Ditching the mircowave?

Question

I recently replaced my fridge with a taller model and had to move the microwave to the counter - now occupying precious countertop in a small row-house kitchen - I rarely use it - right now it is storing bread extra bread flour.

Anybody ditch a the microwave and regret it - I am thinking I can live without pretty easily - don't remember the last time I used it to do anything but defrost soup and warm food for a fussy cold-sensitive Chihuahua 

I think its a goner - anything I should reconsider.

Answer

Put it in another room for a couple of days and see how many times you reach for it. If you don't miss it, store it or get rid of it.

Answer

I'm 26 and haven't used a microwave since I was 20. 

Getting rid of the microwave is the single best thing I can recommend to people for learning to cook. It prevents laziness and encourages use of the stove and oven--or, rather, mandates it.

The few things that a microwave are better at than more "traditional" cooking methods are steaming certain seafoods in shell, warming milk/cream to scalding with little to no chance of scorching, and oil-less cooking. These are all things that can be accomplished using other devices that most people have handy anyways.

Defrosting meat was a big one for me for a while, but careful planning (to allow time to defrost any frozen items) prevents any hiccups or you may purchase unfrozen meat and use it before needing to freeze it.

Answer

That's interesting. I moved into a new apartment in January, with a small kitchen, with no real functional space for a microwave. i thought I would figure out a place to put it eventually, but I haven't encountered a serious situation where I just had to use a microwave. For me it turns out, microwaves are convenient, and not really necessary if you're handy in the kitchen.

Answer

If I had to do it over, I would get one that is also a convection oven.

Answer

We're a household where 99% of the cooking is from scratch, and the microwave is the only appliance taking up workspace in the kitchen, apart from the tiny two-slice toaster. It's one of the only five electric small appliances I own (the other three: induction unit, immersion blender, and coffee grinder).

The microwave is my favorite way to cook bacon, steam-cook beets, chayote, and similar vegetables, reheat foods and heat ingredients (especially if it can happen right in their glass or plastic fridge containers, sparing the cleanup of yet another pan), and it's how we make popcorn.

True, all these things can be accomplished with the stove or oven -- just not quite as quickly or requiring more attention. But I have enough workspace that I'm happy to have the microwave where it is, opening onto a solid, level surface. If you're tight on counter and workspace, then it's a tougher call; I agree with the suggestion by others to move it out for a while and see how often you feel the need of it.

Answer

I like to give a quick zap to cookies to freshen them up a bit, or a sandwich bun to give it some warmth - both take around 10 seconds or so. Reheating leftovers is about the only other thing we ever use ours for, though I often do that in the oven. If I wanted to do the former - zap a cookie or a sandwich bun/roll - without a microwave, how would you suggest I do that? Waiting 5 minutes for an oven to heat up or something seems a bit silly, but so does having a 1 cubic foot "thing" taking up space for such a simple task when I think about it. Good post, now I'm interested, despite our microwave being nearly new from a minor remodel...

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Thanks for all of your thoughtful responses to a sort of obtuse question - I think I am going to do what I did when my car died - go without for awhile and if/when I do replace appreciate more.

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I've never had a microwave in my life, and have never missed it. However, my big toaster oven takes up as much space as a MW - use it several times a day for all kinds of things.

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I barely use mine, and it's been that way for years ... you'll be fine.

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send it away.

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If you get rid of it, your just going to have to replace it with a breadbox, you might as well have a duel purpose breadbox/microwave ;)

Obviously people got by without a microwave for a very long time and didn't starve to death. We were married for about 10 years before we got our first microwave, and we didn't starve. But having had one for a very long time now, there are alternatives, but I think I would miss not having one, it's just so convenient for leftovers and so much faster than conventional ways of warming up food or defrosting frozen packages of soup so you can slip it into a pot.

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I use my microwave every day. Besides reheating my cup of coffee/tea, we heat milk for hot chocolate, soften butter/cream cheese, make popcorn, nachos, warm breads and rolls, reheat leftovers, steam veggies, start baked potatoes, soften icecream, etc. I even make a few recipes in my microwave, Swedish meatballs, Chicken Fricasee, stuffed mushrooms. I have a microwave cookbook that I inherited that came with my mother's first microwave, a Sharp Carousel Microwave/Convection combo. I would never give it up.

