The Microwave - one of the best inventions?

JupiterKid

I was thinking - the microwave has revolutionised cooking over the past 40 years. Food can be cooked, roasted, defrosted etc.

So one of the best inventions?

kneemos

If ya like beans.

Lucifer MorningStar

Nah, the laptop is the best invention. It allows me to watch nudey stuff online at the click of a button.

donegaLroad

The microwave oven was banned in russia in the 70s because of its negative impact on health.

They are also not permitted in Switzerland because it is claimed that microwaved food shorts out electrical impulses in the brain and shuts down hormone production in men and women.

Walter Bishop

In terms of making it ultra-simple to eat processed crap loaded with sugar and salt, yep it's a humdinger alright.

Massimo Cassagrande

They're great for warming paint before you go spraying, but I wouldn't be putting my food into one.

Peregrinus

JupiterKid wrote: »

I was thinking - the microwave has revolutionised cooking over the past 40 years. Food can be cooked, roasted, defrosted etc.

So one of the best inventions?

Food could be, and was, cooked, roasted, defrosted, etc before microwaves were invented. Even now, perhaps 5% of my cooking is done in the microwave; the rest on the hob or in the oven.

The invention of the kitchen stove/range a bit over 200 years ago brought about a much, much more revolutionary change in most people's live than the microwave ever did.

The microprocessor is the invention that has made computing accessible to all. I nominate that for "best invention"

syklops

JupiterKid wrote: »

I was thinking - the microwave has revolutionised cooking over the past 40 years. Food can be cooked, roasted, defrosted etc.

So one of the best inventions?

Roasting? As in roast beef? I wouldn't do it in a microwave. Very handy for warming up milk, scrambled eggs in a hurry, and lots of other things. Not as common, but the halogen oven revolutionized cooking in our house.

MadsL

Will be replaced in 10 years by the sous vide. Or replacing the crockpot at least.

ElleEm

The only thing I "cook" in the microwave is popcorn. Other than that, I use it to heat food (I cook a lot in batches and freeze). I don't even use it to defrost food, I just wouldn't trust it.

monkeysnapper

3 kids in the house its a must, otherwise I'd have used in intire box of tea bags all in one day

nah, printing press, television, radio, aeroplane, telescope all the best when you think of it.

Microwave is a terrible candidate.

Sunnyisland

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057514082

What's with all the microwave threads ? The last one was over in less than a minute.

Fr_Dougal

monkeysnapper wrote: »

3 kids in the house its a must, otherwise I'd have used in intire box of tea bags all in one day

You microwave kids? Would the tea not be easier?

theteal

Who actually "cooks" in a microwave?

Scrambled eggs and reheats only

Buona Fortuna

monkeysnapper wrote: »

3 kids in the house its a must, otherwise I'd have used in intire box of tea bags all in one day

You throw teabags at the kids?

machiavellianme

monkeysnapper wrote: »

3 kids in the house its a must, otherwise I'd have used in intire box of tea bags all in one day

I don't understand this?
Do you recycle tea bags in the microwave?

foggy_lad

Porridge is lovely out of the microwave, and also something you can expect to be eating for a long time for cooking children with tea-bag stuffing in the microwave

ElleEm

theteal wrote: »

Who actually "cooks" in a microwave?

I once witnessed my boyfriend's parents cooking mince in the microwave!

Buona Fortuna

ElleEm wrote: »

I once witnessed my boyfriend's parents cooking mince in the microwave!

Yum yum:)

Duggy747

donegaLroad wrote: »

The microwave oven was banned in russia in the 70s because of its negative impact on health.

No evidence that microwaves were banned in the USSR in the 70's beyond myths and false statements about them.

They are also not permitted in Switzerland because it is claimed that microwaved food shorts out electrical impulses in the brain and shuts down hormone production in men and women.

They are permitted and sold in Switzerland

4068ac1elhodqr

donegaLroad wrote: »

The microwave oven was banned in russia in the 70s because of its negative impact on health.

Indeed and was only lifted after Perestroika in the early 90’s.
A long list is available here why you should not use a metal box full of 2.4Ghz to heat nutrients.

Traditional conduction/convection heating methods, that have been around since the start of time are more than good enough.

sonny.knowles

Beans, soup and popcorn (separately of course).

Not much else.

brevity

Walter Bishop wrote: »

In terms of making it ultra-simple to eat processed crap loaded with sugar and salt, yep it's a humdinger alright.

It is a Hum dinger when ya think about it.

Calibos

I love the irony of the folks going on about the dangers of 2.4ghz and their microwave dinner while posting on their laptop thats talking to their broadband router via 2.4ghz wifi I guarantee there are more significant health effects caused by the fat, salt and sugar in the microwave dinner than from the microwave or the wifi

LDN_Irish

brevity wrote: »

It is a Hum dinger when ya think about it.

Haha very good!

