Why have a Microwave Oven...

[Christine Animal]

I know this sounds mad, because you have all probably got one, but we have never had a microwave oven.  Sometimes I see them "en promotion" and think, well at that price I'll get one.  But then I don't really know what I would use it for.  I know they are quicker with frozen foods, which we hardly ever use either, or for heating up a cold cup of coffee, etc.  But what else are they really good for?

I have had a look here and found some other suggestions   http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art27624.asp

But do any of you have any really useful and original ways of using one, apart from cooking or heating things up quicker, something that would mean you couldn't do without one?

 

[Rob Roy]

I find mine invaluable for defrosting when I have forgotten to get the meat out of the freezer in time for dinner! I also cook a lot of my vegetables in it as it retains the colour and flavour better (I don't have one of those fancy steamer thingys) and I couldn't live without it for making white sauces and scrambled eggs - much easier IMHO than standing at the cooker stirring what's in the saucepan. Also as you mention above heating up a cup of coffee when you have made a lot that's not been used.

[PossumGirl]

Christine, you are not alone!  I don't have one either.

I DID have one in L.A. though, and mostly used it for defrosting and reheating.  I have toyed with the idea of getting one as well, but it would have to be a multifunction, as I have very little kitchen space and don't want to waste it.  Since I don't like the grill in my oven, I thought a really hot one in a microwave would be useful.

PG

[Alexis]

I bought one only last year for re-heating OH's supper when he worked shifts. 

Then he fell ill and now doesn't work....

I use it for melting jelly cubes!  Otherwise it is another 'shelf' in the kitchen.  I also put the roasted meat in when it is warm after lunch and it is too hot to go into the fridge and there might be a dirty FLY around just waiting to land...

I'm one of these people who cook everything from scratch.  Sauces are easy to do and scrambled egg done in the microwave is just disgusting.  My daughter does it like that.  Horrible.  With a nice non-stick pan, you don't even have to leave it to soak for a fortnight like in the good old days.[;-)]

It is a sod to clean too.

[Catalpa]

I think the value of a microwave depends on your style of cooking and frequency. I use mine a lot for:

- Softening butter when it comes straight from the fridge and I need it for cakes or similar (plan ahead? Nah...)

- Melting chocolate for mousses etc

- Heating fresh berry fruit to get them to bursting juiciness before I puree them for icecreams or use them in a crumble.

- Steeping dried fruit in alcohol quickly - 10 minutes on 30% plus cooling down time makes for very juicy, flavourful (rum, whisky, brandy...) not-so-dried fruit

- Basic white sauce - obviously there's no value in using the microwave for a basic brown sauce but for a light and fluffy white / cheese sauce in 4 mins, the microwave is brilliant. I assemble this fresh from the basics - butter, flour milk (or stock) - not a packet mix.

- Occasionally use it for cooking vegetables... steaming them really. Cabbage for eg cooks with no added water...

I never ever use it for cooking meat, fish, etc... except: I've an old microwave which is combined with a fan oven and grill. If I'm in a hurry and want to cook a chicken from fresh, I cook it on combination. 250 deg C + 30% microwave cooks a medium sized chicken well in about 35-40 minutes and it tastes "roast" not microwaved.

It's a useful bit of kit that I use regularly, especially so while we've been renovating and my cooking facilities have been limited. When my current 10 years+old combination microwave dies, I will definitely get a cheap and cheerful "throwaway" for all the reasons above.

[Lori]

I use mine for the same things Catalpa listed.  I also find that if you like a frothy milk on your coffee, if you take cold milk and put it in a microwaveable pot, blend the milk for about 10 seconds with a hand blender and then put it in the microwave for about 35 seconds you will have EXCELLENT frothy milk to put on top of your double espresso (you will need to use a microwave container tall enough to handle the rising up of the milk).  I do it every morning. 

Oh and I still like the occasional microwave popcorn...I've never been able to pop corn on the stove top and have it turn out as good as micro popcorn.

 

 

[Anton Redman]

We have a cheap combine with a grill function :

Salvaging yesterdays croissents, pain aux raisins etc.

Dealing with which ever incredient is not quite ready when doing 'a full English' - ditto for real cooking

Pizzas or what ever else when you get in at 9:30 pm after a long drive

Porridge / Ready Brek - I can boil the breakfast early but if I get up at  4 am these days I want to get back into bed at 4:30 and these days if I am in bed and awake at 4:30 food is not high on my wish list

Given a microwave with grill and one electric ring ( we have 60 year old Belling) I do not think there is much I cannot cook.

If and only if you like vegatables Al Dente they can be good news.  