Answer

We use our microwave everyday. Heat water for tea, defrost meat, reheat leftovers, soups and stew, soften butter, take the chill off cold meat or eggs before cooking, precook quartered potatoes before browning on the stove. etc. But I think it's way too large for the things it's used for. A tiny microwave that would hold a cup of water, a lb of ground meat, a couple of chicken breasts, a bowl or a small plate would be just right and more efficient for our needs instead of the 30" behemoth. The space it takes up isn't proportionate to it's uses.

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I only use my MW for: (a) taking the hardness edge off butter and icecream; (b) steaming a small quantity of hard vegetables like broccoli; and (c) reheating coffee that's gone cold. It really is mostly a waste of space.

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You might have a very cranky Chihuahua. 

I don't cook in mine very often, but I would miss it if it wasn't there. And mine is a 1988 vintage we gave my (now late) grandmother as a Christmas gift. The little things, melting butter or chocolate for baking, quick re-heating leftovers so the kiddo doesn't go crazy hungry, etc. I can do it on the stove, but I can nuke it faster with less clean up.

Answer

I'm amused that you have to ask permission to get rid of it, because I have to ask permission to toss things, too! I lived for many years without a microwave, but I recently broke my ankle and we had to ADA my apartment so I could survive on my own and honestly, I wouldn't have survived without it unless I'd hired a chef.

Answer

Sounds like you answer your own question, so ditch it. I have decent space, so there it is. For: leftovers - though I often throw them in a saucepan w/ water, and make sure they hit safe temps; for frozen foods, some aren't better heated by oven heat and some veggie packs are designed for microwave and they are quite good. But they could probably be steamed to good effect (you need a steaming thing (flower??) to put into your pan or an asparagus steamer - which can be used more broadly.

Answer

I would never want to be without my microwave. I use it daily for boiling water, steaming, and reheating. I hate being hot and it allows me to avoid the stove and oven for a lot of hot-weather cooking. 

No one has yet mentioned that it saves on utility costs since it takes far less energy to cook the same item you'd otherwise need the stove or oven for. That was one of the major selling points in the early days of microwave popularity.

Answer

My built-in microwave started to die (smelled of burning rubber when I used it) last spring and I didn't replace it right away. I used it almost exclusively for reheating food, so it didn't seem critical to replace at the time. I tend to cook large quantities of food on Sunday (mostly as a result of low willpower at the farmer's market on Saturday) so I reheat food for my dinner during the week. Well, I found that I was using 2-3 different pots/pans each night for dinner. I wasn't going to change my dinner strategy as I often stay late at work, so cooking every night isn't feasible. And, I try to conserve water, so the dishes don't get done every night either. The pots/pans never got put away, just reused and washed 2-3 times a week.

I finally replaced the microwave in December (along with the range/oven and dishwasher) and presto-chango, life is back to normal again. Reheating takes a minute or two, and one plate. It saves time and energy, not to mention my sanity.

Answer

If you don't use it it's a no-brainer. I use my microwave more than any other kitchen appliance including warming dog food but don't worry about your dog, they all eat when they get hungry enough. It may take a week but they all eat eventually. Dogs can go several weeks without food but need water available @ all times.

Answer

About two years ago, in order to free up counter space in a small NYC apartment kitchen, I put my toaster oven on the floor under my butcher block table to see whether or not I ever felt the need to haul it out. After about a year, out it went. There wasn't a thing I needed to do that couldn't be done another way and was worth the bother of lifting it off the floor and finding a place to put it temporarily.

About a year ago, I bought a small, corner microwave oven to free up even more space. In anticipation of purchasing an over-the-range microwave, I donated my still relatively new countertop microwave to a college-bound student. For various reasons, it was another six months before before my over-the-range microwave was installed and I was truly surprised at how much I missed it. I don't really cook in it, except for bacon, but had no idea how many things I used it for until it was no longer there: reheating coffee and leftovers; melting butter and chocolate; warming citrus fruits to get more juice out of them; defrosting; steaming vegetables; cooking corn on the cob; warming plates; drying bread for bread crumbs. 

