Could you manage without a microwave?

[7toGo]

I hate he bloody thing because it’s so BIG.

But we use it for jacket potatoes, ready mash , and defrosting fish in a rush

Could we manage without???

Ooh bugger I forgot about rice. Hmmm

I would survive without it, but would miss it for heating up milk and leftovers. Pots and pans get so bloody dirty when using them for reheating!

Yes, we could probably live without it, but I find it quick and convenient for things like porridge, heating up leftovers, quick cook rice (I usually cook this on the stove top for family meals, but it's useful for things like Tilda rice), steaming vegetables, popcorn, re-heating coffee, etc, etc...

We don't eat ready meals, so we don't use it for that. But, for certain things, it makes life easier (re-heating on the stove top or oven takes much longer and creates more washing up), so I won't be ditching it any time soon.

Use it mainly for cooking frozen peas, starting off a baked potato and the occasional reheat of something - no vital so I could live without it.

I haven't had one for a couple of years now.

Someone mentioned the Christmas pudding issue. I just put some scrunched up foil in a pan of water, then put the pudding and bowl in there, the water comes part way up the side of said bowl but the foil stops it sitting on bottom of pan. I only get the mini puddings though, they take about 20 mins.

Nope. Love mine.

I love ours! I make the kids porridge, veg for lunch and dinner, reheating leftovers and batch cooked food, cauliflower rice, poppadoms, popcorn, a lovely oat bag that you can whack on your aches and pains, all kinds of things. I use it at least three times a day and would struggle to do such a variety of food without it. I would have to be a lot more organised about getting things out of the freezer and starting cooking earlier, not to mention learning how to cook veg in pans after becoming a matter at estimating the time they will need in the microwave.

We use ours a lot. DH works nights and DS works funny shifts, I put their meals in the fridge and they nuke them as and when they want to. Also used for beans, jacket spuds, mug cakes and softening ice cream.

I use mine about 10x a day!
Porridge, reheating tea/coffee, warming up croissants or crumble, hot milk for kids, heating up leftovers, cooking beans or frozen veg, making cheese on toast... and defrosting and Christmas puddings.

Mine is also an oven so anything that furs that takes under 20 min is done in there rather than wait for main oven to heat up. Sure I could live without, just like I could manage with no oven, but wouldn't want to!

We were given one. It's in the kitchen but I can't remember the last time it was used.

The word nuke or nuked is why i didn't replace my damaged microwave
I don't miss it at all
I have a defrosting plate that defrosts meat in 2 hours
Beans take 2 minutes in a small pan on the hob.. 5 minutes for frozen peas

I don't have one and don't want one. It's totally workable.

No, I use my all the time especially to heat up cold coffee and tea 😂

Threw mine away... I don't miss it

We didn't have one when we moved and MIL was horrified! It was a pain without, defrosting food, kids milk etc. So she paid for us to have one fitted. Don't have the surface for a freestanding one.

Submerging stuff in tepid water to defrost it? Please tell me you dont do that with meat or rice?

I do this with meat if I’ve forgotten to get it out the night before - is this a no no?

I got rid of mine because I never used it - only to leave meat in overnight to defrost

I don't miss it, and I don't like the texture and taste of microwaved food so I'd never buy another

Never had one but if I go to my Mums and she puts vegetables in it, I can taste the difference. It's not something we need.

Yes. I only use it to defrost things if I forget to take them out of the freezer so I'd just have to remember. Never used it for heating/Cooking anything. It's built in so came with the house. I wouldn't have bought one.

We dumped ours about 4 years ago, Don’t miss it at all, Don’t have a dishwasher either, never felt the need

We haven't had one for 3 years. The only thing I miss is heating something back up that you can't just stick on the hob, so like a pasta bake or lasagne. Reheating in the oven seems like such a waste of electricity and takes ages. Everything else though is fine. I value the space more!

I've lived without one for years, and the only thing I miss is having to remember well in advance to defrost things.

But I am thinking of getting one soon (permanently hungry teenagers)

And given what you said in the opening post, is I hope it's not too much of a diversion to ask what is the smallest microwave on the market? I don't want to lost any more counter space than I have to.

Stella - I've got a small microwave from the candy range at Dunelm. It was cheap but works well and the cream colour looks nice in the kitchen. I don't know if it's the smallest but this only just fits a dinner plate depth wise and a 1 pint pyrex jug height wise so I wouldn't want anything smaller.

I haven't had one for years and don't miss it. I think you just sort of develop ways of living that accommodate the tools that you have.

If space is an issue and money isn't you could look at one of those integrated microwave - cooker affairs.

Yes I could live with out it, only the children (9 &11) use it to heat Beans, Spaghetti and scrambled egg a couple of times a month.

I would love it to break so I can use the space better. It's hidden behind the kitchen door so I don't have to see it.