Slow death of the microwave :-) [General]

2014 Mar 20
qz.com

“As people become more health conscious, and more interested in cooking ‘fresh,’ that’s not helping microwaves,” Owen said. “It’s leading to lower sales.” The interest in cooking is more than a movement; it’s a national phenomenon. Even major grocery chains have noted upticks in sales as a result.

2014 Mar 20
Interesting article. I always thought of using microwaves more for the convenience of quickly cooking foods or reheating leftovers than cooking ready made frozen dinners. I admit to having a microwave and have rarely used it. I just use it to reheat leftovers when I have to rush off after dinner (which is rare) preferring to bake/steam/grill stuff. My sister and brother-in-law used to cook EVERYTHING in their micro when they first bought it (microwaved eggs and bacon are foul BTW) and even the most dedicated microwave users seemed to have abandoned it for other appliances. I like going to used book sales and am always amazed to see the amounts of microwave cookbooks that are for sale. (Not so much that they are there but that so many people bought them in the first place.) It looks like the fad is over.

2014 Mar 20
Jesus does not want us to use microwaves. They're so bad they must be evil.

Stephanie, creator of "Keeper of the Home", knows all about this.

For a good giggle, click here ---> www.keeperofthehome.org


2014 Mar 20
Captain Caper That article is a hoot! (On a technicality it was written by a contributing writer but I digress...)

Gotta love the writing style: "By the end of that year, I was convicted that it needed to go." I didn't realize getting rid of a microwave was something one could get convicted of...

2014 Mar 20
You can make the best/quickest hollandaise using a microwave. No double boiler required. Next thing they'll want me to throw out my mortar and pestle because I'm hurting the garlic and chili peppers.

"I made instant coffee in the microwave, it was ready 1 minute before I started"

2014 Mar 20
Sourdough, care to share your method?

2014 Mar 20
I think this thread needs to be reclassified in the SCIENCE category.

2014 Mar 20
On mythbusters they tested the myth that plants watered with water boiled in the microwave (and cooled) would not do as well. In fact they plants given microwaved water grew better. Weird. I would have expected no difference.

2014 Mar 20
You can make potato chips in the microwave.

allrecipes.com

2014 Mar 20
Felinefan, pretty much like:
www.food.com

Works like a charm, you just have to make sure to check it every 10 to 15 seconds and not overcook.

2014 Mar 21
Steven Wright?

2014 Mar 21
Thanks, Sourdough. I'll have to give it a try.

2014 Mar 21
Tree Pug - yes.

2014 Mar 21
I really only use them for reheating, frozen dinners the odd time, defrosting on a rare occasion, and popcorn on a blue moon, but I'd still consider it a must-have appliance in my kitchen. What else would I put on that shelf? Maybe my Breville mini oven that is my newest appliance that I use a ton. It saves sooo much time, with good results. It heats to 450 in about 6 mins (guess), while my Miele would take about 5 times that long. Ooops, sidetracked...squirrel!

2014 Mar 21
Something the microwave can do well is to get roasted potatoes and squashes (or name your fave root veg) a fast start. Put the unfortunate potato into the zapper for five minutes before finishing him off in the oven. Saves quite a lot of time. Plus you get a nicer more even texture.

2014 Mar 22
I wouldn't have thought that I used a microwave that much until I did without one for a month. I use it a lot to melt butter, to heat up maple, syrup, honey or to melt jams/jellies to make glazes or sauces. It's easier to put some honey and spices in a ramekin and nuke it, than to have to do it in a saucepan on the stovetop. I tend to use a steamer or the regular oven to reheat leftovers rather than a microwave, and even convenience dinners most of the time are better in a conventional oven. But I still don't want to be without my microwave.

2014 Mar 23
I've used the microwave to pre-heat green coffee beans before continuing the roast in a hot air popper. It produces a more consistent roast.