I think there's a bit of confusion about "cooking with the microwave." I lived with my dad for a few years in my teens and his house was dilapidated as f*ck and he never replaced anything that broke. For example we went years without a washing machine and used a launderette. Same with the oven, it broke shortly after he moved in and he couldn't afford to replace it like for like so he replaced it with a "microwave oven." This thing actually had a grill and oven setting which worked just like real grills and ovens. You could roast a chicken in it using heat and not the shaking the molecules around or whatever a microwave does. That was probably what the people with the mince were doing although I've never roasted or grilled mince so not sure.

jester77

JupiterKid wrote: »

I was thinking - the microwave has revolutionised cooking over the past 40 years. Food can be cooked, roasted, defrosted etc.

So one of the best inventions?

Mobile applications have superseded the microwave. From the comfort of my couch I can open my delivery app, pick my favourite restaurant, select what I want to eat, pay for it in the app and then track the driver. Unfortunately I still have to get up from the couch to open the door, so there is still room for improvement.

_Kaiser_

I used to Microwave loads of stuff years ago.. now I don't think I've ever used the one in my current place.

Sh1tbag OToole

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

I used to Microwave loads of stuff years ago.. now I don't think I've ever used the one in my current place.

I'd say stock up on microwaves now because it will be a retro appliance in the future, much sought after by future hipsters

Paramite Pie

I've discovered that you can microwave sausages (just pierce them first!). Handy if I'm in a hurry in the morning but still want sausages & scrambled egg. Don't have to wash the pan then either.

Porridge microwaves very well too, you don't need to by a specifically microwave.instant porridge to do it either. That's just a gimmick and probably costs more.:pac:

Other than that, I do all my cooking with a cooker. I cook for two and reheat the 2nd dinner the next day in the microwave.

MadsL

jester77 wrote: »

Mobile applications have superseded the microwave. From the comfort of my couch I can open my delivery app, pick my favourite restaurant, select what I want to eat, pay for it in the app and then track the driver. Unfortunately I still have to get up from the couch to open the door, so there is still room for improvement.

http://www.amazon.com/August-Smart-Lock-Keyless-Smartphone/dp/B00OHY14CS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446484232&sr=8-1&keywords=smartphone+door+entry

philstar

you can't beat TV dinners....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-6mI708yWc

"tv dinners their going to my head
tv dinners my skin is turning red"

hardCopy

jester77 wrote: »

Mobile applications have superseded the microwave. From the comfort of my couch I can open my delivery app, pick my favourite restaurant, select what I want to eat, pay for it in the app and then track the driver. Unfortunately I still have to get up from the couch to open the door, so there is still room for improvement.

Drones

hardCopy

Paramite Pie wrote: »

I've discovered that you can microwave sausages (just pierce them first!). Handy if I'm in a hurry in the morning but still want sausages & scrambled egg. Don't have to wash the pan then either.

Porridge microwaves very well too, you don't need to by a specifically microwave.instant porridge to do it either. That's just a gimmick and probably costs more.:pac:

Other than that, I do all my cooking with a cooker. I cook for two and reheat the 2nd dinner the next day in the microwave.

It costs about five times the price, tastes identical and cooks in the same time. The oats even seem to be cut the same size.

Pro Tip: buy one tube of microwave porridge and refill it for life. The tube is a handy way to keep porridge in the office kitchen and the scoop makes it easy to measure your portions.

vrrv

I use my one for heating up the old welding rods! Great job!!

philstar

^^^^^^^

wha?? surely they'd spark ??

Buona Fortuna

Nah that's a euphamism

Lia_lia

I very rarely use ours. To make hot chocolate, that's about it!

Eule

The nuke is a fine kitchen tool, provided you use it correctly. And, it's a great invention, would not compare it to other things, let's just say, modernity is wonderful

I have 3. One normal one, two with a grill, which nuke and roast at the same time, making the best chicken ever. All my nukes are el-cheapos, I bought them in the UK at Argos, no name brands. A magnetron is just a magnetron and there is nothing special about a grill either, so don't bother paying extra for a pretty label ;-)

Why so many: it's useful if you cook a meal with more than one dish or have a few people to feed, since the nuke works best with smaller portions.

What can you cook with it?

---

Meatloaf in 5-6 minutes -- use a pyrex jug, form a meat loaf (spices and veg (onion/garlic/gherkin pieces/capers optional), cover with a silicone pad (I used a silicone cake form that I cut the sides down, so it's a tray with a low edge), brush on some ketchup and brown sauce, and nuke on full (600W) for 5-6 min. Pour out the fat and you have a perfect meatloaf.

Pro tip: Pyrex jugs (1/2lt and 1ltr) are great, because they have a nice handle and are safe and convenient to use.

Cheese chips: get the Gouda or Edam slices from Lidl, cut into 4, sprinkle with paprika and put on the silicone 'cake form'. Nuke on full for 1 min, leave to cool slightly and prise resulting chips of the form. Repeat with more cheese. Variation: cut slice of salami, spread with tomatopaste, add onion, italian herbs, put slice of cheese on top: instant low carb micro pizza. Vary the cooking time accordingly, start with 30 secs and watch your food for doneness.

