Funnily enough, what I use it for most often isn't food, it's a heating pad.

The best scrambled eggs come from a microwave. And if you want to make a breakfast sandwich, just grease the bottom of a mug and pop it in. Can't do that without a unitasker on the stovetop

Making oatmeal (not the instant variety either), boiling water for tea and re-heating leftovers are what I primarily use it for. I also use it to make peanut butter a bit more spreadable for an apple or sandwich.

Getting rid of my microwave was one of the best kitchen decisions I've ever made. Chuck it!

I haven't had a microwave for 5 years. I've never missed having one, and when I visit friends who inevitably have microwaves, I wonder what the heck they use them for. Chuck it! Sidebar: it is impossible for me to imagine that the best scrambled eggs come from a microwave. Gross.

Reheating leftovers, defrosting a chicken breast, cooking an egg for one, melting butter or chocolate, reviving stale bread - yes. I also find the microwave handy for cooking grains such as quinoa or polenta (the easiest thing in the world!), and for steaming veggies. Make great steamed (and still vibrantly green) broccoli in a lidded glass bowl in 90 seconds. Pre-cook potatoes for 5 to 10 minutes before finishing them in the oven or on the stove. A fave hot breakfast or dessert for one: a "baked" pear or apple.

I don't care for coffee re-heated in a microwave and water just doesn't seem to get hot enough for tea. I much prefer my electric kettle for tea.

Oatmeal and leftovers, mostly. We sometimes secretly turn to Chef Mike to finish a seared well-done steak without turning it into a hockey puck, but don't tell anyone.

I didn't have one for years and didn't miss it. My new apartment came with one built-in over the stove, and I like it a lot, because it's smart enough for me to hit "Reheat" and walk away, and it actually works.

I love using the microwave for poached eggs, which are a pain in the ass to make on the stovetop, and I have an addiction to microwave popcorn that I'm trying to break.

Definitely for melting butter and chocolate, and then occasionally, when my takeout is too meat-centric, I will heat some frozen vegetables. Leftovers, definitely, but not as much as butter and chocolate. Zapping jam also helps when making cookies or spreading it on bread!

Defrosting, boiling water (eg for tea), and making 'scrambled' egg for a sandwich. That's my favorite trick actually. I spray my pyrex measuring cup with some nonstick spray, pour some scrambled raw egg in and nuke it til its done' Perfect size for a sandwich and very fluffy.

Oh, and it also makes it easy to freeze and reheat grains. I don't know how that would compare to doing that on the stovetop, because it's a practice I didn't start until I moved to the new apartment, but reheating frozen brown rice in the microwave means I have brown rice as an option even when I haven't planned ahead.

I use mine for steaming spaghetti squash!

Microwaves are more energy efficient than the conventional heating appliances in my apartment, so I use mine a lot. Heating milk for my breakfast muesli, thawing frozen chicken broth, etc. My grandma always used to microwave my ice cream for about ten seconds to soften it up a bit, and I do that for myself now and then when I'm feeling nostalgic.

Defrosting, boiling water, poaching egg are the usual stuff. Baking potatos, steaming vegetables (edamame especially), and zapping limes/lemons to make it softer and juicier.

I also use it to warm up my rice filled heating pad for my son's lunch box so that his hot lunch stays hot until lunch hour at school.

I could live without it, and probably would, were it not wall-mounted in the home I purchased.
I mostly use it to warm up my flax seed heating bag!

EXPLOSIVE SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS.

I don't have one and don't miss it .. and I also find it really hard to believe that the best scrambled eggs come from a microwave (???).

We just moved and in our new place, are microwave less. We have been thinking of purchase one but haven't gotten around to it yet. We use it for rewarming coffee as well and reheating leftovers.
Oh, and warming a heating pack for when my stomach hurts or I have cramps... that's one thing I definitely couldn't do in an oven though it should work in a dryer.