I have a lot more problems with why anybody wants an AGA. Visits to friends when we ( AKA me because I like meat French style) were eating pink lamb at 2 am. rest of party wrere still waiting for meet to cook AKA burn at 3 am.

[Russethouse]

I lke it for cooking white fish, and veg too, peas particularly.

The thing we use lots is a George Foreman grill - love it !

[KathyC]

Very useful for putting the remains of the joint in to keep the cats off while it cools down. Otherwise reheating drinks and softening butter. Depends how much space you've got.

[chris pp]

We are another "don't have one" house, we seem to manage OK.

So, no help from us Christine.

Chris

[Christine Animal]

Yes, I'm still not really convinced of the need for one, not for us anyway.  Like Alexis, it might end up as more of a shelf or a cupboard...

Thank you for all the replies so far, I can imagine it must be good for fish and vegetables.  I know it's the youngsters' way of "cooking", all they need is a freezer and a microwave.

 

[TWINKLE]

I haven't got one either - I've always been a bit afraid of them! 

What you've never had you don't miss - that's my motto.

[Russethouse]

If I had the choice I'd go for my grill - I use it daily. Also love my slow cooker...........

[Dick Smith]

Heating John West tinned kippers...

[Rob Roy]

"I'm one of these people who cook everything from scratch.  Sauces are easy to do and scrambled egg done in the microwave is just disgusting.  My daughter does it like that.  Horrible.  With a nice non-stick pan, you don't even have to leave it to soak for a fortnight like in the good old days"

Sorry Alexis, but I can't agree. I don't know what your daughter does to her eggs, but I would defy anyone to know the difference with mine, whether they were from a saucepan or glass bowl in the microwave [:)] They come out lovely and creamy and fluffy.

(And by the way I also cook everything from scratch, not from packets.)

[Alexis]

I don't know what she does with them.  Very solid!

I only have myself to blame.  I should have taught her to cook and then not sent her to a boy's boarding school.  It was always quicker to do it myself.  Then, of course, if both of them didn't eat within two minutes of arriving from (pre-boarding) school, there was always a chance that they would die of starvation.

Still, she did learn to play rugby at school...

 

[Catalpa]

[quote user="Alexis"]I only have myself to blame.  I should have taught her to cook and then not sent her to a boy's boarding school. [/quote]

Hmmm. Have you ever had the sense your daughter has condemned you for showing this appalling lack of judgement? [:-))][:D]

[PossumGirl]

I've actually just come up with a reason to have a microwave!  I'm becoming a Tupperware lady and now instead of the traditional parties they have cooking workshops where you go to someone's house and have the guests make several recipes using the Tupperware products.  I noticed that a lot of the recipes are microwave recipes, so I'm going to have to test them out before making them for other people.  Wouldn't it be embarrassing to try to sell Tupperware and burn down someone's house or poison their guests????

I guess this is the push I need to make me go out and get one, unless one of my neighbors will let me borrow theirs.

PG

[Russethouse]

Ah PG, I have been there, done that and got the T shirt, the free tupperware, the teasmade, the garden chairs etc. I think Mrs Miki may have done too..........pre microwave days though - we had to shake oil and flour around and make Pizza dough [:)][:)]

Have fun!!

 

[PossumGirl]

Well, in my mispent youth, I did Avon, which I didn't care for all that much.  I'm not sure how the Tupperware thing will work out, given that I'm not naturally "perky" and don't do rah-rah sessions.  I'm not actually a curmudgeon, rather more of a cynic with a warped sense of humor.  I may not be cut out for the Tupperware "lifestyle" because of that.

Still, us writers don't exactly make the big bucks, so it would be a good way to help pay for the groceries if I can hack it.

I've heard about that pizza dough thing.  I wouldn't mind trying it, if it really works!

PG

[Russethouse]

Yep - done Avon too !

It was years ago when I did Tupperware, my daughter was small and MIL used to look after her on a Monday morning while I went to a 'meeting' We had to stand up & clap when the distributors came in, and there were  prizes for individual sales, recruiting new members, team sales etc - it was like a religion ...........don't worry, I think its changed now.....

The nicest thing I ever sold was Usborne books - they are a quality product and not as pushy a company as some of the others.

[opas]

Sounds like ASDA when they went Walmart!  I can never sing to `Reach for the stars` now without doing the Asda version.

And new recruits have to `team build` by designing a uniform...........out of bin liners!  all this to throw shopping down a checkout and take insults from customers, ah those were the days[:-))]

[PossumGirl]

Okay.  Anything like that and I"m outta there!!!

PG

[Mandrau]

The one thing noone has mentioned yet is microwaves do a great jacket potato.

[Christine Animal]

Thanks Mandrau, that's good to know.   [:)]