Do you own a microwave?

[Bill Hooper]

I haven't for about four years. I can hardly remember what I used one for in the first place.

[Carl Eppig]

Yes, and we use it to warm liquids such as stock to go into sauces, melt butter, cook certain frozen veggies such as chopped spinach and peas. Use it every day and usually more than once.

[Dale Williams]

Sure. Mostly use for defrosting stock, etc and quickly warming leftovers. Betsy will re-warm her tea.
The only microwave "cooking" I do is occasionally steaming vegetables (last week I did a recipe I like where I steam cauliflower in m'wave, then stir it into a sauce I've done stovetop with pimenton, tomatoes, and dried pepper). Faster and needs less attention than steaming on stove.
I could easily do without one, but it has its uses.

[Howie Hart]

Pretty much the same as Carl and Dale. However, i also use it make scrambled eggs - does a great job.

[Mike Filigenzi]

Pretty much same as Carl, Dale, and Howie. I'll add that there's a post somewhere back there from Jenise describing a great way to do brussels sprouts. IIRC, you start them in the microwave and then finish them in a hot oven.

[Tom Troiano]

Sure - heat coffee, melt butter, reheat leftovers, etc.

[Jeff Grossman/NYC]

Piling on -- great for warming things up fast.

The only cooking I do in a microwave is to make potato chips.

[Frank Deis]

Make coffee

Pour a cup

let it get cold

reheat in microwave

let it get cold

reheat in microwave

let it get cold

reheat in microwave

"und so weiter!"

[Robin Garr]

Pretty much same as Carl, Dale and Howie, Tom, Jeff and Frank.

[Jim Cassidy]

Eight seconds brings a glass of leftover red from the fridge to celler/serving temp.

[Susan B]

Nachos, 50 seconds.

[Joy Lindholm]

Nope, haven't for about 5 years now and don't miss it. There is nothing it could do that my stovetop, oven or convection toaster oven can't do, and none of the radiation!

From the poll results, looks like I am the only one so far who voted and doesn't have one.

[Jeff Grossman/NYC]

Eight seconds brings a glass of leftover red from the fridge to celler/serving temp.

Interesting. There was once a commercial product based on a similar principle: frozen milk shakes that you thawed in the microwave.

[Tom Troiano]

FWIW, I found that the BLS stated in 1997 that 90% of US households had a microwave oven. A Massachusetts study from 2009 says 95% of Mass. households own one. My guess is that the overall US pen rate today is probably in the low 90s (maybe as high as 95%) since Massachusetts is likely ahead of the US average.

[Howie Hart]

A bowl of salted in-shell peanuts taste better after 30 seconds or so.

[Fred Sipe]

Certainly the best way I know of to reheat a plate of leftovers. Makes passable popcorn. Gives a few second refresh to not quite fresh bread. Actually use steam-in-bag veggies once in a while. Some mornings I'll break an egg into a cup, add a pat uf butter, S&P, pierce the yolk, cover with a paper towel and zap while I make a piece of toast.

But I never understood those who use it to boil water for coffe, tea, etc.

Necessity, no. Convenience appliance, absolutely.

[Tom Troiano]

Certainly the best way I know of to reheat a plate of leftovers.

I think it depends on what it is. Cold pizza, for example, is better reheated in the (regular) oven IMO. I think the microwave does a lousy job with cold pizza. There are other examples.

[Howie Hart]

But I never understood those who use it to boil water for coffee, tea, etc...

I agree if you're making a pot of coffee or tea, but I will fill a cup with water, drop in a tea bag, put it in the microwave and in 90 seconds I have a hot cup of tea.

[Susan B]

Cold pizza, for example, is better reheated in the (regular) oven IMO. I think the microwave does a lousy job with cold pizza

Regular to thin crust pizza are very good reheated on the stove in a non-stick skillet!

[Frank Deis]

Eight seconds brings a glass of leftover red from the fridge to celler/serving temp.

Interesting. There was once a commercial product based on a similar principle: frozen milk shakes that you thawed in the microwave.

Years ago when my brother in law and his new wife had moved to Burlington VT and we visited them (on the way up to Montreal I think) -- everything in their kitchen was new, and he wanted to give us a little ice cream which was hard as a rock. So he put it in the microwave but instead of xx seconds he input xx minutes. SOUP!

The first time I used a microwave was in a bus station when I was in grad school, they had various things like hamburgers in a vending machine (cooked but cold) and the concept was that you put it in this industrial strength microwave to warm it up. I did the same thing, minutes instead of seconds, and the cheese on my cheeseburger had all run off and made a weird crunchy layer on the plate, the burger was a shriveled black thing.

When my Dad first got a microwave he would do tricks like put a fluorescent light bulb in and turn it on, the bulb glows brightly even though it's not connected to anything. The funniest thing -- where we lived there were ants that got into the house, and once my Mom left some mashed potatoes on her plate and got involved with something else. When she came back there were ants crawling around on her mashed potatoes. She thought "well, I'll show THEM" and put the whole business in the microwave for a long zap. The ants seemed fine except they were crawling around much faster...

[Karen/NoCA]

Make coffee

Pour a cup

let it get cold

reheat in microwave

let it get cold

reheat in microwave

let it get cold

reheat in microwave

"und so weiter!"

Exactly what my husband does, all day long with only 2 cups of coffee...carries it around with him, leaves it here and there. Funny guy!

I use the microwave everyday, for heating up my lunch, making oatmeal, melting, defrosting, heating up leftovers (carefully). It is a small microwave built into the middle of floor to ceiling roll out pantry shelving. It is just a little below shoulder height, and right next to a granite counter, so when I take hot items out, I can put it right down on the counter. It is a very convenient tool for me.

[Fred Sipe]

Certainly the best way I know of to reheat a plate of leftovers.

I think it depends on what it is. Cold pizza, for example, is better reheated in the (regular) oven IMO. I think the microwave does a lousy job with cold pizza. There are other examples.

I with you on this one! But we often will make a couple of plates of leftovers and cover with plastic wrap for a quick reheat next day.

[Lou Kessler]

Make coffee

Pour a cup

let it get cold

reheat in microwave

let it get cold

reheat in microwave

let it get cold

reheat in microwave

"und so weiter!"

You've stolen my recipe for nightly coffee, try to be original.

[Frank Deis]

One more microwave story, sorry if I've told this here. To understand fully, you have to know what a brunoise is. Maybe everyone here has made a brunoise, but I doubt that so I'll describe it. Your goal is to take part of a carrot, a leek leaf, and a turnip, and turn them into little jewel like cubes about 1/32 of an inch on a side. The thickness of the leek leaf is about right for the height of the cubes. When you are done it looks a little like sand. So it is a lot of very fussy knife work. Then, this is a Thomas Keller recipe, you poach the brunoise in simmering water by putting it in a fine tea strainer and lowering it into the water and holding it there until it softens (and starts to smell good). You also make tiny strips of bacon by freezing thin cut bacon and cutting it up while cold. And you poach or soft boil quail eggs, and serve each egg in a silver spoon with a couple of tiny strips of "Lego" bacon and some brunoise, in a butter sauce. The dish is called "Bacon and Eggs" from the French Laundry cookbook and you get about one minute of wonderful amazing flavor when you pop the spoon into your mouth.

So once when I made that, we had maybe 4 eggs left over from the dinner party, and I had put them into a little bowl with the rest of the butter sauce and the brunoise. And I got up and said, hmm, that would make a great breakfast. And I put the bowl into the microwave and turned it on. Do you know what happened next?