I never had one and I don't think I'll get one any time soon. Some people find it weird that I don't have one. I just never felt it was necessary in my kitchen. Yes, it'd be easier to melt butter or chocolate or reheat leftovers but it takes too much space and I wouldn't use it very often.

I use it for melting chocolate all the time, and also for heating tea water when I don't feel like filling up the kettle just for one mug. I reheat leftovers in it sometimes (though I usually do that in the stove). I do a lot of defrosting in the microwave. I also melt butter.

Non food uses: I zap my sponges to sanitize, I warm oil to use on my hands, feet, hair. And (most frequent of all) I use it to heat my heating pad (for cramps and lower back pain).

I also have a few quick "baking" recipes that I make in the microwave when I'm craving a really quick snack (chocolate cake, lemon pudding, etc.)

I've used it for lots of boiling water for tea, poached eggs, defrosting, melting chocolate/butter for baking, and zapping a potato (sweet potatoes or regular ones like this: http://batterlicker.com/2011/01/healthier-overstuffed-baked-potato/) for workday lunches. Almost never for veggies, as I find they get soggy or rubbery instead of staying relatively crisp and fresh.

Growing up, my mom used our microwave like a breadbox, always storing freshly baked goods inside. My friends knew when they came over the microwave to look for brownies, cookies or bread.
I have inherited this and often do the same. It just gets to be a pain when you have to take some cookies out to reheat leftovers or soften a lime.

We just got rid of ours in order to make room for our toaster oven (which we use all the time). So far I miss it for:

reheating leftovers quickly
defrosting things I forgot to take out of the freezer the night before
softening/melting butter

So far we're doing okay without it, but I sure do miss having the ability to heat up my lunch quickly.

Reheating leftovers, melting butter and chocolate, and to heat water for making tea. The tea making alone means I use my microwave about half a dozen times a day, at least.

We call ours "The Bear Box". We have two psychotic felines that act feral (but aren't/weren't) and hunt anything that smells of food: food, food wrappings, empty tupperware, dirty dishes etc.
T
he microwave is most-often used to hide things from the cats when we're leaving the kitchen or are too tired to wash all the dishes straight away.

defrosting meat. Reheating leftovers. I think that's about it, I can't bring myself to try and cook eggs in it.

All of the microwaves I've owned in my adult life have come installed in the houses I've lived in. I think I've maybe used a microwave 5 times post-college. I use ours as extra storage/bread box :) If it wasn't attached over the stove and if it took up counter space, it wouldn't be around.

Bacon, hot chocolate, corn on the cob (with the husk), sanitizing sponges, drying pressed plant specimens without discoloring them, and warming rice filled hot packs. I made a rice filled cat bed for my MIL's elderly cat and she waits for it to be heated every morning.

haven't had one for a few years and the only thing i miss it for is milk-based things like homemade puddings and such. the microwave rocks for milk and chocolate.

i am, however, appalled that so many people use it to boil water for tea. not to sound like a total tea snob, but i've had tea with micro-boiled water and it is revolting. don't know why. that's why god made kettles.

My microwave sits on the floor (ran out of counter space, I guess!) so it mostly serves as a place for my toaster to sit (again with the counter space...). But I do reheat lots, cook frozen veggies, melt butter... nothing too special. I hate microwaving water - all those warnings about superheating water freaked me out too much!

Don't have one and never have. I used to live in a tiny studio apartment & couldn't spare the space. Now I live in a place where I could fit one, but after not needing one for 20 years I don't see the point.

Rice and pulao.
Plus steaming veggies before making Indian style stir-fry

I use it almost exclusively for heating up my rice pack for achy joints. I just realized this weekend that I could probably get rid of it and not miss it a bit.

We use ours to warm up coffee or leftovers, steam veggies (both fresh and frozen), melt chocolate for dipping (pretzels, strawberries, etc.), "micro-baking" things when I get impatient (defrosting a frozen burrito, for example, then finishing it off in the toaster oven), making quick corn tortilla quesadillas (flour tortilla quesadillas go on the stove top or in the oven), cooking up an egg for a near-instant breakfast sandwich, or making candy (made fudge in the microwave for Christmas this year since I don't have a candy thermometer).

