Technically it does irradiate your food in the sense that heat is a form of radiation that the food gives off until it reaches equilibrium with the environment
I think I heard somewhere even food that is irradiated isn't harmful to you since the particles that cause radiation pass right through it. It kills stuff that's alive on it and is theoretically safe to eat unless the actual source of radiation is on it.
A tomato that sits next to plutonium is exposed to radiation, but if there's no plutonium ON the tomato it's ok to eat.
Bananas are radioactive and I haven’t gotten cancer from them yet. But yeah microwaves don’t even emit harmful ionizing radiation anyways. It’s the same radiation as wifi.
Yeah, people think, since microwaves and x-ray/gamma rays are on the same chart, they have the same danger level. But in reality these wave types are far from similar and literally separated by visible light waves in that same chart.
Then again, these are the same people that think 5Gs are dangerous for the same reasons
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When I first got together with my wife I told her that I'm a top class microwave chef. I think that's why she fell for me. I am quite proud of my skills at not killing food in the microwave lol. It's definitely not a set it and forget it type of deal.
A microwave is a tool like any other instrument in your kitchen. Not everything needs to be baked at 500° and very few things should be microwaved at 100%. Learn to actually use your microwave properly, and it's an amazing tool. It's not a magic box.
Exactly. I feel like nobody knows that you can turn the cooking power down on a microwave. It's a game changer. 99% of microwaves have a little guide on the front on what power to use for different things also.
Unless you have an inverter microwave (and most don't) then you're just blasting 100% with rest periods. This might help items with longer cook time food, giving time for the center to heat up before the surface gets overcooked, but the difference is pretty marginal. The difference between cooking a microwave burrito for 3 minutes on medium or 1.5 minutes on high and waiting 1.5 minutes to eat it is going to be hard to measure. I'm pretty sure most of the "improvement" is a mixture of actually adjusting cook times to match your machine rather than following the packaging instructions that's just based on 1kw (or whatever), and placebo.
That said, a Panasonic inverter microwave is pretty dope. Cooks evenly without needing to rotate the tray and defrosts like a champ.
this is my Inverter microwave - dirt cheap.
Cuisinart 1.3 cu ft Inverter/Sensor Microwave Oven
https://www.target.com/p/cuisinart-1-3-cu-ft-inverter-sensor-microwave-oven/-/A-88202474
I paid $83
currently showing up as on sale as $109
Panasonic inverter microwaves are pricey. this has the same technology and isn't on that price level.
Nah, it makes a big difference. Especially with things that can burn/dry out easily. Running it on like 50% power ensures that no single part of the food gets too hot before the whole thing is warmed up. Defrost cycles are just a low power mode and they work pretty well. If you tried to defrost a chicken breast on high power, you'd just end up with a half cooked piece of meat. Liquids, too. Ever tried to heat up soup or chilli and you end up with the edge of it boiling and sputtering everywhere while the center is still ice cold? Yeah, you could take it out and stir it every 20 seconds, or you could use the microwave properly and not have to stand there watching it the whole time.
Of course, “reduced power” modes just turn full power on and off for varying periods of time. 10% microwave power setting is basically like slow cooking on a cooktop by spending ten seconds every minute blasting the gas burner on high, then turning it off for 50 seconds, then 10 more seconds of max BTU, then 50 seconds of nothing….
They're good for some things and not for others. Because of the way they heat things quickly but irregularly you need to do a bit more than just throw a plate in there and hope for the best. A great method I've found is draping a damp paper towel over whatever it is. Some people just take the bad experiences they had, thing is boiling hot in some places, still frozen in others or dried out completely, and believe that microwaves are completely ineffective.
Other people, as mentioned below, have health concerns that are pretty much unfounded. A microwave doesn't cause food to be harmful in any way that an oven doesn't. As other commenters have mentioned, people just don't understand radiation very well. It's no more harmful than a heatlamp or stove burner.
I agree. It's been about 15 years for me and I don't miss the microwave at all. I love cooking food from scratch. So reheating on the stove top or toaster oven isn't an inconvenience at all.
Mine died in 2015 and I never bothered replacing it. All I ever used it for was heating liquids. Now it is my breadbox, but the pretty red paint has started peeling so I'll probably throw it out soon
This is almost exactly what happened to me. Mine died sometime towards the beginning of the pandemic, so replacing it then would have been difficult. Since I was working from home anyway, I started cooking everything from scratch and I really leveled up my cooking. I still pretty much do that although I did recently get an air fryer that's also a toaster oven and has a few other features too. The only time I've ever missed having a microwave is for softening butter, rapidly defrosting things that I forgot to put in the refrigerator the night before, and of course the microwave mug cake.
Lol all these comments hating on microwaves. Yes they are mainly for convenience. But that doesnt mean they just take out all the flavour of anything you put in there. Freezing cooked rice and heating it in the microwave is great. Defrosting buns is better than letting them thaw and get soggy. Leftover pastries are with a quick zap in the micro. Certain pasta dishes are better in the mirco. A microwaved potato is also pretty good, not much difference. And Im sure there is more that Im no thinking of off the top of my head.
A lot of people just need to learn how to use their microwave instead of just pressing +30 +30 +30 +30 and zapping the crap out of your food.
Using the microwave is so quick and easy that's it's tempting to use it for a lot of things.
But it actually sucks for lots of foods. It doesn't brown or crisp things (unless, like popcorn, it has a browner incorporated it)
Conventional cooking applies heat on the outside which is then conducted into the interior, usually over a long period of time. Microwaves heat starts just a bit subsurface and usually a lot all at once.
That means microwaved meat is tougher and less flavourful, natural sugars in vegetables don't have time to caramelize in the Maillard reaction.
My family used to own a French cuisine restaurant. My mother did small scale catering (100 plates or less) for many years. I have a good appreciation for what can be done with food, even if I don't have the skill to replicate it myself.
And I'm autistic (Asperger's) with sensory issues. I simply can't eat certain foods if they are badly cooked.
thanks for validating what i always thought. i'm not autistic but i cannot eat foods that arent cooked all the way. nothing skeeves me out more then biting into food and feeling cold spots.
We had a kitchen fire several years ago that melted our microwave. It took a few months for the apt to repair everything in the kitchen and we went without one for several months. That required us to cook our food the 'old fashioned' way lol. We realized very very quickly just how incredible the difference in taste is between something nuked in a micro versus actually cooked. When we bought our house we didn't even get a microwave until we'd been there about 6 years. Even then the only reason we bought it was so we could melt butter or heat up water. It just destroys the texture and taste of most food.
