Do you have a microwave?

[Beauchamp]

I've been starting to read about how bad microwaves are. Do you believe that it's always bad to use one, or just when the food is in plastic containers? I don't think I could convince my DH to get rid of our microwave. Did you get rid of yours? How was the transition?

[Cuau]

We do not have a microwave. We moved and we just simply couldn't afford to get a new one (long distance move). We do have a small electric oven though, but we don't use it that much.
It has not been that hard, after all there was life before the microwave.

[laohaire]

I don't have any facts or any figures to back up my hesitation to use the microwave. And I'm not that strict - if I'm at my mom's house, I don't mind eating food from the microwave at all. But I just don't like it in my house. I didn't need any more reasons than that, since it's not like it's dangerous to live without a microwave.

What do you usually use the microwave for? Do you reheat leftovers? Buy prepared foods that are intended for the microwave? Thaw meat? That will make it easier to give advice on transition. For us, we don't miss it at all, though I do admit the ability to reheat food is nice.

[Beauchamp]

Yes, lots of leftovers, reheating coffee. DH will "steam" veggies in the microwave. We don't buy a lot of food that is intended for the microwave for cooking, except some steam-in-bag kind of frozen veggies. I stopped buying microwave popcorn, although I'm sure my DH wants me to keep buying it. Hmm...also for things like softening up butter for baking. Well, and I guess the occasional heating up (original cooking) of a side item for a meal, like beans or something. Lately I've been cooking my rice in the microwave, since I got rid of my plastic steamer.

I usually thaw my meat in the fridge.

[Drummer's Wife]

We do have a microwave (it's a built-in, and also doubles as a convection oven) - but, we did go without for some time (maybe 6 mos to a year? I can't recall exactly), and we got by just fine. I got used to re-heating things in the oven or on the stove, and it really wasn't a big deal. We honestly don't eat a lot of leftovers, so ours now gets used mostly for defrosting meat and heating my rice sock. Every once in a while I'll stick a couple baked potatoes in there.

[cristeen]

I have one, but it hasn't been used in over a year. And for at least a year before that it was used only for heating rice packs during the winter.

I will not knowingly eat microwaved food.

[busymama77]

We just replaced ours last December from one that we had for 6 years. We steams a lot of veggies in it, TV dinners, heating up leftovers, hot chocolate, etc., It just works well for our family.

[lucyem]

We have one. We only have one because we shut off our stove in the warmer months and need another cooking option. (Our cook stove heats the kitchen) This year we are buying a regular stove and I am planning on moving the microwave out of my kitchen. Except during the summer I never use the microwave. Even my DH only uses it once a month or less to reheat some food.

[ElaynesMom]

We haven't had a microwave for maybe 2 months now. Our microwave stopped working and I'm too cheap to spend the 60 dollars for a new one when it's not necessary for me to cook. I occasionally miss having it, but I'm managing just fine. We may get another one someday, but for now I just reheat things on the stove or in the oven.

[sunnysandiegan]

We actually have TWO microwaves right now and have for almost a year.

We've had DH's from college since we met. *I* hardly ever use it. He uses it to defrost chicken. I'm guessing we both use it randomly for other things.

Anyway, I have always wanted to replace it with a micro-hood (range hood over the stove that is a built-in microwave) for space reasons. DH won't give up the microwave, even if he rarely uses it.

So, last May we had a major flood. We worked hard to balance out upgrades and DIY. Turning lemons into lemonade thinking... We replaced the range finally and also got a micro-hood. My dad is an electrician and he helped us install it. He told us the power in that area was not enough for the new microwave, but this was near the end of 9 long weeks of living only upstairs. I didn't care at the time. I just wanted to be done with the missing drywall and drywall dust, etc. and live in our whole house again and have a KITCHEN. I had him convert the existing power into an outlet above the range and plug the darn thing in. Well, it only works on defrost (any length of time) or for 30 second intervals. Otherwise, it blows the circuit breaker. Under most circumstances, this would actually be fine in our family. However, DD had just turned 8 back then and had been starting to use the microwave herself a little bit here and there safely. She cannot reach the new microwave, so I consented to waiting until she could reach it before giving away the old one. Meanwhile, I still need to be willing to open up our kitchen wall and drill holes through our existing cabinets for my dad to wire the outlet above the range "better" for more normal use. (Share power with an existing outlet that has proper voltage. Due to its location, it rarely gets used.) In order to do it "to current code" properly, we'd have to rewire the entire house, which I am not willing to do. *MOST* older homes would need to be rewired completely in order to comply with "current code". Our particular home and our family's usage doesn't require the newer codes for safety nor convenience.

Anyway, two microwaves for a family of three who rarely use either one.

We have and all use the toaster oven far more than either microwave. We've been teaching DD to use this responsibly now that she is tall enough and understands about hot pads and electricity, etc. (She just turned 9.)

When we give the old microwave away (or it dies, which I am beginning to doubt it ever will ), I am considering also giving away our very small under-the-counter toaster oven and getting a "regular" size toaster oven. It could physically go where the older microwave is now and create more usable space in our kitchen. Or, I could put it where our Vitamix is and move the Vitamix to where the old microwave is. Either one would expand the kitchen's usability for three people quite a bit. Currently, the Vitamix, range/microhood, and toaster oven are all lined up in the only real workspace we have, which makes it difficult for more than one person to work at a time. If we used the old microwave to cook, that'd be one thing, but we don't, so it is a space hog for very little value.

