The Controversial Kitchen Appliance Chef David Chang Thinks You Should Be Using More

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People love to disparage microwave ovens. In the movie "American Hustle," Jennifer Lawrence's character derisively called it a "science oven," blowing it up by using aluminum foil inside it. Chef Raymond Blanc even called mothers' use of one to cook food for their children an "act of hate" during a cooking demonstration, according to The Telegraph. But not everyone is a hater. Chef David Chang has long defended microwaves, calling them "the single best piece of equipment in a kitchen"in his 2021 cookbook, "Cooking at Home: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Recipes (And Love My Microwave)," an homage to the ubiquitous appliance.

Chang has never shied away from acknowledging his kitchen hacks and no-frills attitude toward equipment — including the inexpensive plastic-handled knife he swears by – and his love of microwave ovens is no different. Like others, he has plenty of tips for microwave cooking and shares common microwave mistakes you could be making. "The key to success with a microwave is knowing that it's not going to do all the work for you," the Momofuku founder says in his book. Instead, he sees the appliance as an adjunct to  your stove or oven. "It'll get your broccoli steamed and your chicken cooked, but then you want to finish these things elsewhere to make them really delicious."

David Chang uses a microwave to cut cooking time for whole dishes and to help out with simple tasks. Talking to Architectural Digest, Chang boasted about creating a new, less complicated recipe for chawanmushi, a dish that normally requires a double boiler. Chang also has favorite hacks, like putting citrus in the microwave for a few seconds before juicing. This, he explained in "Cooking at Home," softens the membranes of the fruit, yielding more juice. He also suggested using the appliance to heat herbs and spices to better express their flavors.

Chang has even sought to dispel certain myths about microwaves, including the idea that cooking destroys the nutrients in food. As he told First We Feast's Sean Evans on the "Hot Ones" talk show, "When I say it's the cleanest, most effective way to cook something and to retain the nutrients, I legitimately can't find a better way to cook something." And, as he wrote in his 2021 cookbook, "Complaints about microwaves causing cancer are patently stupid."

The six-time James Beard award winner's commitment to microwave cooking is strong enough that he partnered with a cookware company to launch a line of glass microwave-safe storage dishes called Anyday. The bowls are designed to prevent food from drying out and have a knob vent that can be opened or closed to lock in steam and let out air. But, again, Chang doesn't consider microwaves the be-all and end-all in the kitchen. As he said in his book, "Think of your microwave like spellcheck — it won't magically make a crappy paper better, but it is an amazingly effective tool."