We had a countertop version for years, but our current rental has a built-in above the stove. And, honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way now since counter space is so precious to me!

re-heating and defrosting, especially for rice. we eat "rice and eggs" for breakfast about 1-3x a week and the microwave does an excellent job reheating leftover rice or frozen rice. also, when it's cold i drink hot water so i'm constantly heating up my water in the microwave.

Don't have one at home (got rid of it when, living in Texas, it got infested by roaches and when we moved back north, we sold it to a Texan nonplused by said roaches when we left). This was 25 years ago. Now, we each have one in our offices for rewarming lunches. I was kind of surprised when we didn't miss the microwave after we first got rid of it--but we didn't. And I wouldn't bother to make the room in the kitchen for one again.

oatmeal
defrosting frozen (homemade) muffins for the kids
melt butter
make popcorn
heat an occasional plate of leftovers

I've always thought I could be one of those enlightened, purist foodies who did not need a microwave, and we don't use ours very often. But I have family friends who don't have a microwave, and whenever I go over to care for their children, I get frustrated by the fact that I have to wait 20+ minutes to heat leftovers up in the oven or worry about burning them on the stove. We don't eat microwaved leftovers often, and some are certainly better cooked in the oven (anything crispy), but for everything else, I don't know how we could live without it. Oh, and of course melted butter is a biggie -- I'd rather dirty up a small bowl than a whole pot, given our lack of a dishwasher :)

I got a free microwave when I moved out from my parents neighbours, I think I used it 2 whole times during the 2 years that I owned it, 2 times in one week to heat up curry after I'd been at the bar all night. I always found food gets cold faster and the heat just isn't the same with a microwave.

I gave it to someone to help me move. I say that is the best thing you can use a microwave for, payment.

@Garylikestocook: Hahaha! :o)

I use mine quite seldom, but when I do: reheating leftovers occasionally, thawing meat if it's not fully thawed when I want to use it, making microwave popcorn, and melting candle wax out of candle holders.

Wow - I have the same microwave...in my storage space. We seldom use it and I hate how much space it takes up. Really, there aren't too many things you can't re-heat on the stove.

One of the few reasons I haven't gotten rid of my microwave is that certain meals/leftovers can only properly be reheated in the micro. Anything that can be better heated on the stove or in my countertop convection oven is, but certain things (like a mixed stirfry, esp. a frozen leftover) reheat better in the micro.

Reheating leftovers, par cooking potatoes, making bread and butter pickles, popcorn, reheating coffee, water for tea. Sanitizing sponges. My sister makes peanut brittle in hers. I tried going without one and found I really used it more than I thought.

I put ours in the closet a long time ago. Reheating food is a much calmer, less rushed ordeal now.

It's the best when cooking artichokes. I wash them, and trim the tip and stem. Then I place 4 of them in a corningware covered dishl and steam them for 12 minutes with no water, only the drops that cling to the leaves after rinsing them out. Goodbye waterlogged artichokes.

Ours is pretty much for warming up milk for our 3 y.o. (who has very strong feelings about just how warm his morning cup of milk should be.) But this morning we wondered if anyone has made a QUIET microwave (doesn't have a noisy door, closes silently, doesn't ding ridiculously loud). It wakes up the 1 y.o. I hadn't ever thought about noise level as a design feature of a microwave until I realized I was hovering in front of it until it got to 1 second left to prevent it from beeping! Or using both hands to open/close so the door wouldn't make any noise.

In my current living situation, a microwave is the only thing I have to cook with (besides an electric kettle for tea... I agree that micro'd water is just... funny >_>), so I use it for everything. I find I'm able to make a pretty wide variety of items. Unfortunately, I hardly have any space to PREPARE food, so that limits what I do somewhat, unless I decide to spend an hour or two cooking some meals in advance.

