Do I need a microwave?

[Whathappenedtothelego]

I've never owned or used a microwave.

Someone has offered to buy us one for Christmas.

Would it change my life? I can't really think that it would, and it takes up lots of precious counter space on the kitchen.

What useful things do you use yours for? Do you use one every day?

Basically I'm perfectly happy without one, but feel a bit ungracious turning down a gift, so hoping I can have my mind changed.

I wouldn't bother. I grew up in a household with one, and always had one when I left home. Met husband almost four years ago, and he didn't have one when I moved in with him, and now I'm totally used to not having one and don't want one more thing to clean or take up worktop space.
Same goes for a toaster, that's what the grill setting is for!

I love ours. Porridge, soup, crispy bacon, hot chocolate, leftovers, defrosting stuff, softening butter, melting chocolate, rice pouches, tortillas, reheating tea on the rare occasions it is allowed to get cold... We use ours multiple times a day. There is a recipe for microwave rum fudge on the BBC good food site I am looking forward to trying.
Microwave is the most energy efficient way to heat food too.

Ours is in the utility room as I didn't want it in the kitchen. The only things I use mine for is to defrost meat if it isn't quite there or to heat up leftover chinese/curry! Leftover pizza is definitely an oven job. So we don't use it much but it gets me out of trouble so couldn't be without one really. Sounds like you're very organised and haven't missed having one and understand why you wouldn't the to space etc. I don't think you'd sound ungrateful if you have something else you'd prefer.

We have one, but its stopped turning if that makes sense. Was going to get a new one but space is so limited in my kitchen. Might note down everytime I actually use it this week and then see if I am better off just getting rid of it.

DP wanted one (I hadn't bothered since about 2002 at the time as it only got used for reheating coffee where the DDs had distracted me). It got used for his shitty ding dinners/snacks and reheating meals where he'd lose interest and come back to things later mainly because he'd fill up on Ding Snacks.

Once the main oven got temperamental, it started being used more frequently.

It gets used for

Ding Dinners
Reheating Food
Reheating Coffee
Cooking veg. I'd rather have an electric steamer like I used to when the previous microwave got binned, but I've not got around to replacing it yet because they aren't fashionable and are therefore expensive.
Cooking a whole head of cauliflower quickly.
Nachos.
Heating milk and the occasional premade sauce where all the hob rings are in use.
Starting off jacket spuds.
Starting off butternut squash so I can cut the bastard stuff once the skin's been cured.
Defrosting stuff when it's urgent (I tend to shove things in a ziplock and immerse them in cold water).
Drying herbs that won't like being hung up near the boiler.
Providing emergency syrup cake.

DP also uses it for scrambled egg the Heathen even adds milk and nuking butter twat likes fatty slop instead of lovely cold butter starting to melt on a hot crumpet

If you definitely don't want one, but eat lots of veg, ask for a tower steamer instead.

If you've never had one it's unlikely to change your life. However we use ours all the time for heating up leftovers/forgotten cups of tea/coffee, microwave porridge (DS can make himself) and warming up milk for the DCs. Also very lazy but good for warming plates too.

You’re not missing much. We use ours for starting off jacket potatoes before they go in the oven but I can’t remember the last time I had a jacket potato. Also I keep our bread in it. It’s essentially a very expensive (although pretty effective) bread bin.

I want to get rid of ours. It's only used for reheating.

I have always had one but got rid 4 years ago to free up surface space and don’t miss it at all. It saves a little time occasionally but I can’t think of anything that tastes better out of a microwave.

Mine broke last year and I considered not replacing, I'm glad I did, it's surprising how often we use it without thinking, to heat stuff up,soup, beans, left overs, making scrambled eggs, whatever. Saves dirtying a pan and is very quick.

As I live in a hectic household it's great as a reheater, so from that perspective I wouldn't be without it.
Cooking poached or scrambled eggs in it? Oh dear God.

• heat up leftovers
• heat up the cup of tea/coffee that was forgotten about
• porridge
• heat up frozen veg
• pre cook that would take ages in the oven (baked potatos for example)

it used a lot less energy than the oven.

We got rid of ours. I only miss it for baking potatoes super fast for the kids.

Thank you all, I think I am going to politely decline.

I find ours invaluable. I'd miss it FAR more than the oven, if it came to a choice.

I don’t think MN is the best place to ask, for some reason are very snooty about them. I’m sure a lot of people things they are...common 😱

They are an extremely efficient way of heating food. I use it for:
Porridge, beans, soup, eggs, corn on the cob, softening butter, heating milk. Also generally defrosting things.

If you’ve never had one you might not miss, they are useful though .

@NotTonightJosepheen

We use ours for defrosting. And cooking peas and heating up weetabix with milk.

Occasionally for melting chocolate.

I don’t think MN is the best place to ask, for some reason are very snooty about them

Yes it seems that way. I certainly got put in my place about reheating leftovers, because clearly batch cooking to save having to cook every day isn't considered a good thing.

I had one. I don’t anymore since moving. Yes they are sometimes useful but by no means essential. I’d rather have the space.

OP, in the next week when you're cooking reheating anything ask yourself "would this be easier if I had a microwave?"

I've never had one, I would like an air fryer though.

My microwave is SO helpful. It's brilliant at defrosting. Heating up leftovers. Quick meals when you're in a rush. Steaming veg. Can make glazes for cakes instead of using a double boiler. Grilled cheese. Baked potatoes. Baked beans. Heating up tinned veg and the list goes on. So so much quicker than heating on a stove or in the oven, which I used to have to do