What to use instead of microwave ?

[Soher]

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?

@Soher I've never owned a microwave, either, and my DS is now a teenager. We reheat bolognese etc on the stove. When he was being weaned I can't remember what we did, but we must have managed. I always think microwaves take up too much space! I do a lot of batch cooking and using the freezer but still manage without a microwave - just remember to get things out to defrost. Good luck.

I was thinking that it would be easy to use to bain marie heat baby food and if you are offering more than one kind, they can be kept separate.

Air fryer

Whooptidoo for you. Is your comment helping, in any way or were you just feeling judgey and superior and wanted people to know about it?

Another non-microwave-owner here, have managed fine but in fairness never batch cooked/frozen food for the kids while they were weaning as a) no freezer and anyway b) reheating tiny portions would have been a faff.

I'd just let it defrost then heat gently in a pan or on the oven depending on what it is. But tbh while weaning and when they were very young I would just give them food cold anyway (as in cooked then cooled).

The idea of buying a largeish appliance like a microwave just to reheat the odd bit of food feels quite wasteful to me so I wouldn't do that unless you think you're going to start using it lots! I grew up with microwaves but don't find we need one at home - the only thing that's annoying is porridge.

I do use a microwave for my lunches at work, mind! Leftovers at home just get heated in a pan or in the oven.

Final point - if you do get a microwave be aware that food can get very hot inside so always make sure you leave it for a few mins to continue cooking, and then test it first (which you'd do anyway with a little one I guess).

Fellow non microwave mum here
my bottle warmer had a setting for food like purées that worked from frozen
other food like solid foods I warmed in the oven (you could use an air fryer also)
and to be honest I didn't end up batch cooking much purée as all mine hated it and so we just gave table food from like 7 months anyway
if baby was getting leftovers I'd be warming up enough for them and me so oven or hob
there are also lots of quick meals you can do fresh like omlettes and such

Oh and my babies were wrong btw as my purées were delicious even if I do say so myself! I just couldn't get the texture right for them to tolerate it and they didn't like pouches either so not just me 🤣
maybe the odd fruit one mixed into porridge

porridge was the only food I used to regret no microwave- but I used baby porridge or ready break (yes I know guys! ) which just needed boiled water added and had built in milk
or i would do a big batch of overnight oats and we'd do cold
or id do a big batch in a slow cooker (use water and add milk /boob milk/ formul cool at end is My trick) with like grated carrot or apple in and we'd all eat it together

I think some people are leaving really rude replies here !

I also don’t own a microwave- never have and never will as it causes interference with implanted devices and I have family members who have them. I do still reheat food and batch cook. Depending on what it is, I put it in the oven or heat it in a pan.

I disagree that it's easier.
It's probably more expensive too.

I am the same - no microwave and a small child. We have a steam oven. It takes 10-15 mins vs 2 in the microwave to reheat but does maintain the texture and flavour very well!

Not probably- certainly, and hugely so. Do people really turn on an oven or hob to reheat food for one? The microwave wins hands down. It doesn’t take over cooking, it’s a useful time and energy saving helpmate . There seems to be a sort of self righteous, martyr type attitude in refusing to have one, when it is proved it’s worth world over!

If it’s just fruit or veg you can put the pot in a pan/jug of hot water that will heat the food up but if it is meat or fish it needs properly heating so either put the food directly in the pan (but you will loose some of it as it will stick to pan unless good non stick. Personally I’d just get a cheap microwave

I don’t heat my baby’s food, he just eats it straight from the fridge. If it’s frozen, I defrost in the fridge overnight. I have resorted to the microwave when I’ve forgotten to defrost though. I also don’t cook specifically for the baby, I just make an extra portion of what we are having for dinner and divide the one extra portion up and it does four lunches for the baby.

I only said probably because I didn't have stats to hand. 😬

I have never had a microwave and my DS is now 9 years old. Always heated in a pan, the oven or over a pan of hot water. Now I would also make use of my air fryer. A microwave is useful for reheating, but it is doable without. We didn’t have the space for a microwave at the time and still don’t and manage fine. All a personal choice, but much simpler with one I’m sure 😝

It’s EASIER! So much easier. Take the baby’s out and add seasoning for everyone else afterwards

My mum use to reheat food on a large metal plate rested on the edge of a pan over a pan of boiling water and then the lid over the top of the plate/food. Otherwise make sure there is plenty of sauce with each portion and heat really gently in a pan, maybe add a little butter or liquid if it gets dry.
Might be worth getting a food thermometer to check food is hot enough.....
Never had a microwave growing up and we managed just fine. Have a microwave now but limited use!

With the microwave you often have to mix to avoid hotspots and keep an eye on how long its in.

It goes in the oven for a set time no mixing no checking and one.

So I do personally think much easier.

You need an oven safe dish, not a big deal, most people have those. I use glass.

You should avoid using a microwave with plastic because it puts billions of microplastics into the food.

Heating up a portion that size will take 25 mins incuding pre heat but no need to mix to distribute hot spots, not need to monitor to see if its hot enough. Just leave it do something else and its ready.

Much easier, much more convenient IMO.

I didn't have a microwave for years (I did get one when leaving teen DS for the first time and didn't trust him with the oven though!) and used the steam oven to heat things up, so presumably you could also just use an over pan steamer to do the same. I would just buy a microwave in your situation though.

Buy a microwave, you clearly now need one

25 mins for one portion is not convenient. Time is a convenient. Such a waste of resources also for one baby meal . Glass can go in microwave also and it takes a second to check for doneness .

Rightio.

bloody hell
I don't think those of us without one are being matyrs 🤣🤦‍♀️
but modern kitchens are small and I'd rather have the counter space than another appliance I'd use rarely
for purée baby food you can often use a bottle warmer (the mam ones do it and Tommy tippee have a special baby food warmer)
if you just do blw you can reheat enough leftovers for lunch for the whole family then using the oven or hob isn't as bad and if you look at the cost differential it's not as overly dramatic as using an entire oven for a small amount of baby food like you make out and imo the food itself once reheated is often nicer in oven or on hob ( there are some exceptions to this I know )

Ive recently moved house and invested in a combination microwave/oven and I still only use the microwave portion twice a week to reheat frozen jacket potatoes ( convenient but they're no where near as nice as using the oven ) and the odd microwaveable pudding

also babies (and adults) can have cold food :sandwiches, hummus and pita, crackers and soft cheese or hard cheese with a side of suitable veg and or fruit for lunch or something like beans on toast or omlette or fish fingers / chicken breadcrumbs which most people wouldn't microwave anyway then a portion of your family meal at dinner thus it's not some sort of essential device one can't life without in my eyes nor something to be hung up on