I sometimes make stuffed peppers. It comes out best with mini bell peppers, I think, as the ratio is better. I mix rice, cheese, seasoning, chopped veggies, and chopped sausage, in varying combinations. That mix goes into the peppers, which I have already beheaded and steamed a bit. I top it off with a little bit of melted cheese, both for extra goodness, and to seal in the filling.

I steam frozen veggies and rice, and I make use of a lot of pre-packaged good foods like meatballs, roasted chicken strips, rice, and dumplings of all sorts. I make pasta from time to time, but it's difficult to cook some of it evenly if it's something like ravioli that will float to the surface.

I make "stir fry" with veggies, chicken, and a sauce of my own making. It usually involves pineapple chunks and some juice from the can, soy sauce, and whatever else. Not as good as stove top, but still healthy and flavourful and good to take for lunch.

Eggs can come out very well! I don't know why people find this surprising. I scramble them and mix in pub cheese, shredded cheese, or salsa, usually. Sometimes it gets put on a tortilla or other bready thing. Eggs are also a good way to use up bits of leftover veggies and rice... just stir that stuff in as you cook the egg.

In conclusion, you can do a lot with it (as you can see by my very, VERY long post... sorry), especially if you HAVE to. I've made many good meals in my microwave.

And, as a final note, if you've bothered to read this far... please don't poo-poo (as it were) microwaves or people who use them. Some of these comments seem to have a bit of a holier-than-thou tone for those who don't use a microwave. I find this sort of thing silly, and wish you would refrain. This applies across the board to nearly everything, including eating organic food. Just sayin :3

I use my microwave daily, generally several times a day. I make big pots of soup, or beans, or something similar on the weekends (generally using the stovetop), and then I'll reheat it in the microwave throughout the week. Only one bowl gets dirty, and it just takes a few minutes. It's quick; it's easy; it makes me happy.

I personally have no opinion on whether anyone should have a microwave; however, I feel that a number of people here are rather overly judgmental on the topic of microwaves. If you don't want to use one, fine. But enough with the "there's no good use for a microwave," "microwave should just be in storage," "why the heck would anyone want one" sorts of attitudes.

microwaves are dangerous and the food "cooked" in them doesn't taste good. get a toaster oven and you'll never look back!

OK, here we go.

Boiling and Steaming things: Water, milk, soup, vegetables, fish.

Melting and softening things: Chocolate, Sugar, Honey (In the jar to make it easier to pour), Golden Syrup, Treacle, Glucose, Plastic Icing, citrus for juicing.

Cooking:

* With a decent microwave rice cooker, you can make most grains, including rice (Brown, short, long, Japonica). Lentils and Chickpeas, Beans, oats, polenta (Really. Less stirring too), quinoa and couscous (SO stupidly simple), barley and burgal.

* Popping popcorn

* Bechamel. No, really. REALLY. Stop being a snob and listen. Melt your butter and add your flour, then zap in small bursts, stirring between, until the colour you like. Then add the milk and blitz for 30 seconds, and stir. Then 10 seconds and stir. Repeat until the consistency you were aiming for.

* LOADS of microwave fudge recipes

* Any pre-fried food that can be elevated so as to not go soggy

* Soup (Simple, really)

* Stock (Takes a bit of care, isn't any faster but is safer as long as you set the 'wave slow enough... I prefer my slow cooker)

Sterilizing sponges

Irradiating eggs - Zap for 5-10 second lots until the whites JUST start to colour. No guarantees.

Warming whiskey for hot toddies

As for microwaves being dangerous, danna banana... They can't penetrate the door unless the safety mesh is broken, and frankly any kitchen appliance is dangerous. I've never burned myself on my microwave oven and it's never set fire to anything. It's not any less safe then a toaster oven... Quite the opposite.

For those concerned about superheating (it is a huge danger - I experienced it when doing a controlled experiment which was not far from regular daily use) - check your manufacturer's guidelines or contact the manufacturer to ask about metal use. All of the microwaves I have had to-date (family got the first in 1988) have had metal racks. Once the diameter of the metal is small enough, it poses no risk.