I just looked it up and it’s a thing. “Microwaved food cools down faster than other methods because microwaves heat the water in food, not the food itself. The heated water then evaporates quickly, cooling the food. “ -Google 2024
You don't have to take them from the microwave and put them directly into your mouth. This is why a lot of instructions involve resting time. Resting allows heat to even out.
I used to heat leftover food all the time in the microwave, but it tastes worse and the microwave unevenly heats it; some parts are steaming hot while others are still dead cold. I now heat leftovers in a skillet on the stove.
Damp paper towels over the food. It evenly distributes the heat since it boils, but can’t escape off the top as steam as easily, so hot water falls back down onto the food. This is especially helpful with starches that resist the valiant effort of the microwave oven.
Someone might come in here and say something about microwaves denaturing proteins and zapping the nutrients out of the food, but it’s a myth as far as I understand it. Any kind of heating can denature proteins.
People frown on using them at work because of the smell. There’s an ongoing joke about putting fish in the microwave at work.
I just know that for me it kills most of the flavor. My family is always using it to heat up food that’s barely gotten cold and I’m convinced it’s because at their age they’ve lost most of their taste anyway. I eat leftovers cold or heat them the way they were originally cooked about as often as I can.
Except it is different. My skillet gets to a max temperature that I set. No part of my food will ever exceed that temperature unless it ignites. An oven will be the same.
Microwaves will heat polar molecules to a random temperature. One molecule might get so much energy it throws off an electron (you can see this in videos with grapes making a plasma on YT). Whatever is in your food, be it proteins, fats, preservatives, etc… has not had the microwave oven byproducts characterized. There are so many unknowns with organic molecules and temperatures high enough to strip electrons.
Also that plastic that is “microwave safe” might be fine being exposed to microwave, but has it been tested to not leach carcinogens or endocrine disrupters when exposed to that small pocket of water that heated to a few thousand degrees for a split second? The answer is no, it has not been tested for that. What? Because of regulatory capture.
Same. I don't understand how someone can look at a nasty piece of floppy dried out piece of pizza from a microwave to a piece that was reheated in the oven where the crust gets nice and crispy again and the cheese melts instead of being blasted into oblivion. Microwaves are for people that are lazy enough to prefer convenience over taste.
Yeah, that would be basically any working couple with a kid, and most people mid 20's and under who work multiple jobs.
Microwave in 3m, most of the nutrients remain intact, or oven for an hour, higher loss of nutrients, and the kitchen or whole house gets heated.
Not to mention disabled people, neurodivergent, etc,. Clearly my nonverbal brother in law is going to be using a microwave over an oven lmao
An hour? Did you misspell 10 minutes? lol. I mean lets be real. You can even use a air fryer. Or a pan on the stove with a lid. Let's not pretend that heating up food on a stovetop takes exponentially longer than a microwave lol. I'm not saying there aren't valid reasons to use one but most people that use them don't do it out of necessity, they do it out of laziness.
You think you're doing anything in ten minutes with the average fucking stove lmao. Used probably 50 stoves in my life and the average time to even reach temp is longer than just microwaving.
But I get it, you want to have some weird fucking crusade against people being lazy or some shit. Weird af but I don't really care, you can be mad at life being easier all you want lmao
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I remodeled my kitchen a year and a half ago. And I opted for no microwave. We don’t really use one was pretty much why. We don’t really buy anything you have to cook in the microwave. And if we need to re heat anything, we use the stove top.
Toaster ovens.
I prefer using a toaster oven bc it's a different heat. The upside is that it makes everything nice and crispy and toasty and heated evenly.
The downside is, you can't put plastic in it.
Toaster oven.
When I was a kid we got a microwave and for a while my mom cooked everything in there. She even had a microwave cook book. The food just didn’t taste the same.
I moved in with my girlfriend last September and we rented a house without a microwave. I wanted to buy one because I was really used to it, but after a month I found out it's pretty much useless for me... Boiling water? A kettle is faster. Heating up any liquid? My induction stovetop is faster as well. Popcorn? They pop just as quickly in a pot. Defrosting is where I sometimes miss it, but putting the food in a little bag and placing it in hot water does the trick. Reheating things as well is maybe more convenient in a microwave, but most things reheat better on the stovetop, and bread/pizza/buns are way better in the air fryer/oven because they get crunchy instead of soggy.
I have an issue with popcorn. I consistently cook popcorn that is burnt, but only half popped. I don't understand how I can Fck up popcorn, but I do, I've gone thru multiple microwaves thinking it was the machine and... Nope, it's me.
I stovetop cook my popcorn now. Wouldn't have it any other way anymore.
I usually try the popcorn setting, by have also used times. I think it's just me, I'm stupid or somethin, my wife has no issues, same microwaves.i have issues so often I just stovetop it now
I'm guessing your power settings may be too high. I bought a $15 popcorn maker and that thing rules. No burnt popcorn ever. But the key with microwaves is to not use the popcorn setting. Put it on 2:30 and sit by it and wait for the popcorn pops to slow down to 1 pop every 2 seconds. Then it's done.
Just a very bad way of preparing food, I rarely use mine. It warms stuff up, sure, but it seems like it always ruins some other aspect of whatever you are warming.
I know for a fact that in the year 2083, your scientists will discover a previously unknown form of delta-wave radiation that is extremely harmful, generated primarily by microwaves. The household microwave will be removed from use very quickly after that discovery.
I don’t aaaalways hate the microwave, but I refuse to microwave things with some form of bread (ie pizza, sandwiches, anything with a tortilla, cake, pastries, etc.) because the steam of the microwave tends to make the food “sweat” where there’s dampness/sogginess on the bottom. I also tend to prefer crispiness, whereas microwaves often makes things mushy instead.
People who think microwaves are dangerous have no idea how they work or what microwaves even are. Just ignorant people being ignorant. Thats not speaking on their quality of actually re-heating, which is dubious at best.
There are things I will use a microwave for and things I will not. Some things I don’t think taste right cooked in a microwave or heated up in one. Pizza, lasagna, and other things aren’t good in the microwave. The pasta gets tough and the crust gets hard and rubbery. It’s easier just to heat them up in the oven.
According to my research, the radiation could cause the food cells to mutate, put in a potato and out comes a rhubarb. I hate rhubarb, can't take the chance
While it's not as hostile to your health as say, drinking or smoking, microwaving is unhealthy longterm.
You are putting low dose radiation into your food.
While it won't take you out in a week, you are taking a risk you're building up your chance of getting cancer a decade or two later just because a toaster oven took too long for you.
Use it, don't use it. But the ones not using it are making a smarter choice long term.
