Do you actually use your Microwave??

seraphina

I would replace mine pretty quick if it died - in addition to what everyone else said they use theirs for, I also use mine to cook rice. It's great at that and gives me an extra space on the hob if I need it.

They are also incredibly energy efficient as well, so moneysaving!

Miss_Piggy_2

Thank you all - I think I may try without it for a month and see how it goes.

Miss P
xx

LameWolf

Wouldn't be without mine.

We never have ready meals, but it is great for reheating a plated meal when Mr LW is late in from work, part-cooking veggies for roasting or jacket spuds, warming through lemons and other citrus prior to squeezing (an old trick of my grandmothers - warm the fruit a little to get better juice yield), warming up leftover soup straight in the bowl (I hate washing saucepans if I don't have to).

I also use microwave recipes for Xmas pud and Xmas cake, and many other things - I have several microwave cookery books.

I use it for melting chocolate for recipes (I find it less hassle than a bowl over a pan of water), and for the sugar syrup needed for the blackberry vodka recipe I make.

Also for heating up the wheat-filled bags I use instead of a hot water bottle (I'm not safe with kettles of boiling water).

I have a microwave steamer that I use for rice and veggies - easier to wash up than saucepans.

Also make cheese sauce etc. in the microwave - again, I find a Pyrex jug less hassle to wash than a saucepan.

Another thing for me is that with a microwave, you set a timer, so in my case, if I suddenly feel unwell and have to sit/lie down , it'll switch itself off at the end of the set cooking time, which a saucepan on a hob won't.

Anyway, that's just my take on it.:o

Swan_2

I'd really miss mine for heating up our wheatbags in the winter ... but other than that & defrosting/heating batch cooked meals, heating a little milk for beating into mashed potato & heating baked beans (last 2 save on washing up) not a lot

oh, just remembered, melting the cheese on HM chilli nachos cheaper than putting the oven or grill on & your plate doesn't get so hot!

mine's a fancy one with a grill & all sorts of other fancy functions that I've never used
it came free with some kitchen units 20 years or so ago & if I need to replace it, I'll buy a basic model

maman

Hi MissP, wouldnt be without mine for all of the reasons above (below?). I agree get a basic model, don't need the Starship Enterprise!

I use mine also for heating up my milk for hot choccy at night!:D

You could manage for a while but I'd get one when finances allow.

Miss_Piggy_2

Hello Maman!!!

You may be right. I'm going to try and manage without one for a month and see how I do. Finances are really tight this month with one thing or another so can't really afford to get one just yet!

Miss P
xx

ginvzt

We have been without one for nearly 6 years now, since we moved into 1 bed flat. We always said that once we move again and have some space we will buy one. We moved out of that flat 3 years ago and still haven't bought it.. To defrost anything - just pop in a sealed bag and put in a pot with hot water - it defrosts most stuff within 20 min.

To reheat anything - we have a small pot and we reheat on the hob. Same for butter, milk, etc.

To be honest, every time we moved house we asked ourselves should we get one, and came to the same conclusion that we have managed without one for so long, that there is really no need to get it. Maybe if we had a small child/baby we would think again - but as it is, we manage without it!

stef240377

I dont have one any more. Since leaving home at 16 i have had 4 (im 33) all of them seem to have the lining blister away and/or start sparking on use so after the last one went i made a firm bid not to have one. Do i miss it - No, but the kids do for warming cereal before school or making milky hot chocolates and their friends think im absolutely stark raving mad for not having one.

ALIBOBSY

When ours recently gave up the ghost we weren't going to bother replacing, but MIL had just replaced hers with an all singing all dancing one and had her old one spare.

Handy at the mo as being heavily pregnant, it is useful if the kids want to warm something up or if I am doing homemade ready meals. Plus whilst at this stage (and feel sick all through my pregnancies on and off) I'm not nearly organised enough so we end up reheating stuff to eat later on when Oh gets in or I feel better, plus if DS is V hungry earlier on he is perfectly able to warm beans etc in the MW to feed him and sometimes his little sisters whilst I am throwing up (yuck).

However we have lived without one in the past and could easily manage if I had to (well at least once I am not pregnant and get organised again rofl).

Thing is you can get a basic model so cheap just for warming up/defrosting etc it seems daft not to really. Surely it costs more to defrost/heat something on the hob than in the MW.
Also as our cooker is gas I like to have an electric way of heating food as a fall back (think this goes back to memories of past strikes/power cuts when I was little-like to have both options available lol).

ali x

overlykeensaver

we haven't had one for about six years and I don't miss it at all - I only used it for jacket spuds (once every few weeks) and reheating my own food. I heat up my chilli/bolognese etc in a pan on the hob rather than the microwave and just put my spuds in the oven (making sure there are other things in the oven of course)...!