Weaning off Microwaves

I quit my full time job 5ish weeks ago and I'm trying to eliminate as many toxic conveniences (a good book to read) as possible. I've been using glass to hold leftovers so that I can reheat food in the oven more easily. I can't seem to totally eliminate microwave use, especially for reheating tea and/or creamer. I wonder if anyone has any good recommendations for behavioral or other changes I could start embracing to get rid of the microwave?

Specific limitations that come to mind:
1) reheating tea
2) reheating pasta* or rice
3) heating up pasta sauce (I can't put acids in a cast iron skillet)

*Believe it or not, we rarely eat pasta but we happened to last night so I'm not sure how I'm going to negotiate the leftovers.

I'd love to hear what other people have done to eliminate the microwave from their home. Cheers!

I am a huge cast iron fan, absolutely love the stuff.

I like to avoid putting acidic foods in mine as well, just a personal preference, but I do know some people who go by "Just keeping cooking with it" mantra and seem to do fine.

I also have a set of stainless steel pots specifically for acidic foods. I also use them when I know I will be deglazing.

I have found my microwave is used VERY rarely because of it.

Hi Alexandra,
We actually got rid of our toaster and packed away our microwave and replaced it with a toaster oven. Heats the same way as a large oven, just smaller and faster than a full oven.

Honestly, the only time I missed having a microwave was that we could melt butter fast for popcorn. My wife missed it for melting chocolates for making candy. Otherwise for toast and reheating leftovers and things like that we very much enjoyed the toaster oven option. And it saved quite a bit of power compared to the other two combined.

I never had or used microwave in my whole life. I would not even know how to use it.

Alexandra Malecki wrote:
1) reheating tea
2) reheating pasta* or rice
3) heating up pasta sauce (I can't put acids in a cast iron skillet)

1. I pour into a pot and just heat it.
2. If I need to reheat pasta I put it into a pot, add a little bit of water, cover and the steam will heat it. Or I can fry it in olive oil to make it crunchy - but it depends on the sauce that I used.
3. I put it into a stainless saucepan and heat it.

Alexandra, can you elaborate as to why you are trying to eliminate microwave use?

In our house, we mainly use the microwave to reheat leftovers for lunch from the night before. We also use it for simple tasks associated with cooking like if I need to melt butter or chocolate, as Matt mentioned. Saves energy and keeps the house cooler.

I definitely use stainless steel cookware in addition to cast iron. You still get the durability and versatility of cast iron, but there are just certain applications (e.g., acidic foods) that do better with stainless.

Here are some threads that explain why permie people do not like using a microwaves for folks that don't understand and other that might enjoy the read:

https://permies.com/t/60375/goodbye-microwave

https://permies.com/t/170646/Microwaves-good-bad-crazy

I use a toaster oven for most tasks.  Haven't had a microwave for 15 years and have forgotten how to use one when visiting others :)  

It mainly just takes longer so I have to plan 8 minutes ahead if I need melted butter or reheated leftovers.  I still don't know how to get softened butter but I've managed this long I guess it isn't needed...

I reheat in glass "tupperware" or in ceramic soup bowls.

I've never had a microwave. I use the stovetop or a countertop oven (the toaster oven type ones, mines is even internet connected + fan + steam)

Alexandra Malecki wrote:I quit my full time job 5ish weeks ago and I'm trying to eliminate as many toxic conveniences (a good book to read) as possible. I've been using glass to hold leftovers so that I can reheat food in the oven more easily. I can't seem to totally eliminate microwave use, especially for reheating tea and/or creamer. I wonder if anyone has any good recommendations for behavioral or other changes I could start embracing to get rid of the microwave?

Specific limitations that come to mind:
1) reheating tea
2) reheating pasta* or rice
3) heating up pasta sauce (I can't put acids in a cast iron skillet)

*Believe it or not, we rarely eat pasta but we happened to last night so I'm not sure how I'm going to negotiate the leftovers.

