[throwaway494932]

Microwaves are great a two things (and little else...): warm up liquids and make popcorn. Neither are properly done by an air fryer.

I have both tools and they have completely different uses.

edit: both sport 7-segment digits though

[jimmydddd]

I think maybe the original killer app for microwaves was baked potatoes? An hour to cook in a conventional oven. 5 minutes in a microwave. But maybe no one eats those anymore?

[acuozzo]

I eat one on most nights. I wouldn't without my microwave oven.

[Izkata]

I haven't tried that, but my guess would be the same problem as most solids in a microwave - uneven heating / cold spots. That's why liquids and popcorn work so well, liquids mix themselves up and the unpopped kernels fall to the bottom of the bag.

[CTOSian]

I have one (800w) that takes about 5min to cook a potato (200gr), the manual suggests "once the potatoes are cooked, wrap them in tin foil for at least 5 minutes to cook through" but I just cook one wrapped with baking paper.

[shrx]

Also defrosting

[wormius]

Tina's. Burritos.

I am a worm of class.

[silisili]

Technically popcorn is just warming up liquids as well. I'd say that's all it's good at, which happens to have a handful of usecases(some frozen meals, popcorn, melting cheese, heating leftovers).

[ok_dad]

Technically all microwave oven use is warming up liquid if you want to get down to the basics.