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AIBU?

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Original poster

What to use instead of microwave ?

225 replies

Soher · 16/04/2024 08:55

Never owned a microwave. A lot of people I know irl can’t get their heads around it and don’t believe me when I say I’ve never needed one, I haven’t until now.
I have a baby and I’ve no idea how to warm his food up that I’ve batched cooked.
For example last night I made salmon, sweet potato and kale , extra portions in Tupperware ready for meals this week but how do I reheat?
Do I give it cold? Warm in pan? Can I reheat salmon?

OP posts:
Gettingbysomehow · 17/04/2024 21:01

I have never owned a microwave, I don,t think they are safe especially as I've run out of tin foil hats.
I defrost my food in the fridge until soft, I'd think a couple of hours with this amount of food, tip into a saucepan and heat up but please check guidelines first I don't want to be responsible for poisoning your baby.
If you put a closed container into a sink of cold water it defrosts pretty quickly.

Casperroonie · 17/04/2024 21:09

Soher · 16/04/2024 08:58

I’ve never reheated or batch cooked food? So unfortunately not.

Get a microwave???

Vonesk · 17/04/2024 21:10

You can reheat food which has been quickly frozen.
You will have to rig up a steaming saucepan.
A saucepan ( with the food in) inside a bigger pan bubbling with boiling water. Cook till piping hot. ( Put a lid on too) Keep checking so water doesnt run dry. Could take about 15 minutes.
B. T. W. I gave our babies mostly our food ( home cooked dinners) whizzed up in a blender with added liquid.
Be cautious with pre cooked rice, because it contains toxins when reheated.

Lotus3 · 17/04/2024 21:13

Boil a pan of water, drop leftovers in sealed plastic tubs in the water to reheat. Same as warming a bottle.

JayJayj · 17/04/2024 21:37

I’m same as you. Don’t have a microwave.

i heat my babies food either in a small pan/ small frying pan or the air fryer. Depending what it was.

Once she was about 8 months she just ate what we ate mostly so microwave still not needed.

Bonbon249 · 17/04/2024 21:47

Let me start by saying I know nothing about air fryers - so I don't know if this is possible - but could you use an air fryer to reheat things? I'm assuming there is some reason you don't want a microwave so perhaps an air fryer would be a suitable alternative?

Hmmmm2018 · 17/04/2024 22:07

We had this issue as had tiny kitchen and no surface for a microwave, reheated batch cooked baby food in small pan on hob (though was please when we moved and could fit in a microwave again!)

Itsaloadofbollocksbut · 17/04/2024 22:10

WaitingforCheese · 17/04/2024 20:53

DH rarely comes home before 6.30pm, often later, even now the teenager likes to eat about 5pm. I can’t imagine leaving a baby who was tired wait until after 8pm to eat.

and people do eat at different times when there are jobs and after school activities involved.

Show quote history

Indeed. My baby wasn’t anywhere near tired at 8pm.

It’s been very helpful that she doesn’t do anything early when she did gymnastics between ages 6 and 11 and didn’t get home till 9pm, or now as a teen (13) when she doesn’t get home till 10pm twice a week. Or when she’s been in a theatre show and not changed and out to meet me before 11pm.

Itsaloadofbollocksbut · 17/04/2024 22:14

Emmz1510 · 17/04/2024 20:59

Oh pipe down all the sanctimonious perfect mummies. I really can’t with mumsnet sometimes!

Baby ate what you all ate all the time? From the moment they started weaning at 6 months? Even if you choose to do baby led weaning, baby isn’t eating pizza, steak, burgers, and curries from 6 months are they? Maybe over time, but not right away. And what about people who work and have to batch cook a couple times a week and freeze portions of their meals for the baby? Not everyone has time to cook fresh cooked meals for everyone every day of the week. And it’s only good sense to make bigger amounts of meals and freeze some surely? Anyone would think batch cooking and reheating was inferior to having it freshly cooked every day- news flash, it’s not.
Sometimes it will make sense for baby to have what you are having, or deconstructed versions perhaps, but sometimes it won’t.

Another vote for getting a microwave OP. It makes more sense than reheating tiny portions in an oven or on the hob.

I don’t eat pizza, burgers etc so no, she wasn’t eating that at 6 months. She probably tried steak at about 8 months. We had eggs in various forms, fish, veggies, fruit, cheese. I might have put some toast with hers. She would have had pasta, rice, potatoes and meat as well when DH was home.