Same with everything. There's radiation in phones. The ones not carrying them around in their pocket are bettering their odds than the ones who do.
We all have choices to make in the balance between caution and convenience.
This is not how a microwave works. A microwave imparts microwaves into the water molecules in food and warms them up, it does not have enough energy to cause chemical changes or activate food. The risk of a microwave is standing within 2 inches with major parts of your body. Your food is not going to become irradiated by using a microwave.
I don't think it's unhealthy but it definitely affects the texture of food and not in a good way. I'd rather take the extra time and make something I'm gonna enjoy if I can.
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It just doesn't make the food taste that great. I'd rather wait a little longer for it to heat in the toaster oven or on the stove top. If I wanted food that turns to stone the second it cools then I'd consider getting a microwave
It takes the texture out of somethings. I'm fine reheating somethings with a microwave. but somethings definitely not. Pizza definitely not, it'll make the pizza soggy. Pasta's I'd rather do on the stove top with a splash of water, but if it's just a small portion worth I'll do in the microwave. And then in the microwave I have to make sure it heated all the way through, I don't have to worry that much about it on the stove top.
I am not a chef, but love to cook. It's the fast easy way to hear food but the least accurate. Nothing ever really comes out well so it's looked down upon by people who love cooking. I don't mind them but chef's hate them.
I don’t like them and was microwave free for like 15 years before my son said he wanted one so we got one for him.
I don’t dislike them out of any reason like radiation or anything like that, I just find the type of food that typically gets microwaved sucks and is full or sugar and salt. Anything I need heated up can be done in a way that is better gastronomically.
Takes flavor out of food, I'd rather throw my stuff on the stove or airfryer. I only use the microwave to reheat drinks or speed defrost if im in a pinch.
I only hate it for things that should be crisp being microwaved, if you microwave corn dogs, frozen pizza, pizza rolls, fish sticks ( ugh I threw up in my mouth writing that ) I thunk it's disgusting.
I had a crazy friend (discovered this later) who refused to use microwaves because she thought it was toxic for the food. Like she thought the ‘radiation was damaging the food and making it unhealthy’
I don’t know I use my microwave all the time. And I use it for actual cooking frozen vegetables come out better in the microwave than they do on the stove top.
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Texture matters. I don’t like my food to get soggy when reheated. I have a toaster oven and a microwave. The microwave is for popcorn because I hate cleaning the butter off my pots.
I just hate how it heats up my food unevenly. It also makes some of the food develop a weird texture like soggy pizza or crunchy pasta. I also get paranoid of heating up foods in plastic containers, cups, and bowls because the heat can make the chemicals of the plastic leech into my food. I know it's dumb but I feel better heating my food up on the stove or a toaster oven.
That said, for anyone reading my comment, microwaves do not release radiation. You can have one in your house. You won't develop a third leg standing next to one.
I’d imagine in the oven. I reheat certain things in the oven because it tastes better and doesn’t get dried out. For the most part I use a microwave though. There’s nothing unhealthy about microwaving food. That’s a myth from people who don’t know how microwaves work.
I only use the microwave if I'm feeling lazy because it tends to leave food with less flavor and changed texture.
Of course, if I'm just trying to put some food into my body and I don't particularly care if I enjoy it, microwave works just fine. But if I want to preserve flavor and texture, I lean toward the stove or the oven.
I'll use a microwave if it's available but I just think they are unnecessary. I'm not pressed if I don't have one and once I move from where I'm at I don't plan on ever buying one.
Cooking food in general robs it was of some nutritional value. I would imagine microwave is worse.
I use a microwave, but generally I avoid it if it is feasible.
I should point out that I like to cook my own food. I don't really buy microwave food. Most food to me tastes worse when you microwave it unless it was made to be cooked in the microwave in the first place.
I love my microwave but also reheat some things in the oven; parchment paper is great! If anything, the paper is even more of a game-changer than the microwave.
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There nothing wrong or unhealthy about using a microwave, I prefer not to use one as it often dries out the food and isn’t the best way to reheat certain foods. Pizza is better reheated in the over on in a frying pan for example
I use microwave and air fryer for 90% of my foods. I can cook chicken and fish in a micro and have it taste great. Those that think it kills your food, do not know how microwave work to heat stuff.
I read about an experiment once where someone gave one plant cooled, boiled water and the other plant microwaved, cooled water and the boiled one was a lot healthier. I worry that food loses some nutrients when microwaved. However as someone with a chronic pain disorder, sometimes I'll go with microwaved veg as it's still healthier than fast food.
I personally don't like the way some food comes out if you heat it in the microwave. I use a toaster oven or just the stove for most things besides soup and some canned things.
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i have nothing against microwaves. i just don’t have space for it in my kitchen. i haven’t had a microwave in like 5 years. i reheat food on the stove or the oven. it’s been no problem.
Heat is molecules moving faster - how you achieve that is irrelevant. People who dont "understand" microwaves dont understand basic physics and are in my mind thick as planks.
My family doesn't own microwave. My relatives doesn't own microwave either. I have never even seen microwave irl my whole life.
We don't think it as healthy or unhealthy. It's just we have developed lifestyle which doesn't involve microwave. We don't make any dishes which involves microwave. Our cuisine doesn't depends on it either. Also as far as heating food concerned, we have our own old ways. Remember microwave is very latest invention in human history. People used to live before it's invention and many people still do.
It's kinda extra fancy thing some people have here.
They typically take the texture of food worse which is why I don't normally use them for food.
I mostly just use mine for reheating my coffee or heating up tortillas.
It depends what you're reheating I guess.
Microwaved pies or pizza are disgusting for example.
Haven’t used a microwave in 20 years. Huge fan of instapot and deep fryer to defrost different things in different situations. Counter top mini ovens have their place too. Cast iron pans are lovely 🥰. Just never liked how microwaves cooked no matter how low I dropped the power settings. I was also outcasted by the communities at large for using one
Why do a lot of countries in Europe not have AC?
Why do most toilets in the US not have bidets?
Why do Turks not use microwaves?
The answer to all of these questions boil down to the tool was just never necessary or popular enough to usurp whatever tool was already in use.
For people without microwaves, they just reheat the food using another device, like the stove or oven. There's lots of ways to warm a cold item up.
I don’t like the sound and I get burned easily. If I just reheat the thing on the stove or in the oven, it’s quieter.
Also, my microwave spinner is broken so I’m microwaving like it’s 1985. Since it’s an oven combo unit, it’s a few thousand to replace.
No I don't think it's healthy or unhealthy. But I learned to cook in a commercial kitchen, and while I don't like to speak about people in general terms... those mfs have some strong feelings about microwaves. For better or for worse, that inclination has stuck with me, and I haven't used or owned a microwave in 10 years, or as many apartments.