I'm in total agreement with the recommendation that you put your microwave in deep storage for a while and see whether or not you miss it. I couldn't get over how much I missed mine and how relieved I was when the new one was finally installed.

Answer

I simply do not get this sense that ridding ourselves of the dreaded microwave is a cooking badge of honor.
It is a false argument to stipulate that owning and using a microwave is tantamount to being lazy or inept at cooking, and eating tv dinners and the like.
I'm an accomplished home cook and we eat very little in the way of prepared food. I use my microwave to reheat, defrost and even for functions such as melting (butter, chocolate). 
Virtually daily.
The convenience is wonderful and I adore an evening's dinner which involves nothing but plating and reheating leftovers.
If you think you have no use for a microwave, fine.
Who cares, really?
It doesn't make you Julia Child incarnate.

Answer

We lived with the one that came built into this house for a couple of years and maybe used it 3 or 4 times. Then we pulled it out and set it on the curb with a "free" sign and watched it disappear. A spice shelf I love has been in that place since and we've never regretted it. If you don't use it, use that space for something you can get some use out of.

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Our microwave stopped working a couple of years ago, and I don't miss it. The only downside is that I reheat things in the oven, which is less efficient.

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interesting to read all of your responses, again thanks for the thoughtful input - all the little things it helps with.

I am definitely ditching the current beast - it will go to the thrift and make someone with bigger counter happy

One thing I had not thought about much was energy use - that's a good point. I assume come summer I may not be so happy to use the oven or stove top to reheat 

I am thinking ultimately maybe something like this 
https://www.google.com/shopping/product/11051147466307104896?q=mini+microwave&prds=hsec:specs&ved=0CAsQ4Ss&ei=DfX4UtrjA8WPqwHryYHYAQ
will take up less real estate but maintain convenience I hate that everything smaller is always more expensive but come summer I may likely be picking one up

Answer

I lived without one for several years. It wasn't the end of the world. However, I eventually got another one because it is so convenient. I never cook in it, but I use it for all kinds of minor kitchen chores: 
-- Softening lemons and limes so they yield more juice with less work.
-- Softening ice cream for easy scooping.
-- Softening butter for easy spreading.
-- Defrosting frozen meats quickly.
-- Reheating leftovers
-- Warming up cups of coffee or tea.
-- Steaming veggies and sometimes fish.

I keep the smallest, cheapest microwave I can find for these chores. They're very cheap these days.

Answer

I use it mostly to reheat leftovers and defrost meat.

But I recently found a new use that cinches it for me:

I heat up tortillas by placing a wet paper towel or kitchen towel over the tortillas and microwaving on high for about 45 secs - 1 min. They turn out wonderfully. Beats reheating them in the oven.

Answer

We installed a strong shelf above a counter for our microwave. They make brackets for this purpose. So we have the microwave and the counter space. Works well if you have the right spot.

Answer

There are so many things a microwave does better than any other kitchen technique or device:

- most vegetables steam better and with less loss of nutrients in the microwave
- if you put a potato in the microwave for two minutes it only takes half an hour to become a perfect jacket potato in the oven
- a pita bread in the microwave for 30 seconds steams itself open into a perfect pocket ready to be filled, whereas I used to find I they would always stick together and tear otherwise
- kills bacteria and other lifeforms that might otherwise pose a risk in less-than-fresh foods
- makes amazing, super-quick fat-free popcorn
- warms any sauce or side dish in the bowl or jug they are going to be served in to cut down on washing up
- makes delicious, super-easy steamed desserts that would otherwise need an hour in the oven (i.e. make a standard cake mix with 2 eggs, 4oz sugar, 4oz butter, 2oz flour, 2oz ground almonds, 3tsp baking powder, zest of one lemon, and pour into a microwaveable bowl with a layer of lemon curd at the bottom. Place a disc of parchment on the top of the cake mix and microwave for 10 minutes in 2-minute bursts with 30 mins resting time in between, then turn upside down for a steamed lemon pudding)
- softens up apples for a baked dessert without turning them into puree

I could go on...

