WTF is wrong with microwaves?

[TMS]

Huh?

She posted a picture of the space where the microwave used to be, which is above her stove. The stove and surrounding areas shown in the picture could really use a good scrubbing. It looks disgusting.

[gezykah]

Maybe her husband thought a microwave made is easier for her to spend less time slaving away in the kitchen for him?

[twin2]

A comment:

Looks great! I just started reading your blog. What are the reasons you stopped using the microwave? I don't like to use mine much but would love some good data to back up my decision. Thanks!

Please, Zsu or Latisha "answer" this question. Then it allows me to break out my rant on visible radiation.

I don't care if someone decides to live with or without a microwave. What I do care about is when the produce blatantly false science to back up their decision not to use a microwave. Scientifically speaking there is nothing wrong with a microwave. From a culinary standpoint, they don't cook food as well as conventional methods.

[maybeizfundie]

I really missed our microwave when we moved and it took a while to replace it.

I don't like cooking in it (for me micro-cooked food just turns out meh, in comparison to cooking on a skillet or in the oven). But we often have leftovers and it is a fabulous thing to be able to reheat them for lunch without having to stand over a hot stove making sure they don't burn or overcook.

This is another weirdness not exclusive to fundies. I get that some unstable plastics can be a problem in the microwave, but the thing itself, I do not believe that it "destroys" nutrients anymore than any other way of cooking, nor that it somehow puts off enough radiation to cause cancer.

[mirele]

As a single adult, I find the microwave indispensible. Yes, I can (and have, and do) cook up meals, but you know, to make it economical, you have to cook what for me are several meals. I get tired after about meal #3. Hence, the microwave.

[contrary]

that first picture of stevie is downright scary.

[dawbs]

If I didn't have a microwave, I couldn't have single-serving bread-pudding at midnight when I'm waiting for the husband (who detests bread pudding) to get home at night.

I'd die :)

http://www.instructables.com/id/5-Minut ... g-for-One/

[BlackHawk]

If I didn't have a microwave, I couldn't have single-serving bread-pudding at midnight when I'm waiting for the husband (who detests bread pudding) to get home at night.

I'd die :)

http://www.instructables.com/id/5-Minut ... g-for-One/

I'm just gonna say you have made my morning. Seriously, happiest boy around right now.

[fundiefan]

The convenience of the microwave is not something I am willing to give up until legitimate, repeatable, verifiable science tells me I am killing myself. I could just say that since I am single I do a lot of reheating - which is true; I cook one meal and have leftovers to reheat for a couple of days afterwards because cooking for one isn't a skill I have mastered. I buy & eat frozen convenience foods. My life would simply be very inconvenient and a pain in the ass without it and life is difficult enough, I see no reason not to take advantage of things that make basics a little easier and more convenient.

I do not 'cook' in it, since like others have said I don't go for the rubbery, sometimes weird texture it creates in food because of the quick cooking. I do reheat, often. I do put frozen stuff and leftovers in it daily. It's awesome for the steam-able bags of frozen vegetables that are so prevalent lately. I can't keep fresh on hand all the time because I rarely eat it before it goes bad, so I buy fresh for specific meals when I know I'm going to use it and an average day when I throw something together, those frozen veggies are fabulous.

I do not think I am a lesser person or a more special person for having and using my microwave and I make no character judgment at all towards what others choose. It is kind of an irrelevant thing to me. Use it, don't use it. Who cares. Your choice and that choice doesn't make you better/smarter/more special/anything else. It really is of no more importance than what brand of toilet paper you choose to use in your home.

[Deleted03]

I've lived for several stretches of time without it and never burnt a pan reheating stuff. I don'T like water or milk heated in it, I think it gives a weird taste. I like it though for my magic bag but I guess I could just buy a thing with hot water in it... When I havea microwave I use it... I guess it's something I could easily live without. Granted I don't have 6 kids.

I read a recent study saying that after 2 min, vitamins get degraded in the microwave so I always try to limit re-heating to that...

[clibbyjo]

We got rid of ours. I was only using it to defrost meat and it wasn't doing it evenly at that.

I just loathe the way food tastes out of one. No judgement, just don't need one.

However, take away my kitchenaid mixer and my ice cream maker, and i'll cut you. For real.

Kitchen Aid and Vitamix for me,I have a dehydrator too which I use,but the other 2 are my top appliances.

[dawbs]

I'm just gonna say you have made my morning. Seriously, happiest boy around right now.

May I suggest you add chocolate chips to the recipe? unless you're eating it for breakfast, when I suggest adding applesauce .

[Deleted03]

Kitchen Aid and Vitamix for me,I have a dehydrator too which I use,but the other 2 are my top appliances.

oooooo I want a kitchen aid!!!

[BlackHawk]

May I suggest you add chocolate chips to the recipe? unless you're eating it for breakfast, when I suggest adding applesauce .

Wait you're saying I can legitimately get away with eating this for breakfast? YAY. I don't know that I can get happier!

[almostfundylyte]

that first picture of stevie is downright scary.

It reminds me of the guy in the Amityville Horror, maybe its the crazy eyes.