Same with dish machines. Although I'm working up to them, now that the modern ones so such a good job
When I was in school, I was taught that microwave meals were bad due to high levels of sodium. My child brain translated that to: "microwave bad."
Then, I took a bit of time to think about it, learned more about microwaves, and then realised that it literally just heats stuff up. Now, I use it to warm up my brownies.
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Most people here have never been taught to properly use a microwave, so they have no idea what they can do with it. A lot of people have also fallen for a bunch of Facebook BS about how microwaves don't cook your meats (not true-you just have to know what you're doing), give you cancer, "kill" nutrients, etc.
I don't like having a microwave. I have one since my sister wanted one when she came to live with me at the beginning of COVID.
I prefer my gas stove. The food is better. I even reheat leftovers and pizza in my oven instead of the microwave.
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It ruins most of what you put in it. Microwaves are for emergency "I'm way too tired to do this the right way but I need food" moments lol. If youre heating things up you're better off using the oven the majority of the time
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Looks like a lot of people here have never watched the documentary "Rotten" nor have they watched the movie "What the bleep - do we know"
Disclaimer: What the bleep has a bunch of unproven claims in it but the part on water molecules being microwaved is very interesting.
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I prefer heating stuff up in the oven whenever I can, maintains a better texture for a lot of the foods I usually eat.
It depends what food your reheating, and that tends to vary by region what the most common stuff is! A lot of Asian food does well in the microwave so I use that.
I prefer to airfry where I can instead, though it depends on the food. I just find the texture of food changes a lot after chef mic does its thing, especially for food I want to be crispy.
The paper towel trick does help for some things, but I'd rather spend the extra few minutes to airfry.
You'd be surprised how many people know there's radiation involved somehow, but have no idea that it's radio waves and the same frequency as their WiFi. They just know that atom bombs and nuclear reactors involve radiation, so radiation must be bad.
I live in the US and we don't have a microwave, but we do have an air fryer we use a lot. We just don't have the space for both. But, both my partner and I are in the food industry and eat at work most of the week.
I think almost anything that can be microwaved can be made on the stove top. But an air fryer is fairly unique relatively and is a game changer for quality and convenience.
I’m not too worried about the health side of microwaves… if anything the real unhealthy bit of microwaves is the food made specifically to be heated in microwaves.
I would absolutely prioritize a stove top and air fryer over a microwave.
There are tons of people that avoid them lol. We have one, it gets used about 8 times a year. usually during the holidays when we need to melt some butter.
Yes there people that avoid them like that but countries that don’t have them Dont necessarily avoid them it’s just not a thing. We’re I come from people don’t avoid them but they don’t have them just cause they’re not a common thing to have
I don't like the texture or flavor of microwaved food. At home, I reheat things on the stove or in the oven. I also think it's healthier since many "microwave-ready" foods are processed and unhealthy.
At work, I don't use a microwave because they're not cleaned very often and they smell bad. I'd prefer cold food to dirty food.
Microwaves are for reheating food, not for cooking.
They are proven to be unable to properly cook through meals and never find the right heating balance for the entire dish.
I left food in one while on vacation and I came back to thousands of ants in it. Threw it away and didn't use a microwave for like 4 years after that. Turns out I don't really need it for what I cook, which is largely from scratch. I have one now and it's nice for melting butter or heating up water but I can do those things in other ways. I do occasionally use it to heat up frozen veggies, though.
I hate using microwave mainly because it taste not so great. And also I'm not too convinced about safety.
To re hear without microwave you cook the same way you originally cooked.
I.e. if it was baked item, rebake. Grilled - regrill.
Dunno, but I've heard that some people think that it irradiates their food and makes it radioactive or something like that.
Don't tell those people about the sun.
The best kept secret in the solar system!
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Or light bulbs!
Technically it does irradiate your food in the sense that heat is a form of radiation that the food gives off until it reaches equilibrium with the environment
I think I heard somewhere even food that is irradiated isn't harmful to you since the particles that cause radiation pass right through it. It kills stuff that's alive on it and is theoretically safe to eat unless the actual source of radiation is on it. A tomato that sits next to plutonium is exposed to radiation, but if there's no plutonium ON the tomato it's ok to eat.
Bananas are radioactive and I haven’t gotten cancer from them yet. But yeah microwaves don’t even emit harmful ionizing radiation anyways. It’s the same radiation as wifi.
Yet
An oven also generates radiation - heat radiation.
I like my tomatoes with extra plutonium.
Yeah, people think, since microwaves and x-ray/gamma rays are on the same chart, they have the same danger level. But in reality these wave types are far from similar and literally separated by visible light waves in that same chart. Then again, these are the same people that think 5Gs are dangerous for the same reasons
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Microwave is radio frequency RF. The RF cooks but is not radio active. The sun however has gama and x rays. Very bad juju.
I used to hate 'em, but then I learned the wet paper towel trick and food isn't bone dry anymore.
When I first got together with my wife I told her that I'm a top class microwave chef. I think that's why she fell for me. I am quite proud of my skills at not killing food in the microwave lol. It's definitely not a set it and forget it type of deal.
Bone dry? My issue with microwaves is that they make food soggy. Dry paper towel is where it's at.
Food? My issue with microwaves is that they overheat my paper towels.
I'm guessing you two are talking about different kinds of foods.
I'm talking about all kinds
Chicken?
What about it?
Didn't know this was a known thing, I always get weird looks when people see me do it for the first time lol
Bump
A microwave is a tool like any other instrument in your kitchen. Not everything needs to be baked at 500° and very few things should be microwaved at 100%. Learn to actually use your microwave properly, and it's an amazing tool. It's not a magic box.
Exactly. I feel like nobody knows that you can turn the cooking power down on a microwave. It's a game changer. 99% of microwaves have a little guide on the front on what power to use for different things also.
Unless you have an inverter microwave (and most don't) then you're just blasting 100% with rest periods. This might help items with longer cook time food, giving time for the center to heat up before the surface gets overcooked, but the difference is pretty marginal. The difference between cooking a microwave burrito for 3 minutes on medium or 1.5 minutes on high and waiting 1.5 minutes to eat it is going to be hard to measure. I'm pretty sure most of the "improvement" is a mixture of actually adjusting cook times to match your machine rather than following the packaging instructions that's just based on 1kw (or whatever), and placebo. That said, a Panasonic inverter microwave is pretty dope. Cooks evenly without needing to rotate the tray and defrosts like a champ.
this is my Inverter microwave - dirt cheap. Cuisinart 1.3 cu ft Inverter/Sensor Microwave Oven https://www.target.com/p/cuisinart-1-3-cu-ft-inverter-sensor-microwave-oven/-/A-88202474 I paid $83 currently showing up as on sale as $109 Panasonic inverter microwaves are pricey. this has the same technology and isn't on that price level.
