Microwaveless

[dream_017]

Ditch my atomic oven? you talk crazy, loco-man! I use mine too much for little things. I'm very 'conventional' oven-wise and do most cooking myself but the 'wave still is handy for the things you mentioned, as well as heating water for tea, and the occasional boston market or marie calendar's frozen dinner when I'm just feeling lazy.

I have a separate stand for it so it doesn't take up counter space. In fact, the stand holds the microwave, toaster, toaster oven, and has hooks to hold the most commonly used pots and pans, and cabinet space underneath for the largest kitchen items like a stock pot, crock pot, casserole dishes, etc., so it's really not in the way and indeed adds alot of storage to the kitchen in a free-standing, out of the way manner.

I suppose I could get by without a 'wave of course. It is a PITA to clean, that's for sure.

So, who here is old enough to remember the days before the advent of the microwave? I remember when I was a kid and we first got one. I immediately learned how to burn such things as mac and cheese, franks and beans, and my hand. It even came with a radiation detector, which I've still not figure out why.

As much as you cook real food, if you use the cro-wave this much, other people really need to consider whether it is a good idea to ditch it or not.

We have two young kids, so it is great for Spaghettios and hot dogs. Plus, while I HATE the microwave for full cooking, it is good to start some stuff in there, like Corn Dogs and Frozen Pancakes for my boys and Jimmy Deans for me to get them defrosted and then they go in the Toaster Oven to get fully cooked - that way they aren't spongy and chewy. I also make my own meatballs and tomato sauce (gravy for you other Eye-talians) and it doesn't detract from the flavor or consistency to microwave that stuff if I want to reheat it. Come to think of it, reheating a lot of other "real" cooked food is good, too. Chili, chicken dishes, etc. My wife likes the nuker for soup, but I think it screws with the consistency a bit, so I always put mine on the stove in a small pot.

I also have 2 young ones and you point out a couple of examples that I have used in the past week. My son asked for a hot dog the other day and it didn't take much more time to put a little water in a pot and heat it than it used to with the micro. We also made meatballs last week and I have been re-heating them on the stove - again not much extra time or mess to do so - and although I agree that the micro did not mess with the taste - they seemed a lot tastier from the stove

[joejlitz]

I also have 2 young ones and you point out a couple of examples that I have used in the past week. My son asked for a hot dog the other day and it didn't take much more time to put a little water in a pot and heat it than it used to with the micro. We also made meatballs last week and I have been re-heating them on the stove - again not much extra time or mess to do so - and although I agree that the micro did not mess with the taste - they seemed a lot tastier from the stove

I never seem to have enough tomato sauce, so the problem I always have reheating my meatballs on the stove is that it usually takes more tomato sauce than I'd like to use.

[Dan Lambskin]

i am going to start churning my own butter...convienience be dammed

[Guru13]

i am going to start churning my own butter...convienience be dammed

Hah, hilarious.

[moochman]

I'll get rid of my microwave when they pry my radioactive hands off of it. It has become a fixture in my life, not a matter of convience as much as it is a matter of common sense. Hot dogs happily come glowing out of the nuke long before they are even room temp on the stovetop.
Give up the microwave, geez. What's next, Dream? giving up your remote contol to clear up space on your coffee table?

[dream_017]

Well, it has been over a month and no issues - don't even miss it. Any food that we have had to re-heat has tasted better than from the micro and hasn't taken as long as you would expect to re-heat.

I'll never give up the remote, you'll have to pry it from my dead hand

[joejlitz]

Hot dogs happily come glowing out of the nuke long before they are even room temp on the stovetop.

But grilled dogs taste so much better.

[scottaa1]

Hot dogs happily come glowing out of the nuke long before they are even room temp on the stovetop.

But grilled dogs taste so much better.

I haven't used the wave for the past week since everything has gone on the grill I think I could live without a wave alot more easily in the summer.

[Metroid]

I saw this thread a few weeks ago and decided to track my microwave usage. What I've discovered is that in 3 weeks I've used my microwave for warming up a cup of coffee a that had cooled and to make popcorn twice. That's it. Really, those 3 usages in 3 weeks make it totally worth it to me. I'm not going to reheat my coffee in the oven, and I'm too lazy to make popcorn on the stove top. Haha.

[dream_017]

I saw this thread a few weeks ago and decided to track my microwave usage. What I've discovered is that in 3 weeks I've used my microwave for warming up a cup of coffee a that had cooled and to make popcorn twice. That's it. Really, those 3 usages in 3 weeks make it totally worth it to me. I'm not going to reheat my coffee in the oven, and I'm too lazy to make popcorn on the stove top. Haha.

Heat it on the stove , not in the oven

I have a hot air popper for popcorn - melt the butter on the stove