I digress. Our last purchase instructed that a teaspoon be placed in a mug if only liquids are being heated. This helps agitate the liquid and will thus prevent superheating. Even though this is metal, it is compatible with the (Neff) microwave oven.

As I have stated - check before you go putting metal in your machine - there may be differences between ovens.

I haven't had a microwave in 4 years. I use my electric kettle to boil water for everything (coffee, tea, pasta, etc) and reheat on the stove. I use a small Turkish coffee pot to heat milk on the stove. I dont really miss it. I dont have a dryer either.

I am amazed how many people use a microwave to heat water for tea! Apart from the fact that it tastes strange, it is surely no quicker than using an electric kettle...?

Microwave ovens are not dangerous! Using them or not using them is all about habit and convenience. Of course you can live without one, but I for one, love mine.

I use mine to make life simpler- if I make a batch of pancakes and freeze them in advance, I'll use the microwave to defrost and heat them when we're pushed for time in the morning. Same with muffins.

I also use it a lot for heating convenience foods- like baked beans (I'm a brit.) It's so much more environmentally friendly than turning the hob on. I start my baked potatoes in there too- 15 minutes in the microwave and then 20 in the oven.
Oh, and a steamed pudding from scratch, in the microwave- 7 minutes for the ultimate comfort food.

I love my microwave. It's a great, convenient, time-saving tool. It's fast and often uses less dishes (often one less pot or pan to wash). After reading this thread, I may even use it more, by going back to it for some things that for some reason I've switched to the stovetop for -- e.g., oatmeal, which leaves a very dirty pot to wash -- or for some ideas from this thread that I haven't tried yet or forgot about - eggs, quick mini-desserts, grains. And one of the main things I use mine for all the time is to boil water for tea. I'm a tea-a-holic and I don't notice any difference in water heated in the microwave or through any other means.

How about a Kitchn post on mini-microwave desserts? Or can someone point out some of the past ones? I know I've seen a few.

We haven't had a microwave for 6 months now. I just haven't gotten around to getting a new one after we chucked the old one. I've been reheating food in the oven or on the stovetop and that hasn't been so bad. We have a small kitchen and there is not a lot of room for countertop appliances. Now I think I want a toaster instead of a microwave. Unless someone has a great way to make toast in the oven... I've been using the broiler but it is just not the same.

we don't use one. We have one, but it's unplugged and on top of our refrigerator, and very heavy to move to a counter to plug in. I don't miss it, but when my father comes, he always curses that he has to make oatmeal the old-fashioned way.

As I'm reading through the comments, I'm realizing that I don't really use my microwave that much. it's really a space for the breadbox to sit on. I use a kettle for water, I reheat most things on the stove, and make popcorn on the stove. I DO use it to melt chocolate, but I don't like to. Maybe it's time to rethink my microwave ownership.

Defrosting my frozen bacon and sausage for breakfast and making popcorn! Two settings that I live by on my microwave.

Defrosting, cleaning my sponges, heating my Bed Buddy, melting chocolate, reheating leftovers, heating the occasional Amy's or Trader Joe's meal. I could live without it, but I like it and use it often.

I use it to defrost, melt, reheat and also to cook small portions of vegetables (I live alone) in these:http://www.costco.ca/Browse/Product.aspx?prodid=10315995&whse=BCCA&topnav=&cat=210&hierPath=20442*267*210*&lang=fr-CA

It's fast and the clean up is easy afterwards

It's more cost effective to use 110 than 220, so I use it every day, especially for thawing things like bread & meat. It is super for boiling potatoes, fast-cooking sweet potatoes, frozen veggies with no liquid needed, and no-fail rice is amazing. It frees up my stove space at the same time and shuts itself off, unlike my burners. I melt butter for my garlic toast and popcorn in it. I heat my water for my two cups of tea every morning. It will work on a generator when we have a hurricane, and my electric stove won't! I wouldn't want to go back to life without a microwave oven! My Panasonic says it was manufactured in August of 1984, so it is also the oldest appliance I have and still going like a champ!

