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Original poster

Jacket potato for lunch

181 replies

Biscuitz1 · 16/01/2026 13:13

Just really annoyed right now as someone from work believes it is perfectly appectable to put a potato for 15 mins in the microwave!

There is already a queue as it is.

OP posts:
Unicornmagic568 · 16/01/2026 18:39

Always cook at home then reheat

CatsSleepFatandWalkThin · 16/01/2026 18:24

How inconsiderate of her.

DotAndCarryOne2 · 16/01/2026 18:21

MidnightMeltdown · 16/01/2026 13:35

No way does a jacket potato take 15 minutes in the microwave. 5 minutes max. Massive exaggeration.

Depends on the size and the microwave power. A large potato in our 950w oven takes about 12-15 min.

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 16/01/2026 18:17

Tillow4ever · 16/01/2026 14:48

Our office is huge - around 400 people. You absolutely CANNOT see the canteen from 95% of the office with where it’s positioned. From my corner, it’s a couple of mins walk down there, so if I were to walk down to see if the microwave was free (and I would have to go in as the microwaves are located after the canteen part so you can’t see them unless you are inside and go around the corner), find its in use, it would take me away from my desk for 5 mins. How many times can you do that each day before it’s taking the piss?

The last office I worked in was in a separate building to the canteen - you had to go over a bridge to get to that! Was a good 5 mins walk at a brisk pace.

The only other office I worked in was over 20 years, that was tiny (5 of us). From the upstairs office you couldn’t see the kitchen as it was downstairs. You could see from downstairs if you looked around the door. But there were so few of us, and we staggered lunch, so it really didn’t matter.

My point is, you can’t categorically state that you can see other kitchen from “most offices”. My experience would have me saying the exact opposite - and that would likely be wrong too.

So how about we don’t go making up scenarios and base it on what we are told about a situation?

Show quote history

I said my office! We don't have a canteen, we have a floor that can have up to 100 people but usually less, and the kitchen is down one end so yes we can see it. Crikey, the anger on this thread about a microwave 😂

OnlyHasEyesForLoki · 16/01/2026 18:15

Surely they could pre-cook it at home and just warm it up!! Even the frozen ones only take 5 minutes!!

Luckyingame · 16/01/2026 18:08

MidnightMeltdown · 16/01/2026 13:35

No way does a jacket potato take 15 minutes in the microwave. 5 minutes max. Massive exaggeration.

A very big one does, depends on the settings.
Otherwise, a petty issue.

Iamgratefulreally · 16/01/2026 18:06

oscalo · 16/01/2026 18:03

What the heck happened to sandwiches and/or salad in a tupperware box?

In "My Day" there was a kettle and a fridge, and the milk was always either rancid or robbed by the office thief. None of this heating up the bones of an evening dinner on a break. Not a fkn chance or the boss would be in like a shot whooshing us out!

I'm old but I survived on the above repasts for many many years. I made my cheese or ham sandwiches on a Sunday for the week and froze them. Took one portion out every day. Added a bit of fruit and a yogurt, and job done.

Get away with yer microwaves. Bet there's a toaster, grill and boiling water urn aswell. The luxuries. You don't know you were born.

Well we had it tough. We used to dream of having a sandwich

oscalo · 16/01/2026 18:03

What the heck happened to sandwiches and/or salad in a tupperware box?

In "My Day" there was a kettle and a fridge, and the milk was always either rancid or robbed by the office thief. None of this heating up the bones of an evening dinner on a break. Not a fkn chance or the boss would be in like a shot whooshing us out!

I'm old but I survived on the above repasts for many many years. I made my cheese or ham sandwiches on a Sunday for the week and froze them. Took one portion out every day. Added a bit of fruit and a yogurt, and job done.

Get away with yer microwaves. Bet there's a toaster, grill and boiling water urn aswell. The luxuries. You don't know you were born.

Queenoftartts · 16/01/2026 18:02

I half bake in the microwave then stick in air fryer. The pre set time for baked potatoes is 9 minutes in mine . I’m usually doing 2 which takes about 7 minutes before putting in air fryer.

Perrylobster · 16/01/2026 17:58

she must be cooking it on a medium heat

Perrylobster · 16/01/2026 17:58

she must be cooking it on a medium heat

Iamgratefulreally · 16/01/2026 17:45

NewGoldFox · 16/01/2026 17:42

Put in a request for a second microwave.