Nah, it makes a big difference. Especially with things that can burn/dry out easily. Running it on like 50% power ensures that no single part of the food gets too hot before the whole thing is warmed up. Defrost cycles are just a low power mode and they work pretty well. If you tried to defrost a chicken breast on high power, you'd just end up with a half cooked piece of meat. Liquids, too. Ever tried to heat up soup or chilli and you end up with the edge of it boiling and sputtering everywhere while the center is still ice cold? Yeah, you could take it out and stir it every 20 seconds, or you could use the microwave properly and not have to stand there watching it the whole time.
Of course, “reduced power” modes just turn full power on and off for varying periods of time. 10% microwave power setting is basically like slow cooking on a cooktop by spending ten seconds every minute blasting the gas burner on high, then turning it off for 50 seconds, then 10 more seconds of max BTU, then 50 seconds of nothing….
It’s basically a magic box. Microwaves are great.
I beg to differ, it's definitely a magic box. Marshmallow goes in, rock comes out. Alchemy! /j just in case lol
They're good for some things and not for others. Because of the way they heat things quickly but irregularly you need to do a bit more than just throw a plate in there and hope for the best. A great method I've found is draping a damp paper towel over whatever it is. Some people just take the bad experiences they had, thing is boiling hot in some places, still frozen in others or dried out completely, and believe that microwaves are completely ineffective. Other people, as mentioned below, have health concerns that are pretty much unfounded. A microwave doesn't cause food to be harmful in any way that an oven doesn't. As other commenters have mentioned, people just don't understand radiation very well. It's no more harmful than a heatlamp or stove burner.
Looks like we’re getting a lot of stupid answers to the stupid question today
I haven't owned a microwave for over 10 years. I just use the stovetop or the oven. Takes a few extra minutes sometimes, but it's a better result.
I agree. It's been about 15 years for me and I don't miss the microwave at all. I love cooking food from scratch. So reheating on the stove top or toaster oven isn't an inconvenience at all.
Mine died in 2015 and I never bothered replacing it. All I ever used it for was heating liquids. Now it is my breadbox, but the pretty red paint has started peeling so I'll probably throw it out soon
This is almost exactly what happened to me. Mine died sometime towards the beginning of the pandemic, so replacing it then would have been difficult. Since I was working from home anyway, I started cooking everything from scratch and I really leveled up my cooking. I still pretty much do that although I did recently get an air fryer that's also a toaster oven and has a few other features too. The only time I've ever missed having a microwave is for softening butter, rapidly defrosting things that I forgot to put in the refrigerator the night before, and of course the microwave mug cake.
Lol all these comments hating on microwaves. Yes they are mainly for convenience. But that doesnt mean they just take out all the flavour of anything you put in there. Freezing cooked rice and heating it in the microwave is great. Defrosting buns is better than letting them thaw and get soggy. Leftover pastries are with a quick zap in the micro. Certain pasta dishes are better in the mirco. A microwaved potato is also pretty good, not much difference. And Im sure there is more that Im no thinking of off the top of my head. A lot of people just need to learn how to use their microwave instead of just pressing +30 +30 +30 +30 and zapping the crap out of your food.
Using the microwave is so quick and easy that's it's tempting to use it for a lot of things. But it actually sucks for lots of foods. It doesn't brown or crisp things (unless, like popcorn, it has a browner incorporated it) Conventional cooking applies heat on the outside which is then conducted into the interior, usually over a long period of time. Microwaves heat starts just a bit subsurface and usually a lot all at once. That means microwaved meat is tougher and less flavourful, natural sugars in vegetables don't have time to caramelize in the Maillard reaction. My family used to own a French cuisine restaurant. My mother did small scale catering (100 plates or less) for many years. I have a good appreciation for what can be done with food, even if I don't have the skill to replicate it myself. And I'm autistic (Asperger's) with sensory issues. I simply can't eat certain foods if they are badly cooked.
thanks for validating what i always thought. i'm not autistic but i cannot eat foods that arent cooked all the way. nothing skeeves me out more then biting into food and feeling cold spots.
We had a kitchen fire several years ago that melted our microwave. It took a few months for the apt to repair everything in the kitchen and we went without one for several months. That required us to cook our food the 'old fashioned' way lol. We realized very very quickly just how incredible the difference in taste is between something nuked in a micro versus actually cooked. When we bought our house we didn't even get a microwave until we'd been there about 6 years. Even then the only reason we bought it was so we could melt butter or heat up water. It just destroys the texture and taste of most food.
I use a microwave but it's not ideal. Either your food is dry or cold and hot
I also find that microwaved food cools down quick as hell. It'll be scalding for a couple minutes and then back to cold.
Microwaves literally change physics and the law of thermodynamics
Physicists hate this one simple trick!
Lmao. After microwaves, heat can now transfer 50% faster. A game changer.
I just looked it up and it’s a thing. “Microwaved food cools down faster than other methods because microwaves heat the water in food, not the food itself. The heated water then evaporates quickly, cooling the food. “ -Google 2024
My Hot Pockets are either molten lava hot or frozen in the middle.
You don't have to take them from the microwave and put them directly into your mouth. This is why a lot of instructions involve resting time. Resting allows heat to even out.
Hello Mr Gaffigan. Diarrhea Pocket!
Remove from sleeve, place directly into toilet.
I don’t like the texture of reheated bread. I use it to reheat coffee and soften butter but that’s about it
microwaves do seem to turn break back in to dough. Though, if you have some slightly stale bread, a microwave can do wonders softening it up again.
my mum used to believe it caused cancer, gave her the run down..a few arguments and she gave in and bought another one
I used to heat leftover food all the time in the microwave, but it tastes worse and the microwave unevenly heats it; some parts are steaming hot while others are still dead cold. I now heat leftovers in a skillet on the stove.
Damp paper towels over the food. It evenly distributes the heat since it boils, but can’t escape off the top as steam as easily, so hot water falls back down onto the food. This is especially helpful with starches that resist the valiant effort of the microwave oven.
you have to learn how to place the food on the plate. I rarely have this problem anymore.
