Has anyone ditched the microwave?

[BlueRidgeMountain]

Thrilling chat for a Sunday morning I know, but I’ve been thinking about getting rid of ours for a while. It takes up so much of our limited worktop space, and yes we do use it a bit, but we have an air fryer that can reheat so we’d really just be losing the defrost function, and ability to cook a microwave meal (not necessarily a bad thing?!)
So, has anyone got rid of theirs, was it not even missed or will we be making a big mistake?

I haven't had one for years and don't miss it!

I ditched mine for similar reasons and don't miss it, I find most ready meals can be heated though in the air fryer.

Yes,haven't had one for about six years. The only time I miss it is for heating up wraps when we have fajitas.

You could do a trial run, put it away in a cupboard and purposefully not use it for a couple weeks to see how it goes. Personally I wouldn't get rid of ours, I'm a bit of a creature of habit though and Id rather reheat in the microwave like I always have.

Yes! It was really my ex husband who needed the microwave. I’d never owned one until we married. Divorced now.
The microwave wasn’t being used by me and was a total space hog. Got rid of it. never miss it.

Mine conked out a couple of months ago. I haven’t replaced it, and don’t miss it. I buy those microwave rice pouches but you can heat them up on the hob I’ve found anyway.
Plus the extra space on the worktop is worth it.

I got rid of mine 25 years ago.

Following with interest as we seldom use ours.

Never had one so don't miss it.

I haven't given mine up- no. I reheat leftovers, hot milk drinks, melt chocolate/butter for cooking etc. Surely an air fryer would dry out a plated leftover meal?

Could you move it to the utility? Clear a wall cupboard and put it in there? Put up a wall bracket for it to sit on? We recently renovated and lived in a tiny, static caravan for 2yrs. Our worktop was less than 1m2, so I understand having no work area at all! We had the microwave in the lounge area, but in a caravan, it was literally 1 step sideways to get to it.

Wow I never thought that, I sometimes buy DD a ready meal and she doesn't have a microwave but does have an air fryer.

What are compared timings like?

I use mine to heat milk in my mug for first coffee of the day, yes could use saucepan but easier in the mug.

I’ve never owned one

Ours died about 5 years ago and we just never bothered replacing it.

I just do loads of the microwave stuff on the hob (warming milk, microwave rice, microwave curry etc) and heat other stuff in the air fryer.

No, because they're proven to be very safe and to conserve nutrients during cooking.

Since leaving home I always had a microwave but it was rarely used, when I moved in with DH about 7 years ago he had a tiny kitchen so I ditched it in favour of my worktop space and we've never missed it, even in our current home where there is plenty of space for one we chose not to get one.

We have a defrost function on the oven if needed (only ever gets used for the dogs food!)

I cook ready meals in the air fryer, and heating things up like beans only takes a couple of minutes on the hob.

I had one briefly in the 80s, at the request of my then husband.

Never had one since. Love the Airfryer though!!

I haven’t had one for years, too small a kitchen for it to take up space, I just use the hob or oven to reheat, the only thing I missed it for was the warm up wheat bags? But I just use a hot water bottle now.

No. Did haggis, sweet potato and peas in ours yesterday.

Never owned one. Can heat most things in a small saucepan or the air fryer

I set mine on fire with a baked potato. Got rid of it! I occasionally miss it for defrosting or if I need to cook in a rush. But mostly manage ok without it.

No but i’ve more or less ditched the oven since getting an air fryer. So it’s microwave, air fryer, hob and rice cooker here

God never, I wouldn't be able to give up 10 minute jacket potatoes

We don't have one. We inherited one when we moved home about 20 years ago - used it as a bread bin then gave it away.

where I've used a microwave at my parents it's taken the same amount of time to reheat anything as on the hob.

like a pp has said, do a trial run without!

I've seen some ready meals in Iceland that have the instructions for air fryer reheating. I dont remember exact times but it was like
4 mins microwave
10 mins air fryer
30 mins oven

As for getting rid of my microwave, nah, it comes in handy at Christmas to hold defrosting things out of the way. Plus a copycat McDonalds burger I buy really needs to be microwaved.

My microwave “blew” last summer

ive not replaced it & was talking to a friend yesterday about it - I’ve not missed it in 5 months

I heat up meals on the hob, in the oven or use the airfryer