That would be the sensible option or even club together and get one. They are dirt cheap

NewGoldFox · 16/01/2026 17:42

Put in a request for a second microwave.

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 16/01/2026 17:41

Fortheloveofpizza · 16/01/2026 17:30

I take BPs for lunch. We have 3 microwaves but I usually nip round just before lunch to stick it before the rush.

What is a BP?

Iamgratefulreally · 16/01/2026 17:40

OMG, what did the police say?

I reckon you snooze you lose. Just get in there before her if you are that bothered.

What is an acceptable length of time to hog the microwave in your opinion?

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 16/01/2026 17:39

BunnyLake · 16/01/2026 17:09

Or no microwave.

Was just coming on to say that! (Although probably now we'll here there is on,y one mini fridge in the whole workplace)

DriveVerySlowlyPastNumber23IWantThemToSeeMyHat · 16/01/2026 17:38

Get a food flask 😃

DrDisrespect · 16/01/2026 17:37

I love a jacket Potato for lunch. I buy the frozen ones (aldi) and they only take 6 mins in the microwave. If im having beans with it I stick them in with the Potato for the last few mins. We do have 2 microwaves in the kitchen at work and there's usually no queue. Ive tried pre baking my own then freezing but they had a weird texture when reheated 🫤

Imaribenaberry · 16/01/2026 17:36

Office worker of many years here, we had to club together to buy our microwave, the one person who refused to chip in then brought mackerel to cook for lunch every day! The smell in our windowless tiny kitchen was awful 🙄

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 16/01/2026 17:36

MelaniasBigHat · 16/01/2026 15:02

When I am made Lord of the Workplace, I will impose a maximum 2 mins microwaving. There is nothing that can’t be heated to eating temperature in that time.

People who follow the ready meal instructions involving 8 mins and a minute to stand and then 8 mins again can get in the bin, along with potato woman.

With the feeble powered microwave in OP's office, I suspect it's unlikely anything will heat up in 2 minutes ...

BlackCat14 · 16/01/2026 17:34

Gwenhwyfar · 16/01/2026 17:31

Look for a cheap second hand one and buy it yourselves? You can even get free ones sometimes.

Show quote history

I quite enjoy eating my salad or sandwich and watching the chaos unfold…but maybe one day one of them will do this!

Gwenhwyfar · 16/01/2026 17:31

BlackCat14 · 16/01/2026 17:14

We’ve had this problem at work before too… in a school, 45min lunch. Some days six or seven people need the microwave, let’s say each meal is around 3mins… the poor sod in seventh place has to wait over half their lunch break to get their food in the microwave. And then to top it off, some days one woman brings in frozen slimming world meals that take about 12mins, it’s chaos! We’ve asked for a second microwave but have been told there’s no money on the budget for one… but every member of the leadership team has their own personal microwave in their office 🙃 some days people have knocked on their door and asked to use theirs but they make it known they aren’t happy!

Look for a cheap second hand one and buy it yourselves? You can even get free ones sometimes.

Uhghg · 16/01/2026 17:31

I would gently mention it and ask if it’s ok to put yours in first as it only takes X amount of time and then has time to cool down.
Say it takes you a long time to eat or something.

If you work in an office environment you could ask that she puts it on before lunchtime.

She probably just isn’t thinking because there’s still 45mins for everyone else but I know in my work place it can be a good 10mins before being able to start our lunch break and then you need to queue at the toilets, then add on extra time to actually get your lunch out and put it in a plate to put it in the microwave etc - it all adds up and that hour easily becomes only 30mins where you can heat and eat your food.

Fortheloveofpizza · 16/01/2026 17:30

I take BPs for lunch. We have 3 microwaves but I usually nip round just before lunch to stick it before the rush.

MyrtlethePurpleTurtle · 16/01/2026 17:30

snoopyfanaccountant · 16/01/2026 13:26

I used to work with someone who would bring in ready meals that took 8 minutes to heat but instead of waiting until the start of her lunch break she would pop into the rest area 8 minutes before her break and put it in the microwave so that it was ready when she came through for her break. The rest of us meanwhile had to queue up in the hope that we could get our lunch heated and eaten without being called away for an urgent call (she worked back shop so was guaranteed an uninterrupted break).

Sorry - was the 8 minutes the problem or her going on a break?