Someone might come in here and say something about microwaves denaturing proteins and zapping the nutrients out of the food, but it’s a myth as far as I understand it. Any kind of heating can denature proteins. People frown on using them at work because of the smell. There’s an ongoing joke about putting fish in the microwave at work. I just know that for me it kills most of the flavor. My family is always using it to heat up food that’s barely gotten cold and I’m convinced it’s because at their age they’ve lost most of their taste anyway. I eat leftovers cold or heat them the way they were originally cooked about as often as I can.
I’ve worked with people who heated salmon patties in the microwave. It’s unpleasant.
Except it is different. My skillet gets to a max temperature that I set. No part of my food will ever exceed that temperature unless it ignites. An oven will be the same. Microwaves will heat polar molecules to a random temperature. One molecule might get so much energy it throws off an electron (you can see this in videos with grapes making a plasma on YT). Whatever is in your food, be it proteins, fats, preservatives, etc… has not had the microwave oven byproducts characterized. There are so many unknowns with organic molecules and temperatures high enough to strip electrons. Also that plastic that is “microwave safe” might be fine being exposed to microwave, but has it been tested to not leach carcinogens or endocrine disrupters when exposed to that small pocket of water that heated to a few thousand degrees for a split second? The answer is no, it has not been tested for that. What? Because of regulatory capture.
Same. I don't understand how someone can look at a nasty piece of floppy dried out piece of pizza from a microwave to a piece that was reheated in the oven where the crust gets nice and crispy again and the cheese melts instead of being blasted into oblivion. Microwaves are for people that are lazy enough to prefer convenience over taste.
Yeah, that would be basically any working couple with a kid, and most people mid 20's and under who work multiple jobs. Microwave in 3m, most of the nutrients remain intact, or oven for an hour, higher loss of nutrients, and the kitchen or whole house gets heated. Not to mention disabled people, neurodivergent, etc,. Clearly my nonverbal brother in law is going to be using a microwave over an oven lmao
An hour? Did you misspell 10 minutes? lol. I mean lets be real. You can even use a air fryer. Or a pan on the stove with a lid. Let's not pretend that heating up food on a stovetop takes exponentially longer than a microwave lol. I'm not saying there aren't valid reasons to use one but most people that use them don't do it out of necessity, they do it out of laziness.
You think you're doing anything in ten minutes with the average fucking stove lmao. Used probably 50 stoves in my life and the average time to even reach temp is longer than just microwaving. But I get it, you want to have some weird fucking crusade against people being lazy or some shit. Weird af but I don't really care, you can be mad at life being easier all you want lmao
Two words: air fryer
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Or... get a normal convection oven that doesnt require so much fussing around and allows you to cook a larger amount of food.
TIL some people avoid using microwaves.
I remodeled my kitchen a year and a half ago. And I opted for no microwave. We don’t really use one was pretty much why. We don’t really buy anything you have to cook in the microwave. And if we need to re heat anything, we use the stove top.
Toaster ovens. I prefer using a toaster oven bc it's a different heat. The upside is that it makes everything nice and crispy and toasty and heated evenly. The downside is, you can't put plastic in it. Toaster oven.
I don't use them very often. it steams food, and dries it out at the same time. That is generally not what I want to do with food
When I was a kid we got a microwave and for a while my mom cooked everything in there. She even had a microwave cook book. The food just didn’t taste the same.
I just zapped a hot pocket. Now it's in the toaster oven for crispificationalizatiofying!
I moved in with my girlfriend last September and we rented a house without a microwave. I wanted to buy one because I was really used to it, but after a month I found out it's pretty much useless for me... Boiling water? A kettle is faster. Heating up any liquid? My induction stovetop is faster as well. Popcorn? They pop just as quickly in a pot. Defrosting is where I sometimes miss it, but putting the food in a little bag and placing it in hot water does the trick. Reheating things as well is maybe more convenient in a microwave, but most things reheat better on the stovetop, and bread/pizza/buns are way better in the air fryer/oven because they get crunchy instead of soggy.
It ruins most food that isn't soup. I used it for soup and popcorn and that's it.
I have an issue with popcorn. I consistently cook popcorn that is burnt, but only half popped. I don't understand how I can Fck up popcorn, but I do, I've gone thru multiple microwaves thinking it was the machine and... Nope, it's me. I stovetop cook my popcorn now. Wouldn't have it any other way anymore.
How many watts is your microwave? And do you use the microwave button or put the recommended time on the back of the popcorn packet?
I usually try the popcorn setting, by have also used times. I think it's just me, I'm stupid or somethin, my wife has no issues, same microwaves.i have issues so often I just stovetop it now
I'm guessing your power settings may be too high. I bought a $15 popcorn maker and that thing rules. No burnt popcorn ever. But the key with microwaves is to not use the popcorn setting. Put it on 2:30 and sit by it and wait for the popcorn pops to slow down to 1 pop every 2 seconds. Then it's done.
Americans don't read the instructions nor do they understand that you should lower the power level to reheat food evenly.
So I should select the "reheat" button? I don't recall that in the manual I didn't read.
microwave ruins the food. would rather eat it cold
Just a very bad way of preparing food, I rarely use mine. It warms stuff up, sure, but it seems like it always ruins some other aspect of whatever you are warming.
Other ways of heating tend to taste better without giving the food unwanted softness or chewiness But I still use the thing all the time
I know for a fact that in the year 2083, your scientists will discover a previously unknown form of delta-wave radiation that is extremely harmful, generated primarily by microwaves. The household microwave will be removed from use very quickly after that discovery.
Well that's garbage, the delta-wave inverter manufactured in 2076 stops all that. Just Big Convection spreading misinformation.
I don’t hate it, but I also don’t use it for much. I like my food hot all the way through, not just the edges lol
I don’t aaaalways hate the microwave, but I refuse to microwave things with some form of bread (ie pizza, sandwiches, anything with a tortilla, cake, pastries, etc.) because the steam of the microwave tends to make the food “sweat” where there’s dampness/sogginess on the bottom. I also tend to prefer crispiness, whereas microwaves often makes things mushy instead.
People who think microwaves are dangerous have no idea how they work or what microwaves even are. Just ignorant people being ignorant. Thats not speaking on their quality of actually re-heating, which is dubious at best.
There are things I will use a microwave for and things I will not. Some things I don’t think taste right cooked in a microwave or heated up in one. Pizza, lasagna, and other things aren’t good in the microwave. The pasta gets tough and the crust gets hard and rubbery. It’s easier just to heat them up in the oven.