I'd love to hear what other people have done to eliminate the microwave from their home. Cheers!

I threw away my microwave 10 plus years ago.  I love my toaster oven its a nice one with re heat and warm settings. I find for Pasta add a little water and a lid to reheat it on stove while stirring frequently. I have a glass tea pot I love its safe for stove top, you can reheat tea in that and it washes easy with the large opening on top. I love my cast iron, but I have a few stainless pots for sauces to heat on the stove.
Hope this helps
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076GF3GC4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I love this brand, they have replaced broken things for me as well. <3 Good quality items. Teabloom ...... link below
https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/3EF52332-BB35-4B6B-A206-A775AB3C1583?ingress=2&visitId=f1d5e70f-3df1-4f0a-a42d-2d7ef77447d7&ref_=ast_bln

I stopped using the microwave when I was sixteen. (I read a lot of Mother Earth News from the 70's. Yes I was a weird kid  )
Boiling water for tea is the only thing I really have inconvenience with now, cause I only boil enough to drink at one time and then the stove is hot for hours.
But for reheating, you could totally get one of those wax/potpourri warmers from the Salvation Army or goodwill. They always have them there and they are PERFECT for reheating tea or creamer, or melting butter. And they don't take up much room.
I cook and reheat everything in a toaster oven. Again, SalVal...If it's something that I have to cook for awhile like potatoes that I want to eat in the morning before work, I'll cook them on the little tray, leave in there overnight and then turn it on in the morning to reheat.
Reheating solid-y things like pasta or rice: Toaster Ovens don't do super great with this as it bakes it and dries it out. I usually use a hot plate+stir. I cook a lot outside in the summer.
Pasta sauce: reheat on a hotplate, in a stainless steel pot/pan. You just need one,
You definitely get a very good sense of how long it takes things to cook...I never use a timer anymore. How hungry to let yourself get before throwing something in XD

An electric kettle works good for tea, cocoa and dish washing water.

When I was in college some folks had these electric gadgets that were put into the cup to heat only a cup of water.

My mother-in-law always had a tea kettle on the store for hot water.

I love my toaster oven.  When I got an air fryer for Christmas several years ago my toaster oven went away.

The air fryer went out and I watched eBay for a toaster oven and got a new Cuisinart for $40.00.

Kinda dumb maybe but I feel like I use the gas stove to heat canned food way more than I used to when we had electric. IT heats up instantly almost so it is closer to microwave levels of convenience.

Oh yeah, and the air fryer pumps me up. Reheated air fryer pizza baby!

Alexandra Malecki wrote:I quit my full time job 5ish weeks ago and I can't seem to totally eliminate microwave use, especially for reheating tea and/or creamer. I wonder if anyone has any good recommendations for behavioral or other changes I could start embracing to get rid of the microwave?

Specific limitations that come to mind:
1) reheating tea
2) reheating pasta* or rice
3) heating up pasta sauce (I can't put acids in a cast iron skillet)

*Believe it or not, we rarely eat pasta but we happened to last night so I'm not sure how I'm going to negotiate the leftovers.

I'd love to hear what other people have done to eliminate the microwave from their home. Cheers!

Dear Alexandra,
First, thanks for liking my post in Tubular Tommy.  I appreciate it!  Now, on to eliminating a microwave. Personally, I've never liked the machine, but they are ubiquitous where I live -- some foods in the store can only be cooked or heated with a MW.  But, I think your on the right track to eliminate this beast from your life.  Here's what I'm doing:

I will replace my ancient IH stove with a propane gas stove, eventually, maybe within the next 18 months. The propane gas stove comes with an oven, so I'll have a a cooktop and a "real" oven. Right now I'm dealing with a combination MW/Oven/Grill/Steamer thingy. It's too complicated to use all the functions and because it tries to be 4 things it doesn't do any of them very well, and it's too small for some of my oven needs. It takes up valuable real estate too.

