Microwaves been out of fashion?

We had our first microwave in December 1991 when our first son was six months old. My in laws lived abroad and sent a cheque for Christmas. We had wanted one for a long time but could not afford one as they were very expensive at the time so this was what we spent the money on. It was useful for baby food as well as for us. I would not be without one now.

Oh dear, and I've just bought a new one!! I love it!!

There was a lot of talk in the 80's about them being dangerous as the rays could leak out (and damage your body!) if the door seal wasn't a tight fit. And takeaways had to have a sign on the premises cautioning people that they were using microwaves and had to have them serviced regularly.

I know a few people who won't have one in the house.

It is also said by some to destroy the fundamental structure of the food.

I have a halogen cooker for heating up and I also use a microwave for the occasional ready meal and defrosting things

I very rarely cook roasts or chickens so almost never use my oven. I'm using it a bit just now to make crumbles with all the lovely apples from the garden.

I have thought to experiment with making a microwave Victoria sponge... seen a few recipes. Has anyone tried it?

NoddingGangan……. To make wonderful scrambled eggs in the microwave:::Mix the eggs in a microwaveable bowl, personally I add a dribble of milk and a dollop of butter. Only 30 seconds a time in the microwave before whipping the mix up again. 4 or 5 times. Whisk well each time, going down to 20seconds / 10 seconds before whipping again. When they look like you prefer them to look then they are cooked. If they turn rubbery then it’s you overcooking them. NOT the microwave fault

I am on my own and use mine for heating up a mug of water for my instant coffee, plus my cook vegetables, porridge and fish. It has been proved to be cheaper than the hob, electric kettle and oven but then I don’t have an air cooker.

Mine is only used for heating things up and for porridge. With both of us working full time, I wouldn't be without it

I can't remember the last time we used ours.

NotSpaghetti Yes all three of our sons and their families have microwaves and use them pretty much every day, especially the GC who make hot drinks in them, heat up snacks and even warm their gloves and socks in them in the winter!

Mum had one in the 70’s and put a metal spoon in it lol. I’d never use one I’m still sceptical about it creating health issues…

I use mine loads and have just ordered an air fryer so i expect not to be using main oven at all in future…. Unless family come for Sunday roast.

My children both have one, and use theirs as I do mine - for a mixture of defrosting, heating up leftovers and helping with cooking from scratch.

It's only recently that I have thought of them in terms of saving money - I have used mine as it's quick, convenient, clean and saves on washing up. Now that energy is so expensive I will factor that into decisions on cooking methods, too, although they are largely subliminal or borne of habit.

It's interesting - I was talking to a friend of mine about cooking the other day. She can be rather snooty about 'cooking from scratch', and refused to have a microwave, an air fryer or slow cooker, as 'they are just for people who buy ready meals'. She knows that I (usually) cook from scratch, and that I am a great fan of a kitchen gadget, have all of those things and more, but it didn't stop her from looking down on them - until the energy crisis. Now she's changed her mind and wants to buy them, she is incensed that the prices have risen so much. Obviously it's because of people like her, who are suddenly flooding the shops with orders .

I put mine in the garage cos I hardly use it. Porridge in the morning and usually don't need it the rest of the day.

I found lifting things out of the oven difficult so bought a combined microwave/oven. So now I realise how much I actually use the microwave. Fried onions? Cook in microwave before frying. Chicken? Ten minutes in the microwave then change over to oven mode until it looks cooked. ( you’ll never go back to cooking chicken only in the oven, again ). The microwave cooking keeps the chicken moist. Then there’s the cold half of coffee in a mug. Pop in microwave. Left over chips from last nights fish and chips? Pop into microwave. Etc. Couldn’t do without the microwave!!

We use ours every day, wouldn't be without it. In fact we have two but the other one (older worktop model) only comes out when we're a large household such as Christmas time.

Back in the 80's a friend of mine (an excellent cook) longed to have a microwave but her husband, a fireman, flatly refused to have one in the house, insisted they were dangerous. I think he simply didn't understand how they worked. Sadly she's not longer with us, but her husband now lives on ready meals etc which he cooks in his microwave.

I couldn't live without mine. Makes the best sponge puddings, cooks veg and ready meals, defrosts bread etc and will heat the Christmas pudding in the time it takes the main course to go down. Couldn't use the slow cooker for the Christmas pud as it is used to keep the mulled wine/cider warm.
We are fans of 'Masterchef' but can never understand why, when they are running short of time, they don't just finish it off in the microwave! Are they banned from using one? They use just about every other kitchen gadget you can think of!

I have concluded from this thread that many of us like the microwave and use it a lot abd a few of us have had one in the past and found no point to it.

I'd be interested to know if younger people have them and use them so I asked my family via WhatsApp.

Of my 5 adult children, 2 daughters don't even have one and one has one and uses it "now and then". Of the sons they both have them and one uses it "pretty regularly".
So 3 out of 5 have one and 2 use them enough to count.

Do your sons/daughters use them or is my family odd?

Ha ha. Yes. They are odd - but maybe nothing to do with microwaves!

We have one, but I honestly find it annoying to use.

I only use it for warming things like sausage rolls up.

It may well use less electricity than our induction hob, but having once tried making porridge in it, I went back to the cooker!

Our electricity prices are still lower than the UK's - if they go up, I shall re-instate the hay-box rather than faff around with a microwave.

I use mine every day. I don’t know who these people are who only cook with fashionable appliances! It’s wonderful for last minute frozen vegetables!

I first got a microwave on 1985. I use it almost every day to heat my lunchtime soup. I batch cook and freeze so I wouldn't like to be without it

When did they ever go out of fashion! We use ours several times a day, particularly as our little dog likes the chill taken off her very expensive frozen dinners! When we've moved house or otherwise had no kitchen we have managed with with just a microwave and camping gas stove. These days it's even more useful as it's quick and less expensive.

A friend of mine was very suspicious of microwave cooking and said, "It's not proper food". I'm afraid I caught a bit of her prejudice. But then it's very useful for part-cooking jacket potatoes for finishing in the oven.

Use mine every day

I don't have an oven just a combi microwave. Only two us, lot cheaper to run

Frequent user of microwave, every day for heating milk and cooking veggies and at Christmas I cook the pudding in so bye bye hours of cooking on hob and watching water dry up.

When my last MW broke, a few years ago, I didn’t replace it. Food had become too instant and my consultant told me ready meals were highly not recommended for me.

BUT with the energy costs such as they are, I am contemplating buying a MW again because say 5 minutes in the MW vs 35 minutes in the real oven, the MW wins.

I bought my first MW in 1989, when I moved into my first flat. 29 years I had one, three in total. The original 1989 MW lasted until 2006, 17 years!