[splatcollision]

Have not had a microwave in our home for at least 16 years, and don’t ever feel like we are missing anything. There’s literally never any ordinary household situation that requires that fast heating. Just put your leftovers in a pan and stir them occasionally!

[jwlake]

A good modern microwave is a fairly magical device, most people don't know how to use it right though. It's definitely useful the more you read recipes that specifically use it. It's like not a top 10 device but its like #11.

Check out peeled steamed asparagus in the microwave, quick, beautiful and delicious.

[notbeuller]

I had never trusted the automatic “reheat” options that a lot of microwaves have had for years, until just recently I tried it out for reheating some chicken and pasta - and it really did a decent job. They’ve obviously iterated. (I don’t even know the model, but it’s a larger one probably two years old that I bought at goodwill for $30)

[wtallis]

A lot depends on whether the microwave oven has a humidity sensor, and how that data is used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiS27feX8o0

[hmmdar]

I know it's a bit of a meme but I was always curious to try out some of the recipes in the "Microwave cooking for one" recipe book.

https://www.microwavecookingforone.com/

[ufo]

I also use my microwave to steam vegetables. It's more energy efficient than in the stove.

[tzs]

It's also great for reheating frozen rice. I make 14 servings in my rice cooker (I'm using a serving size where 1 serving is about 200 calories) and then freeze them in individual freezer bags.

They will keep fine that way for months. Food Network says 6 months but I've never taken more than 2 months to use 14 bags so don't know how accurate that is.

To use I take one or two of the frozen bags, empty them into a large microwave-safe bowl, add a little bit of water, and cover. Microwave for 3 minutes on high in my 1200 watt microwave, or 4 minutes if I used two bags.

[Our_Benefactors]

I admit that it’s mostly convenience. But there are some things you can only do with a microwave.

Popcorn during a short commercial break (stovetop popcorn is way way more involved)

Melted butter (using a saucepan is NOT more convenient than just melting it directly in a measuring glass)

Mug brownies

[chongli]

Commercial break? I can’t remember the last time I saw one of those!

For popcorn there’s a third option: get an air popper! They’re fast and convenient, make great popcorn, and allow you to precisely control how much fat you add (since they don’t use fat to pop)!

[Our_Benefactors]

But then I have a kitchen gadget ONLY for making popcorn. The microwave is multifunctuonal.

I don’t see many actual commercials anymore but I do value being able to get up during a movie with other people and make popcorn without asking them to pause or missing much context.

Maybe I’m weird in this way but pausing movies breaks my immersion, even if I miss a bit of context while I’m out of the room.

[chongli]

The key is to find the perfect moment to pause. Usually this is at the end of an act, during the fade-out.

Are you a fan of Alton Brown? He seems to be at the vanguard in the war against “unitaskers”. I would imagine he’d make his popcorn in a pot with oil, though!

[splatcollision]

Stovetop popcorn is superior in all ways end of story.

[Our_Benefactors]

No, it takes longer, it’s messier, it’s less consistent.

You can make the argument that the end product is better, but that it’s superior in “all ways” doesn’t pass the sniff test even a little.

[mrfox321]

You don't want faster solutions? Even when you really need to value your time?

[jpgvm]

No OP but personally I don't like to nuke things. Not because I'm scared of microplastics or radio waves or any nonsense but precisely because I value my time - the time I spend cooking and in the kitchen is some of the best time of the day.

I much prefer to spend 5-10 minutes bringing leftovers back to life in the pan, maybe adding some extra water or balancing the seasoning as I do so than chucking it in the microwave and hoping for the best.

Essentially instead of being time I minimize it's time I value more than what I would be doing otherwise (usually coding).

Mind you I work from home and have the luxury of plenty of time to prepare the majority of my meals and am definitely a "foodie" so it's unlikely this is for everyone, just my perspective.

[splatcollision]

Thanks for taking the time to explain my position in more detail, this resonates.

[lr4444lr]

Soup? Thick cut of meat already seared? Melting cheese?

[splatcollision]

Stovetop. Slice meat and re-sear in cast iron pan and serve on toasted bread. Oh I don’t have a toaster either!

[throw__away7391]

Warming up with sous vide can restore most meats to be nearly indistinguishable from fresh from the oven/grill, however I've gotten worried lately about the heated plastic bags.

[polishdude20]

Why don't you have a microwave?

[HeyLaughingBoy]

Maybe "I don't use a microwave" is becoming the new "I don't watch TV."

[jpgvm]

I don't really do either on a regular basis...

I never watched TV growing up and by the time I got money to buy my own already developed habits that didn't include TV. I have a big TV for watching films and some occasional YouTube however. I really enjoy films.

I own a microwave but I rarely use it. I cook most of my meals fresh. I might use it for reheating something or melting some butter maybe once a month. Most of my meals are cooked in the oven or pan. I love to cook though so batching cooking up just so you can zap things throughout the week isn't something that appeals to me, etc.

So not really conscious decisions, just two things I don't really do. Am I really that weird?

[HeyLaughingBoy]

No, you're not weird. For a while, some people made a point of saying that they didn't watch TV as some kind of strange virtue signaling/position of snobbery and I got the same feeling from the GP statement.

[revertmean]

Well, young people don't really watch that much TV these days. Why would they? I mean, you have to choose a channel and then you're watching the same thing for ages, like 25 minutes or something. Boring! And you have to sit there with your family for that whole time. I guess it's ok if you're really old and can't move very much, though that seems like a kind of torture where you can't move so you have to keep watching the same thing over and over.

[splatcollision]

Because I value cooking as it’s own art, not something that needs to be disrupted and optimized.

[treve]

It takes 1 minute to heat up many meals and there is no cleanup or gas in the air.