And I never said I was cooking fresh every day. I worked (own business) and DH worked away 5 days a week.

SalviaDivinorum · 17/04/2024 22:30

Covered plate or bowl over a pan of boiling water on the hob.

PoppyCherryDog · 17/04/2024 22:55

iLovee · 16/04/2024 08:58

Buy a microwave

This. We were like you and never had a microwave but we had a baby in January so had to get a microwave for sterilising and warming milk.

before a microwave we’d heat stuff in the oven in a over proof dish with tin foil over if we didn’t want it to get too crispy/burnt.

ReadingSoManyThreads · 18/04/2024 00:03

Soher · 16/04/2024 09:13

I don’t know why being young would correlate with never having warmed up food.
When I lived on my own I cooked food for one. When I met my now DH we cook bigger portions but it all gets eaten.
Does being old mean you have more leftovers?

Thanks to those who have answered, will give the options a try and if it’s not working I’ll invest in a microwave.

Don't buy a microwave! They are so bad for your health, even more so if you reheat food in plastic.

I've never owned a microwave either (I'm older than you), neither have my parents. We heat up food, depending on what it is, either in a saucepan, or in the oven. I'd do your baby's food in a small saucepan, stir, it'll be ready in a couple of minutes, probably less.

It blows most people's minds when they hear of people not ever having had a microwave, which is why you've had so many "just buy a microwave" comments. Honestly, ignore them!

ReadingSoManyThreads · 18/04/2024 00:06

Lotus3 · 17/04/2024 21:13

Boil a pan of water, drop leftovers in sealed plastic tubs in the water to reheat. Same as warming a bottle.

Edited

Ignore this suggestion OP, this isn't safe for a number of reasons.

Sunnytwobridges · 18/04/2024 01:13

I haven’t had a microwave in a year so I’ve been warming stuff up on the stove or in the air fryer.

i wrap the food or cover it in the air fryer to maintain moisture.

PeloMom · 18/04/2024 01:17

Get a toaster oven

InAMillion · 18/04/2024 02:32

You can warm up small amounts in a bowl of hot water ie place the food in a container in the bowl of hot water.

InAMillion · 18/04/2024 02:34

My DM doesn't have a microwave and tbh we don't miss it when we're there but I have one which we seem to use all the time

Nat6999 · 18/04/2024 02:58

I wouldn't want to be without a microwave, so handy for defrosting something you don't have time to naturally defrost if say you suddenly decide you want steak for tea but it is in the freezer. 5 minutes & it is ready to cook.

Cakeandcardio · 18/04/2024 04:47

I don't have a microwave. It depends what I made. If it was a puree type mix (salmon and veg), I re-heated in a pot. When my son got bigger and I made him fish pie etc then I made in small glass tubs from Ikea, froze them and then defrosted and re-heated in the oven.

snoopyfanaccountant · 18/04/2024 05:00

I have only read some of the replies, so sorry if someone else has suggested this.
Do you have a bottle warmer? The one I had came with a bowl that sat on it so that food could be warmed. A baby's small portions could be reheated in a bottle.

beAsensible1 · 18/04/2024 05:04

As others have said a pan with hot water and the food in a container inside.

you don’t need a microwave, especially to warm small baby portions.

beAsensible1 · 18/04/2024 05:05

You also don’t need one for sterilising

Safxxx · 18/04/2024 05:13

My friend uses her oven....another family member uses the saucepan over the gas cooker

AnOldCynic · 18/04/2024 06:24

Ideally lift stuff out to defrost in the fridge in advance. Otherwise add frozen to a small pan, add a bit of water, by the time it's heated through it will have evaporated to be the same consistency.

I managed/still manage without a microwave, don't buy something you don't need.

Coffeeismyfriend1 · 18/04/2024 07:20

I can totally understand not needing one as everything I use my microwave for you can do in a pan on the hob (porridge, hot milk, beans etc). The main thing that’s more tricky is reheating stuff.

However, I have used mine way more since having the kids and it’s a much more economical way of heating a small portion of veg or a cup of milk before bedtime once they are older. DD likes porridge, DS &DH don’t, I don’t always want it so we can do a small portion for her in the microwave.

If have the space I’d look at getting a cheap one as they are super quick and easy with little one.