[Tuesday]

We have one old microwave b/c DH insists on keeping it. I very rarely use it and if i do - to be truthful - it's only DH's food I heat in it! (He wants to keep it, he can eat the microwaved food!) Seriously, it can be helpful for last minute defrosts.

I'd always assumed microwaved food was "bad" and then i recall reading somewhere that microwaved vegetables actually contain the most nutrients in comparison with other cooking methods.

I could be quite wrong ... going to go research this last point!

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/health/17real.html

[gini1313]

We haven't had a microwave for... I don't know, 6 years now. Ours broke and we decided to wait to see if we missed it before replacing it. Pretty much the only time I have missed it was when I hurt my shoulder and wanted to heat up my rice bag in it.

We heat up left overs on the stove. I am a coffee snob and won't drink it reheated, but dh just does it on the stove as well.

Lol, one time we were buying microwave popcorn for a night at Grandma's house (since that is the only way she will make it) and ds told the cashier (in an awed voice) that Grandma has a microwave. Lol, the cashier said, "Well, I would hope she does." and looked SHOCKED when ds told her that we don't

[mommajb]

We don't have a microwave and haven't since mid 1998 with a very short exception in 2001. We went cold turkey by moving overseas and not getting one. I thought I would miss it but there were so many changes it wasn't one I noticed. We moved back and bought a house. The microwave was built in and worked but had a bad seal so it was replaced for safety reasons and then broke shortly thereafter. I gave up. We only missed it for popcorn but since microwave popcorn is so bad for you it wasn't so bad.

As to safety I haven't done my research because it doesn't mattetr to me since I don't have one.

[laohaire]

For the popcorn angle - DH recently brought home plain old popcorn in a bag. It's $1.13 for a big bag, and we apparently pay through the nose for groceries around here, so it's probably even cheaper somewhere else.

We grew up with the tinfoil-on-stovetop popcorn plus the air popper, so we didn't know how to do stovetop-in-a-pan popcorn. All I can say is, after we did the first batch, DH was confounded as to why anyone bothered to invent another way to make popcorn. It really could not have been easier, and it tasted great (we add butter to ours).

I'm new to meat but I see the allure in using the microwave to thaw it, you really have to plan ahead to thaw in the fridge. But I've never done it any other way. I'm sure it's harder for me because we don't eat meat much (maybe once every week or two); if we ate it every day I guess it would be a habit to always have something thawing.

Reheating stovetop and oven is pretty easy.

I cook rice on the stovetop but am looking to get a rice cooker again (aluminum-free this time).

We have not had a microwave oven since 2001 and it's really not a hardship.

[staceychev]

The only thing I haven't come up w/ an alternative for is my "hot" bag. I don't want to go back to using a hot water bottle because it doesn't fall over my shoulders as nicely when the pain is there.

As far as popcorn goes: I grew up with an air-popper and DH grew up cooking it on the stove. We do stove-cooked now, and it's awesome. Microwave popcorn doesn't hold a candle.

[fresh_veggie]

We don't have one. We are students (no kids yet) with very little countertop space, and when I cook I don't usually make enough for leftovers. When I make batches to freeze, it's food that can be steamed hot again (like veggie tamales) *(we don't eat meat). I haven't used one for my own food in about 3 years, and find it's not really necessary.

And yes, the danger of microwaves is a factor that will keep my from buying one in the future. Not too sure about the danger, but better safe than sorry if we're eating food from it.

I have a ricecooker that I use for almost everything that's cooked - veggies, rice, "boiled" eggs, and other steamed foods ALL go in there! I love that thing.

[zoebird]

we don't have one and i prefer not to use them in general. i have no logical reason for this per se; it's just preference.

[JamieCatheryn]

I used to use ours to thaw chicken, it broke and I never missed it once I learned to thaw in cold water. It is a built-in fancy one so someday we'll still need to have it repaired (probably a loose connection somewhere or something, it's power cuts out when you try to use it). I just put stuff in a pan and cover it to reheat, maybe with a little added water.

[Denvergirlie]

We have one,, use most for breakfast (I make ahead breakfast burritos and egg "mcmuffins" that we heat and serve from the freezer) and use it a ton for thawing. I was without for about 4 months, the old one broke, waited until I found a replacement one at the thrfit store for $5.
That being said we definately use it, not daily, but for sure 4-5 times a week.
Re-heating meals too.
I can live without, but it's sure a lot easier to have around.

[Three~Little~Birds]

We have one, but we never use it as it is unplugged and stored in the basement.
I am not entirely comfortable with the safety of the food from them. It just doesn't 'seem' right to me. I haven't done much research on this (which is unusual for me as I ussally research everything a TON), it just seems to be based on gut feeling.
My DH grew up in a family that microwaved everything all the time. I thought that he would miss it a lot (especially since he doesn't really cook). SO...step 1 was to unplug it and move it to our buffet cabinet, in order to "free up counter space". Whenever he had to use it, he had to lug it over to the counter and plus it in, and then move it back. It was a bit of a PITA, so he gradually reduced the amount that he was using it. Then I asked if he would mind if we tried moving it into the basement, just to see if we'd miss it. He agreed, and we don't miss it at all. Truth be told, it would seem weird to even have one now...