[derefr]

To reheat a "decent meal"†, you usually need to microwave the components of it separately, since they'll have very different thermal masses. And if you're doing that, each individual component isn't going to take very long. One minute for this (2 presses), two minutes for that (4 presses). The overhead of swapping meal components in/out swamps the button-presses.

Plus, if there's any sauce in any components, you'll need to be stopping the timer every 2.5 minutes to stir it around, lest you get a sauce that starts boiling/burning in some parts while still being frozen/tepid in others.

† As in, "something better than a TV dinner." One of the main reasons (other than cost) that TV dinners generally have such strange/unpleasant/non-complementary side-dishes in them, is the fact that the components of the meal are chosen to all have matching reheat times. (And even then, many still have instructions requiring you take things out half-way to poke holes in plastic etc., to switch some meal-components from being both irradiated themselves while also being steamed by irradiated water, to only being directly irradiated.)

[crazygringo]

> such strange/unpleasant/non-complementary side-dishes

I'm curious, what's an example?

All the frozen dinners at my supermarket are a protein (beef, chicken, turkey) with a starch (noodles, mashed potatoes) and maybe frozen veggies. Often with sauce/gravy. All totally normal.

I'm struggling to imagine a strange/unpleasant side dish.

[mikestew]

Really, you find that peas-and-carrots combo not unpleasant? Maybe a normally fine veggie combination, but when frozen and then tossed in a microwave...

[chrisseaton]

I think peas and carrots are a pretty common vegetable combination even when fresh.

And of all vegetables these freeze and microwave pretty well!

[crazygringo]

I mean, it's perfectly pleasant. Delicious, even.

Also, freezing and then microwaving is literally indistinguishable from steaming fresh over hot water in a pot.

The whole point of freezing is that no flavor or nutrients are lost, only texture because cell walls burst -- but then you lose the crunchy texture because cell walls burst equivalently when steaming anyways, which is why freezing+microwaving works so well. Nothing is lost at all.

[ska]

Another way of looking at this is that in the best case frozen plus microwave veg mix can match up to a way of cooking fresh veggies that is easy but with bland results, and only that if you ignore texture....

I occasionally steam veg, but more often Blanche and then do something else with them, not something that works as well with frozen.

Also, losing texture isn't a small thing.

[OJFord]

Have you.. actually tried steaming something?

[crazygringo]

I've cooked various cuisines at home for decades, including a stint in a professional kitchen.

I'm not suggesting you microwave your shumai dumplings or your egg custard.

But for your standard fibrous veggies like peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, lima beans, etc.?

Yes, frozen plus microwaved vs. steamed yields identical results, provided you stir in the microwave every minute to avoid building up hot spots. It's just physics.

[OJFord]

Ok you've added 'fibrous' now, and to be honest of that list I've only steamed peas, but quickly realised I prefer boiling them if nothing else than because it's easier.

I tried kale in the microwave once (with a bit of water and covered in cling film (seran(?) wrap)) and it was awful.

To me at least 'stir in the microwave every minute to avoid building up hot spots' just isn't easier, I only use mine for defrosting/reheating things (I live alone so there's always multiple portions left over).

[OJFord]

If we're going down this route, 'Really, you find any microwave ready-meal in its entirety not unpleasant'?

[duskwuff]

I've had some microwaved meals that were really rather nice -- Saffron Road's Indian dishes are pretty good, for instance.