as part of leftovers, and have for 20 years. Pretty sure every normal person reheats rice in the microwave. Whats the big deal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t use my microwave that much but for things like frozen peas, frozen corn, reheating leftovers, melting butter, etc. - I strongly prefer microwave to stovetop. Also for warming up my coffee!

The trick to heating frozen peas and corn on the stovetop is to not cook it for more than, like 2 minutes. Def a stove over a microwave option.

As far as melting butter, I just put it in a bowl on top of my stove while I preheat the oven and it usually takes care of it.

Right but I can microwave peas in 2 mins without the need to boil water. Similarly, I can melt butter in 30 seconds. So I’m going to use the microwave.

You shouldn't use much water to boil peas. The whole process takes less than 4 minutes. It's not hard.

It's nice if you find the microwave useful, but it hardly seems worth buying one to do peas 180 seconds faster.

It’s more than 180 seconds, but if you’ve ever fed toddlers you’d know that 180 seconds is reason enough!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t use my microwave that much but for things like frozen peas, frozen corn, reheating leftovers, melting butter, etc. - I strongly prefer microwave to stovetop. Also for warming up my coffee!

The trick to heating frozen peas and corn on the stovetop is to not cook it for more than, like 2 minutes. Def a stove over a microwave option.

As far as melting butter, I just put it in a bowl on top of my stove while I preheat the oven and it usually takes care of it.

What if you need the butter melted but you have nothing to bake?

Saucepan, stove on, 45-50 seconds.

A microwave can probably do it quicker, but doesn't seem worht buying one just to do that.

I can microwave butter in a tiny ramekin rather than dirtying a saucepan and needing to clean it.

Both ways create a dirty dish, they seem equally bad in terms of dirty dish results.

No. NP. If I microwave butter I can use a small ramekin that fits easily in the dishwasher without taking up much space. If I would use the stovetop I would end up hand washing the pan. We are a family that fills the dishwasher each day without tons of extra space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I moved to an apartment without a microwave and for the first two months I also felt like “wow I don’t really need this!” But then there were times where I was in a rush and it would have been helpful. I don’t know if OP has a stressful job or not, but during times of stress, not being able to reheat leftovers quickly left me stressed out.

I cook plenty on the stove/oven/Ip but yeah I also use the microwave.

OP here, a revelation was that almost all of Trader Joe's food has instructions for (and recommends) using a conventional oven to heat. It takes a few minutes more, but it's not like you have to be there for any part of it. I go fold laundry or whatever. Costco stuff tends to be 50/50, either explicitly NOT good for the microwave, or unheatable without a microwave. Wegmans is pretty non-microwave oriented.

I'm with you on the stress, but I found it was more of a mental issue—the actions are virtually identical (open the device door, put the food in, set timer, walk away, hear alarm, open door, take hot food out), it just is that the time between closing and opening the door was longer, and, on the whole, the food was better out of the oven.

Also, a pro-tip—pizza is best reheated in a non-stick frying pan on the stove. See Kenji Lopez's technique... it is, for the record, NOT easier than the microwave, but it makes it taste like it just came out of the box fresh.

Yes, Trader Joe’s stuff (and other convenience foods) have oven directions. But they certainly take more than “a few” more minutes. The frozen stuff takes upwards of 40 min in the oven. And that’s after it’s preheated. Versus 3 min in microwave

[Anonymous]

This is the dumbest form of snobbery.