-

Answer

Well - I continue to use it as a glorified bread box - However the housemate that rents the spare room had a look of horror on his face when I mentioned getting rid of it, it was like I said I was going to rip out the bathroom and just dig a hole in the yard :). Probably worth it if it keeps him away from my cookware a bit. This is the type of cook who boils steak and wont make anything that has instructions more complicated than boil water. I am actually contemplating buying some non-stick decoy ware

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there are some real purists providing bad advice. although i predominantly use it for warming plates it is also great for cooking ken hom salmon with ginger & spring onions in 2 minutes and steaming almost all vegetables. also cooking baked potatoes prior to baking. warming slightly cold or stale panettone

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I you ditch your microwave oven and don't miss it, it's simply because you have not learned to use it efficiently and advantageously. 
For many uses, it's a convenience and a time saver, but don't try to cook a complete meal with it, even if it's fitted with a convection roaster.
Use it to cook or precook vegetables, for soups, for poached fish, etc. Once you find what it does well, stick with that and it will save you time and aggravation.

Answer

Cooking without a microwave? I forgot how!
It is certainly the best way to cook fresh veggies - including potatoes for mashing. Put them in a microwave-safe covered dish; add a couple of tablespoons of water; and nuke them until they are the desired doneness.

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I have one that I inherited that is sitting in a box in the basement for several years now. I should probably just donate it to someplace. I can not stand how microwaves affect the texture of food. I prefer to patiently reheat food on the stovetop or in the oven- tastes so much better to me. I don't eat in restaurants that use microwaves either - yep, I know, a lot of them do, therefore I prefer cooking myself or potlucks with friends.

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When I did my kitchen remodel, I upgraded the electrical to 220V and put in a single wall oven. The wall oven I put in has so many fantastic settings - one being "speed convection" - which could have replaced the microwave entirely. At the time I was deciding on the appliances, I chose a microwave above the single wall oven. Had I known about all the functionality of the wall oven, I wouldn't have needed a microwave.

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I would rather thaw frozen meat quickly in the m than let it sit out on the counter all day, the old way (also sometimes the dog ate it while we were at work).

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i just recently over the last few years began steaming veg in the micro. it's great. however, i could totally do without a one. except, during a kitchen renovation. it's been a godsend. and i've gotten very creative with it. as creative as i can be.

the other recent discovery i made was par cooking potatoes in the micro for 4 minutes in a tblsp of water before roasting. THAT is the secret to good crisp oven fries.

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Might have missed it in the long list of things people listed below that they do with their microwave but my daughter swears by it for sterilyzing the milk bottles for her twins.

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Soo nearly 2 months after posting this I have decided to compromise 

thanks for all of your insightful comments - gave me a lot to think about

since my original post the microwave has been disconnected and in another room. Have I missed it? not really but I am not the only person who uses my kitchen and I am expecting some extended stay visitors so when I saw on sale a small one that takes approximately the same footprint as my (frequently used always out) slow cooker I grabbed it. Best of both worlds I now have a bread box that can double as a microwave and not loose working counter space

first and only use so far - warming dog food for the cold sensitive little guy

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and indeed after just a few days of some rather high-impact house guests I am very grateful for this small appliance as it is keeping them away from my stove and cookware

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Some people ditch the microwave. Some keep it for popcorn. I've ditched microwave popcorn because of the chemicals they put on the inside of the bag. Some keep it for reheating yesterday's coffee in a quick jiffy (me). Some keep it for thawing burger in a jiffy with kids (me). If I want yesterday's spaghetti, I'll nuke it. I reheat almost every other leftover in cast iron in the oven at 375F. Other than that, I'd be happy to ditch it. But I know there'll be that one time when I want it, if I ditch it.

I don't do it any more but, nuked scrambled eggs sure are fluffy, lol. Just mix them every minute though, and use milk :)

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My SO and I think of ourselves as "non-microwave" people. We don't "cook" in it. Don't pop popcorn nor buy frozen dinners.

Mainly used to reheat leftovers or soften chilled butter.

Our microwave died early last week. 

We made it through the weekend. Monday night, my SO came in from work and said "Put your coat on. We need to go buy a microwave". 

We bought the smallest one we could find (minus one "dorm room" model that wouldn't fit a coffee cup? WTF? ).

p.s. to the OP I'm guessing your four-legged friend is very happy to see the microwave back in action.

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