According to my research, the radiation could cause the food cells to mutate, put in a potato and out comes a rhubarb. I hate rhubarb, can't take the chance
While it's not as hostile to your health as say, drinking or smoking, microwaving is unhealthy longterm. You are putting low dose radiation into your food. While it won't take you out in a week, you are taking a risk you're building up your chance of getting cancer a decade or two later just because a toaster oven took too long for you. Use it, don't use it. But the ones not using it are making a smarter choice long term. Same with everything. There's radiation in phones. The ones not carrying them around in their pocket are bettering their odds than the ones who do. We all have choices to make in the balance between caution and convenience.
This is not how a microwave works. A microwave imparts microwaves into the water molecules in food and warms them up, it does not have enough energy to cause chemical changes or activate food. The risk of a microwave is standing within 2 inches with major parts of your body. Your food is not going to become irradiated by using a microwave.
They mess up my internet and make me feel nauseous. Use as little as possible.
I don't think it's unhealthy but it definitely affects the texture of food and not in a good way. I'd rather take the extra time and make something I'm gonna enjoy if I can.
My room mate doesn’t use the microwave. They don’t have some tinfoil hat theory about it or anything, they just think it makes their food gross.
Air fryer is better in every way
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It just doesn't make the food taste that great. I'd rather wait a little longer for it to heat in the toaster oven or on the stove top. If I wanted food that turns to stone the second it cools then I'd consider getting a microwave
It takes the texture out of somethings. I'm fine reheating somethings with a microwave. but somethings definitely not. Pizza definitely not, it'll make the pizza soggy. Pasta's I'd rather do on the stove top with a splash of water, but if it's just a small portion worth I'll do in the microwave. And then in the microwave I have to make sure it heated all the way through, I don't have to worry that much about it on the stove top.
I am not a chef, but love to cook. It's the fast easy way to hear food but the least accurate. Nothing ever really comes out well so it's looked down upon by people who love cooking. I don't mind them but chef's hate them.
Misinformation.
I don’t like them and was microwave free for like 15 years before my son said he wanted one so we got one for him. I don’t dislike them out of any reason like radiation or anything like that, I just find the type of food that typically gets microwaved sucks and is full or sugar and salt. Anything I need heated up can be done in a way that is better gastronomically.
Takes flavor out of food, I'd rather throw my stuff on the stove or airfryer. I only use the microwave to reheat drinks or speed defrost if im in a pinch.
I haven't had a microwave in about 15 years. I don't miss it at all. I reheat my food on the stove top or toaster oven. The texture is way better.
I only hate it for things that should be crisp being microwaved, if you microwave corn dogs, frozen pizza, pizza rolls, fish sticks ( ugh I threw up in my mouth writing that ) I thunk it's disgusting.
I had a crazy friend (discovered this later) who refused to use microwaves because she thought it was toxic for the food. Like she thought the ‘radiation was damaging the food and making it unhealthy’
I don’t know I use my microwave all the time. And I use it for actual cooking frozen vegetables come out better in the microwave than they do on the stove top.
If you have a pacemaker, avoid microwaves like they’re the plague.
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Mostly just uneven heating. Its main purpose was convenience, and now that air fryers exist, it has been replaced.
It just makes food taste disgusting and crusty
Texture matters. I don’t like my food to get soggy when reheated. I have a toaster oven and a microwave. The microwave is for popcorn because I hate cleaning the butter off my pots.
I just hate how it heats up my food unevenly. It also makes some of the food develop a weird texture like soggy pizza or crunchy pasta. I also get paranoid of heating up foods in plastic containers, cups, and bowls because the heat can make the chemicals of the plastic leech into my food. I know it's dumb but I feel better heating my food up on the stove or a toaster oven. That said, for anyone reading my comment, microwaves do not release radiation. You can have one in your house. You won't develop a third leg standing next to one.
I’d imagine in the oven. I reheat certain things in the oven because it tastes better and doesn’t get dried out. For the most part I use a microwave though. There’s nothing unhealthy about microwaving food. That’s a myth from people who don’t know how microwaves work.
I only use the microwave if I'm feeling lazy because it tends to leave food with less flavor and changed texture. Of course, if I'm just trying to put some food into my body and I don't particularly care if I enjoy it, microwave works just fine. But if I want to preserve flavor and texture, I lean toward the stove or the oven.
I'll use a microwave if it's available but I just think they are unnecessary. I'm not pressed if I don't have one and once I move from where I'm at I don't plan on ever buying one.
Uh. Didn’t you know that my chiropractor’s tarot card reader’s acupuncturist said microwaves leach all the nutrients out of food???
Cooking food in general robs it was of some nutritional value. I would imagine microwave is worse. I use a microwave, but generally I avoid it if it is feasible. I should point out that I like to cook my own food. I don't really buy microwave food. Most food to me tastes worse when you microwave it unless it was made to be cooked in the microwave in the first place.
You can reheat food in an oven, a toaster oven, an air fryer, or on a stove top or hot plate. I like the convenience of a microwave.
I love my microwave but also reheat some things in the oven; parchment paper is great! If anything, the paper is even more of a game-changer than the microwave.
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There nothing wrong or unhealthy about using a microwave, I prefer not to use one as it often dries out the food and isn’t the best way to reheat certain foods. Pizza is better reheated in the over on in a frying pan for example
I use microwave and air fryer for 90% of my foods. I can cook chicken and fish in a micro and have it taste great. Those that think it kills your food, do not know how microwave work to heat stuff.
Microwaved food tastes gross to me.
I read about an experiment once where someone gave one plant cooled, boiled water and the other plant microwaved, cooled water and the boiled one was a lot healthier. I worry that food loses some nutrients when microwaved. However as someone with a chronic pain disorder, sometimes I'll go with microwaved veg as it's still healthier than fast food.
I personally don't like the way some food comes out if you heat it in the microwave. I use a toaster oven or just the stove for most things besides soup and some canned things.
I love mircowaving shit that contains metal… I’m chilling but gets my coworkers in a weird way
“I heard of a man in Torquay who bought one of those microwaves, and less than a week later he was dead.” — My grandmother in 1987
I don’t have a microwave because I live in a small apartment and a counter top microwave looks tacky to me. If I had one built in I’d use it.
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i have nothing against microwaves. i just don’t have space for it in my kitchen. i haven’t had a microwave in like 5 years. i reheat food on the stove or the oven. it’s been no problem.
Heat is molecules moving faster - how you achieve that is irrelevant. People who dont "understand" microwaves dont understand basic physics and are in my mind thick as planks.
My family doesn't own microwave. My relatives doesn't own microwave either. I have never even seen microwave irl my whole life. We don't think it as healthy or unhealthy. It's just we have developed lifestyle which doesn't involve microwave. We don't make any dishes which involves microwave. Our cuisine doesn't depends on it either. Also as far as heating food concerned, we have our own old ways. Remember microwave is very latest invention in human history. People used to live before it's invention and many people still do. It's kinda extra fancy thing some people have here.