The door release catch broke on ours last week. Immediately afterwards I wanted instant oatmeal, popcorn, warm tortillas and leftovers for dinner!

Since then I've retaught myself to reheat food in the oven or a skillet, thaw food in the fridge and soak in cool water if its still a bit frosty.

Parts are coming in this week to fix it, but if it wasn't a built-in I think I could do without it entirely.

Usually, I would have said mainly for reheating, until we had a grease fire in oven, so have been without use of the oven for a week. So, my answer would be cooking onions, mushrooms, all types of vegetables, and don't use any oil. Have been making my usual soups but microwaving until tender, and then using blender to blend everything altogether, including adding the broth/spices. Then use microwave when I need the soup very hot. It's great! super fast. When oven/stove are working again, I will keep doing some cooking like my soups, microwave way, because it's so quick.

Could someone explain the idea that microwaved water (assuming food particles aren't falling into your water container) tastes different from water boiled on a stove or other heating device?

I use mine as a breadbox. I don't like the taste of food cooked in a microwave.

I was considering living without one, but then the house we bought came with one built-in. I DO NOT recommend rangehood microwaves, it really isn't a rangehood at all. But anyway, all I use the microwave for is melting butter. That's it. I HATE the taste of re-heated food. I eat all left-overs cold. Other family members will zap left-over spaghetti sometimes, but our microwave is hardly ever used.

How on earth would you reheat rice without a microwave? They're also great for steaming fish (covered, a minute or so each side for chunky fillets, a little longer for whole fish).

I like to heat up milk (for cafe au lait) before pouring hot coffee in the cup.

I went to a Q&A session last fall with Harold McGee of "On Food and Cooking" fame. He said that the microwave was the best way to cook vegetables because it allows more nutrients to be retained. Apparently the enzymes that break nutrients down get activated during cooking, up to a certain temperature, and then inactivated after that point.

Because of that, I'm trying to use my microwave more for hybrid cooking, such as pre-cooking vegetables for sauces and stir-frys.

I also use my microwave to render some of the grease out of my pepperoni for pizzas.

@danna, I think it would be appreciated if you (and others who do the same) do some actual research before continuing to make anti-mic comments on any post mentioning one. They are NOT dangerous. Here's a link to get you started: http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4080

I also take issue with your assertion that any and all food cooked in a microwave does not taste good. That is categorically untrue.

Mine is currently used as a giant clock in the kitchen. It also serves double duty as a stand for my African Violet.

As far as actual food preparation goes, I... uh, softened some butter in it for Christmas baking?

I have this exact microwave. I use it to reheat leftovers, melt butter, nothing fancy.

@cblsttrotwd - it's not just an idea, it tastes different (unpleasant) to me and lots of other people (as a quick Google search will show you). I'm not enough of a scientist to know why this might be.

Bacon! Such a pain to clean that grease up. Definitely potatoes - I HATE how long it takes to cook them in the oven. Santizing my sponge. Leftovers/frozen veggies/popcorn of course. Frozen dinners - am I the only one?? Ya, I'm lazy. It is a great way to steam veggies and keep the vitamins/enzymes in. Aging egg whites for baking. Melting Brie! The list goes on - I have a terrible oven (rental) so I use my microwave ALOT.

I can't believe anyone would NOT like a microwave...I got mine at a tag sale for, I think, $15 4 1/2 years ago. I cook nearly every meal to have at least 1 more meal (for two) for leftovers, so it's a pretty essential appliance. I also use it for poaching eggs, defrosting, melting butter, melting chocolate, heating water, cooking "baked" potatoes (it takes WAY less time), etc.

I also kind of can't stand the way that microwaved meat tastes, so I usually stick to using the microwave for things like chili and save uncooked leftovers of meat. That's my only microwave complaint. Otherwise, it's AMAZING!