Corn on the cob: Put corn in husk in the nuke, cook on full for 6 minutes, rest for 2. Don gloves or use a towel since it's hot, cut tip and bottom with serrated knife, and the corn just slides out. Butter, pepper and eat.

Chicken(in the grill nuke): Cut a 1-1.2kg alone the spine (remove the tail, it's got icky glands in it) make slight cut in chest bone, open the bird up flat. Cut wings away for frying separately, freeze if you like. Put flat onto the provided metal trivet (which is ok to use since it's a continuous pieces of wire and thus safe) into a big round pyrex flan dish (27 cm) , brush on some mayo or butter, sprinkle herbs or chinese 5 spice, or carribean chicken seasoning or whatever else you like along with salt. Switch to combined grill and nuke and cook for 45-60 minutes, rest for 3-5 mins. You get crispy, tender and juicy chicken.

Egg benedict: look it up on the web, but the sauce is easy to make, you just need to be on the ball not to overcook.

Veg: anything really, fresh or frozen. I use a pyrex jug with my trusty silicone cake form as a cover, add water as needed (a couple of spoons). Usually 150gm veg cooks in 4-5 mins, and it's best done in small portions (hence, I have more than one nuke)

You can use the grill as a stand alone for heating up pizza or making frittata, which is a quiche without a flour crust, just veg (shrooms, green beans, onion, cored tomatoes, and so on) and a 6 egg/200gm cheese mix inside a silicone cake form. Delish when cold. It's better than a normal grill due to the rotation.

Pasta/Rice: look it up on the web. Once you work out how it goes, it's as nice if not better than stove cooked and much less effort (and water vapour). Great for making fettucini type dishes, just add shrooms, herbs, bacon, cream and cheese once the pasta is cooked (and you don't need a lot of water either). Trick is to bring it to the boil on full and then to switch to a 50% setting to cook.

Bacon: get a microwave bacon tray. Put rashers (flat or twirled), cover with a paper towel. Nuke for about a minute. Now fry your cooked bacon for the crunch, or cut in bits with scissors into a hot pan and place 3-5 eggs on top for a spiffy sunny side up egg delight.

Mugcake: look it up on the web, lots of recipes.

Fruit fondue: heat pieces of chocolate (Toblerone is nice) with cream on 50%, stir, heat some more, stir... until you have a smooth chocolate sauce(2-4 minutes). Dip bananas, berries, apples, pears etc. Reheat sauce if you are a slow eater.

Hot Sake: pour sake in flask/mug, heat 20-60 secs (check!), Same trick also works for Mulled Wine -- just add some cinnamon, peels and whatever else you like to spice your wine with, heat at 50% and stir 2-3 times in the process, do not boil the stuff, you just want it hot.

Porkloin roast: Use a 1-1.2kg piece. Score top fat, sprinkle salt. Put fat side down on the supplied trivet into the pyrex quiche form, total cook time: about 35 minutes. Nuke on full for 10 minutes, then combo grill for 10, flip it, combo grill for 10 minutes and then grill only for 5 minutes. Rest 10-15 minutes, slice, eat. If it's not fully done, either put it back and nuke some more or slice and fry the slices. Or use a food thermometer to ensure doneness.

How to clean the nuke? Put 1/2 cup of hot water, cook on full for 5 mins, wipe out steamed sides with paper towel, job done.

Pitfalls: if you heat up stock or any liquid with fat in it (also, water/alcohol can be dangerous), stir carefully with a *long* spoon and don't over heat it, unless you want a mini geyser and burns. Superheated fluid is no joke, adding salt can give you a spectacular scare for example. So can putting it down clumsily. So, when heating stuff, take it out and stir at 2-3 min intervals, until you get a feel for how long it takes to heat how much.

Most people get frustrated with the microwave because cooking stuff uncovered tends to dry it out, or over cooking, or using the wrong power level doesn't do food any favors. Once you learn how to use it, it's brilliant, but like everything it takes a bit of study, planning and practice, plus experiments. So far, I've convinced every skeptical guest who came to eat in my house, it's always fun as well, because, most people have no idea how useful this tool is and how nice the food can be that you can make in it :>

And no, it doesn't do anything other than conventional heating (that is, it excites the atoms (ooo-er) but more uh, pointedly than a normal hob and quicker, meaning that if you cook things right, you retain more vitamins in your food and save a lot of money on energy and have less washing up and your grub is ready much faster. It doesn't do anything to your food that a normal hob doesn't do.

Happy nuking!

dubscottie

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3305990/Nasa-conducts-secret-tests-impossible-engine-Study-reveals-fuel-free-thrusters-work-no-one-knows-why.html

Yes its from the Daily mail but..

If its true.. We have a space engine in our kitchens..

Eule

dubscottie wrote: »

If its true.. We have a space engine in our kitchens..

And a perpertuum mobile as well!

Sadly I cannot post links, but a little google-fu with the words:

john baez google+ "My last post on the NASA"

should get you a nice post about this particular piece of kookery. Enjoy :-)

So yeah, whilst a microwave makes great lunch, it ain't free, alas.