[MonkeyMomma]

However, take away my kitchenaid mixer and my ice cream maker, and i'll cut you. For real.

Word.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

As a single adult, I find the microwave indispensible. Yes, I can (and have, and do) cook up meals, but you know, to make it economical, you have to cook what for me are several meals. I get tired after about meal #3. Hence, the microwave.

I hear ya. I like to make soup from scratch (on an open flame stove), also various stews and roasts in the crockpot from scratch. If I'm making it, I make a lot (my crockpot "serves 12"). The microwave is great for reheating these things. The office microwave means I can take soup for lunch.

Cooking from scratch in a microwave is certainly doable (there are entire cookbooks about it in Japan, including how you can make baked goods in some microwaves) but it really depends on what it is you're trying to make. I learned to cook on a regular stove and mostly still do, but for reheating stuff (things that work well being reheated at all, which is definitely not all food) the microwave is a great time saver.

[Maggie Mae]

I must be weird, because I HATED the kitchen aid my mom bought me, and It ended up on craigslist. It was too cumbersome to clean and it took up a lot of counter space leading to clutter. Also my idea of baking involves breaking apart pre made cookie dough squares, and half making it to the oven. :D

I use the microwave less often than I did as a teen, but for somethings it's just a lot easier.

[Austin]

I won't allow microwave popcorn because of the fats and oils and crap. I make the kids use a hot air popper and if they want butter then they can melt in the microwave where it is only butter instead of chemical butter. I have problems with fake food, not in how its cooked. :shhh:

Thank you, LPL. Now I can tell my sons that there is another mom out there who does not allow microwave popcorn. Besides the crap that's in it, it literally makes me nauseated every time I smell it. It's an artifact from my pregnancy with the twins (at least that's when it started). I do not have this reaction with stove-popped corn, just the microwave stuf, so I think it must be the chemicals in it. I have such a strong physical reaction that no one in my office will make microwave popcorn (I work with nice people :) ) because they know it affects me. Ugghhhhh. . .

[Deleted03]

Thank you, LPL. Now I can tell my sons that there is another mom out there who does not allow microwave popcorn. Besides the crap that's in it, it literally makes me nauseated every time I smell it. It's an artifact from my pregnancy with the twins (at least that's when it started). I do not have this reaction with stove-popped corn, just the microwave stuf, so I think it must be the chemicals in it. I have such a strong physical reaction that no one in my office will make microwave popcorn (I work with nice people :) ) because they know it affects me. Ugghhhhh. . .

there were several articles a while back about people who eat lots of microwave popcorn on a regular basis, developing a particular lung illness related to the "butter" powder

[pebbles]

I just cashed in my debit card points and got a brand new Sharp Full Size Microwave oven. Can the congregation say Right on? It's wonderful.

Hallelujah! I'm so happy for you ;)

Remember everyone, do your research! And by research I mean don't mean peer reviewed medical/scientific journals, I mean one website a random lunatic in the middle of nowhere knocked up. Don't let Big Pharma ruin your children's lives!

[Boogalou]

So, in conclusion, nothing "unhealthy" about microwaves. Sigh. The stuff some people will believe astounds me. I am all for some people just not liking them for whatever reason but I cannot stand all this made up science and I am SOOOOOOOOOO much better than everyone else in the whole world. This also makes me feel really bad for the one commenter who likes to use her microwave for heating up her corn heat pack thingy. I want to tell her to stop worrying so much and just keep the microwave. It seems as if some people just like to make life harder for themselves for no real reason.

I like microwaves in the summer because it will heat things up without raising the temperature in the kitchen a thousand degrees. I also like it for heating up milk to use in hot chocolate. I also like it for ..... microwave popcorn.... mmm, I actually really love that stuf.

[latraviata]

A comment:

Please, Zsu or Latisha "answer" this question. Then it allows me to break out my rant on visible radiation.

I don't care if someone decides to live with or without a microwave. What I do care about is when the produce blatantly false science to back up their decision not to use a microwave. Scientifically speaking there is nothing wrong with a microwave. From a culinary standpoint, they don't cook food as well as conventional methods.

Hear, hear on all points!!

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Wow, someone else! I don't know what it is about microwave popcorn either, but I just can't stand the smell. I quite enjoy both stove popped popcorn and the stuff you get at movies or the corner store from those big commercial poppers (without the "sauce" on it, but it's seasoned yellow already) but just something about the the prepackaged bag stuff for the microwave just smells awful to me.

That said though... if you like air-popped popcorn, you can make it in your microwave. Just get a plain paper bag, put some raw popcorn in it, roll over the top a few times, and put it in the microwave. It will pop in there. It will start slow, go fast, then when things get back below one pop a second or so, take it out. The popcorn won't have ANY sauce on it (it's dry, just like any air-popped), so if you want to put spices on it you will probably want to toss it in a bit of oil or butter afterward.

[takers401]

For those that don't use a microwave, how do you heat up leftover lasagna that's not in the original pan? For example, my husband takes a serving to work for lunch the next day. How would he heat this up? Truly curious!