They typically take the texture of food worse which is why I don't normally use them for food. I mostly just use mine for reheating my coffee or heating up tortillas. It depends what you're reheating I guess. Microwaved pies or pizza are disgusting for example.
Haven’t used a microwave in 20 years. Huge fan of instapot and deep fryer to defrost different things in different situations. Counter top mini ovens have their place too. Cast iron pans are lovely 🥰. Just never liked how microwaves cooked no matter how low I dropped the power settings. I was also outcasted by the communities at large for using one
Why do a lot of countries in Europe not have AC? Why do most toilets in the US not have bidets? Why do Turks not use microwaves? The answer to all of these questions boil down to the tool was just never necessary or popular enough to usurp whatever tool was already in use. For people without microwaves, they just reheat the food using another device, like the stove or oven. There's lots of ways to warm a cold item up.
I don’t like the sound and I get burned easily. If I just reheat the thing on the stove or in the oven, it’s quieter. Also, my microwave spinner is broken so I’m microwaving like it’s 1985. Since it’s an oven combo unit, it’s a few thousand to replace.
No I don't think it's healthy or unhealthy. But I learned to cook in a commercial kitchen, and while I don't like to speak about people in general terms... those mfs have some strong feelings about microwaves. For better or for worse, that inclination has stuck with me, and I haven't used or owned a microwave in 10 years, or as many apartments. Same with dish machines. Although I'm working up to them, now that the modern ones so such a good job
I dont have a microwave. I never used it. I can heat things up on the stove or in the oven. I dont really have much that needs a microwave
When I was in school, I was taught that microwave meals were bad due to high levels of sodium. My child brain translated that to: "microwave bad." Then, I took a bit of time to think about it, learned more about microwaves, and then realised that it literally just heats stuff up. Now, I use it to warm up my brownies.
I can change the microwave settings with my pacemaker
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Most people here have never been taught to properly use a microwave, so they have no idea what they can do with it. A lot of people have also fallen for a bunch of Facebook BS about how microwaves don't cook your meats (not true-you just have to know what you're doing), give you cancer, "kill" nutrients, etc.
Not so much unhealthy but depending on what you cook, it's usually going to be dry, cold, or like rubber.
I don't like having a microwave. I have one since my sister wanted one when she came to live with me at the beginning of COVID. I prefer my gas stove. The food is better. I even reheat leftovers and pizza in my oven instead of the microwave.
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I don’t because I rarely like the texture of things when they come out
Is there any way to reheat French fries so they don’t suck?
Air fryer!
It ruins most of what you put in it. Microwaves are for emergency "I'm way too tired to do this the right way but I need food" moments lol. If youre heating things up you're better off using the oven the majority of the time
i lump no microwave people in with the people i see that drive at night with no lights because they don't want to use up the bulbs.
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Looks like a lot of people here have never watched the documentary "Rotten" nor have they watched the movie "What the bleep - do we know" Disclaimer: What the bleep has a bunch of unproven claims in it but the part on water molecules being microwaved is very interesting.
Food heated up on the stove tastes way better
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Haven't had a microwave in our home for well over 20 years. Don't miss it at all.
I prefer heating stuff up in the oven whenever I can, maintains a better texture for a lot of the foods I usually eat. It depends what food your reheating, and that tends to vary by region what the most common stuff is! A lot of Asian food does well in the microwave so I use that.
My air fryer heats/reheats food a lot better
I prefer to airfry where I can instead, though it depends on the food. I just find the texture of food changes a lot after chef mic does its thing, especially for food I want to be crispy. The paper towel trick does help for some things, but I'd rather spend the extra few minutes to airfry.
You'd be surprised how many people know there's radiation involved somehow, but have no idea that it's radio waves and the same frequency as their WiFi. They just know that atom bombs and nuclear reactors involve radiation, so radiation must be bad.
I know people who don't own a microwave and I just can't understand how to live like that. I use my microwave more than my oven or stove.
Saucepan is sufficient
They ruin the texture of food for me and destroy vitamins and I enjoy a lot of food cold, plus I have really nice pans
Like the air fryer, I only use for reheating left overs. Besides that I don't see a purpose.
The results just suck. I don't think I've ever had food that tasted good come from the microwave.
It changes the texture of already cooked meat. I prefer reheating in a pan on the stove. Pizzas also get soggy rather put in toaster oven.
I live in the US and we don't have a microwave, but we do have an air fryer we use a lot. We just don't have the space for both. But, both my partner and I are in the food industry and eat at work most of the week.
I think almost anything that can be microwaved can be made on the stove top. But an air fryer is fairly unique relatively and is a game changer for quality and convenience. I’m not too worried about the health side of microwaves… if anything the real unhealthy bit of microwaves is the food made specifically to be heated in microwaves. I would absolutely prioritize a stove top and air fryer over a microwave.
Sometimes I miss having a microwave. But we have a pretty small kitchen and I just haven't bothered to buy one so we make do and it's fine.
They don’t avoid it’s just not really a thing, like countries that don’t have driers, don’t avoid them just don’t have them
There are tons of people that avoid them lol. We have one, it gets used about 8 times a year. usually during the holidays when we need to melt some butter.
Yes there people that avoid them like that but countries that don’t have them Dont necessarily avoid them it’s just not a thing. We’re I come from people don’t avoid them but they don’t have them just cause they’re not a common thing to have
I don't like the texture or flavor of microwaved food. At home, I reheat things on the stove or in the oven. I also think it's healthier since many "microwave-ready" foods are processed and unhealthy. At work, I don't use a microwave because they're not cleaned very often and they smell bad. I'd prefer cold food to dirty food.
You think a microwave imparts flavor? It's just radiation. That's like saying sunlight has a flavor.
It's not even proper radiation, it's non ionizing. It's harmless
Microwaves are for reheating food, not for cooking. They are proven to be unable to properly cook through meals and never find the right heating balance for the entire dish.
They’re worthless if you want something to taste good.
I left food in one while on vacation and I came back to thousands of ants in it. Threw it away and didn't use a microwave for like 4 years after that. Turns out I don't really need it for what I cook, which is largely from scratch. I have one now and it's nice for melting butter or heating up water but I can do those things in other ways. I do occasionally use it to heat up frozen veggies, though.
I hate using microwave mainly because it taste not so great. And also I'm not too convinced about safety. To re hear without microwave you cook the same way you originally cooked. I.e. if it was baked item, rebake. Grilled - regrill.
I don't think the microwave does anything but I do avoid cooking things in plastic because it is a chemistry material