How often do you use your microwave and for what?

I'm wondering what you use your microwave for...melting butter, reheating, cooking? How often do you use your microwave? I have a microwave only becasue my husband insisted. He liked to use it to make tea but now we have a water cooler that dispenses hot water so, now, rarely use it. Sometimes I'll melt butter or heat syurp but that's about it. I don't like melting chocolate because it never works for me in the microwave. I always use the stovetop. I'm just curious and would enjoy hearing from anyone who wants to chime in.

 Hi, I use mine to melt butter and occasionally to partially thaw meat that needs to be seperated ie: pork chops, or chicken wings.  My dh uses it to heat his coffee, and when he comes home really late, I will heat his dinner in it.  That's it....I'm with you, I have no luck melting chocolate in it and my new stove has real simmer burners, so it makes melting on the stove easy.  

I use my microwave several times a day. Here are the uses I can think of at the moment...

-- hot beverages
-- popcorn
-- defrosting
-- "baked" potatoes
-- hot sandwiches (that don't require a toasty exterior)
-- cooking vegetables with minimal water
-- melting a couple slices American cheese on cauliflower or broccoli (instant sauce)
-- reheating leftovers
-- prepared meals (rarely)

After having chocolate seize in the microwave, I use my trusty double boiler.

~~Vicki

Popcorn, melting butter and baking potatoes.

dutchmom4MI:

I use my microwave several times a day. Here are the uses I can think of at the moment...

-- hot beverages
-- popcorn
-- defrosting
-- "baked" potatoes
-- hot sandwiches (that don't require a toasty exterior)
-- cooking vegetables with minimal water
-- melting a couple slices American cheese on cauliflower or broccoli (instant sauce)
-- reheating leftovers
-- prepared meals (rarely)

After having chocolate seize in the microwave, I use my trusty double boiler.

~~Vicki

I like the cheese idea...I may have to try that! Thanks!

You're welcome.  Let me know how you like it. 

~~Vicki

I use my microwave everyday.

I cook oats, barley or rice for my dog because she doesn't do dog food anymore. She was a very sick dog until the "new" vet did a blood test on her and found she has hypothroidism. She is on meds, but he didn't want me to quit cooking for her.  So no dog food and she is soooooo healthy now. She get 4 oz of cooked meat, (oats, barley or rice), and veggies  twice a day and a thyroid pill each feeding. She weighs around 77.6 lbs down from 90+ lbs before taking thyroid meds.

I cooked frozen veggies for dog and I.

I reheat leftovers.

I love to bake a potato or sweet potato for myself and the microwave does a great job in my opinion.

Just to name a few things that I do with the microwave.

Soooooooo, yes I use my microwave alot.

I take a the chill out of my first glass of water after getting up (I do NOT like cold water)

Then I cook my oatmeal in it

I do certain veggies,stuffed peppers, meatloaf,  re-heating leftovers, baked potatoes, hot chocolate, cup of water for tea, Enchiladas or Burritos, I would say I use mine at least 6 to 10  times a day,

Don't melt butter, I do that on the gas stove. Don't like to heat yeast baked goods in te micro because it makes them tough unless you do only a few seconds.

I don't have a microwave--we've had an Advantium since they were introduced.  I use it many, many times a day.  I use the 'straight' microwave feature for: melting butter, softening butter or cream cheese to spreading consistency, cooking vegetables, defrosting, reheating leftovers, cooking bacon, melting chocolate, making white sauce, etc etc etc.

I use the speed cook feature for: baking cookies, potatoes (it makes REAL baked potatoes in 8 minutes--not steamed/nuked ones), pies, casseroles (done in 12 minutes with a crisp brown crust), reheating pizza or leftover sandwiches, muffins, cupcakes, cakes, cheesecakes, other desserts (like rice/bread pudding, etc) and pretty much anything else that can be baked, broiled or heated in a regular oven..

 

The two things I WILL NOT do in a microwave or Advantium are: popcorn--which is very bad for your oven and voids the warrantee (yes, I know they put a popcorn setting on many microwave ovens, but it's still one of the worst foods you can cook in it--eventually ruins the 'works') and heating liquids like water for tea--very, very, very dangerous.  It's been proven that on occasion, the molecules of water heated in the microwave will become so excited that the water will 'explode' at you when the oven is opened, causing serious burns.  Doesn't happen every time, but it's a serious enough danger that one really shouldn't use the microwave for boiling water, heating tea, etc.

Reheating foods & coffee, cooking fresh veggies, making scrambled eggs, baking potatoes (yes, they're better from the oven but quicker in the microwave), freshening breads/rolls, softening butter, heating water for hot chocolate or tea (yes, if you over-do it the water can 'explode'), melting chocolate, heating rice packs, heating syrups, popcorn, making oatmeal, making homemade potato chips, drying herbs....probably use it at least 10 times a day.  Tonight I'm going to eat about 6 pm....my husband is due home about 8 pm....he'll reheat his dinner.

The most frequent reason I fing myself using the microwave would probably be for reheating food.

I use my microwave every day. I use it to defrost meat, warm coffee, cook potatoes, cook some quick meals, cook vegetables, to name a few things. I also melt chocolate with it. I have found if you run it on high for a minute and stir it every 10-15 seconds it works. You usually don't even have to go the full minute. When you have a few little lumps you just stir till they are gone and you are done. Never a problem.

We are a family of four but surprisingly don't use the microwave every day. The kids sometimes use it for popcorn, although we still do "real" popcorn on the stovetop or in the Stir Crazy. The most I use it for is to melt butter, 12 seconds a stick.

A friend who is into healthfoods told me that the microwaves displace nutrients' molecules, which means that the microwaves take all the vitamins and minerals etc out of the food. Has anyone heard of this?? Since then, I have been reheating all leftover veggies and Chinese food on the stovetop. Half the reason I eat veggies is for the nutritional value, and I don't want to lose that in the reheating process. Any comments, anyone?

I use mine almost everyday. I reheat my coffee of leftovers for a lunch or dinner by myself. If I eat with my boyfriend though, I try to actually cook (often together) and that's when I have leftovers for before or after evening shifts. I don't really make oatmeal even in the microwave. It just doesn't taste the same...

I use it very infrequently. I reheat food in it occasionally, and I melt stuff in it if a recipe calls for doing so. But I'm not a big fan of it--I'd always rather cook something in the oven because I prefer the texture.