Take a tip from one of your commentators and try using a cast iron pan. I regularly use my cast iron cauldron to make tomato sauce. Just be sure to remove the finished sauce and clean the pot immediately.  I haven't found any lasting damage. If you don't want one, use your most trusted fry pan that has a lid. If you don't have a lid, watch this video for how to make a circle from a square of parchment paper or a portion of a paper bag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTBtGKuOgt4&t=10s. Cut it a bit larger than the diameter and tuck the edges under the rim. You can also use a piece of tin foil, which you can wash gently and reuse a few times. Having a lid helps to contain the heat and steam, which is what you need to reheat an food item. Heat the pan on high, reduce the heat after the pan has heated up, add a small amount of oil or water, then add the food you want to reheat and cover.

For tea, do you have a pan whose diameter is smaller than its height? Then that's all you need to reheat any liquid. You can use your fry pan, too.

Understandably, these solutions are not the Set It And Forget It type.  You will probably need to stand by the range and watch what's going on in the pot.  If your range has a timer that shuts off the heat after a a specific time limit, that's a good start, but it's not foolproof.  Here's where finding smaller kitchen tasks comes into play.  I'll wash a few dishes, organise a cupboard (or do a partial org), sweep the kitchen floor, look what needs to be trashed in the 'fridge, add to or start a grocery list, etc. I'm going for menial kitchen tasks that are always there to do. I also stash a trashy novel (something you enjoy reading but can put down and pick up at will) in the kitchen. I'll read a page then go check on the thing that's warming up. Since you're warming a cooked food, you won't be there for more than 10 minutes.

I hope this helps!

I have no real advice on how to ditch your microwave.  But you can, that's great.  I have never been a big fan of the ovens and in trying to use less power I seldom do.  Mine is an over the stove type and I do use the down lights and the vent while cooking.

One thing that may be of some help, save the glass turntable thingy, it's wonderful to use under your larger plants to be able to easily turn them for better light exposure.

Peace

We’d had an over-the-stove microwave, but ditched it in favor of a real range hood when we remodeled the kitchen. Had thought about getting a countertop model, but never really felt the need. Between the gas stove, an induction cooker, and a toaster oven, we’ve got plenty of options and would rather keep the counter space.

So, we have been able to successfully ditch the microwave! I even kept the microwave anticipating a kitchen renovation that we're currently in  (not having a functional kitchen has been really hard when we cook 99% of our meals). I set up the microwave in our laundry room (which is currently our temporary kitchen). And after a week we decided that we didn't want to use it and ditched it to make more space for other kitchen items.

If I were to answer my original post, I would say that I've had to rethink how I meal plan altogether. I only make enough pasta or grain for each sitting. If we have leftovers, then I add some water and put it on the cooktop or oven. If my tea goes cold then I dilute the tea with boiling water (and I try to not forget about it). I use a lot more glass for storing leftovers for reheating and I even store leftovers in portion sizes so that I don't dirty new dishes. I use stainless for reheating acidic food. I've gotten use to the influx of dishes. We've all seemed to adjust or figure things out in time. It wasn't easy at first though, that's for sure! For christmas, my husband will be getting a little pot specific for heating up his creamer for his coffee and I know that will make his mornings more delightful.

I am amazed at what people are using microwave ovens for and what they are not using them for.
I live off grid and I believe used properly they are brilliant.
Instead of using it for reheating I use them as follows;
- cooking small potatoes
- steaming vegetables
- defrosting, if I forget to leave out
- Energy efficiency, Microwaves can be more energy efficient than conventional cooking because they only heat the food, not the entire oven.
- Preserving nutrients Food tends to retain more nutrients when cooked in the microwave because they are not destroyed by prolonged cooking.
I looked up other uses;
- Disinfect kitchen items
 You probably don’t know it, but microwave ovens can help to disinfect kitchen items such as plastic cutting boards and sponges.
 Just soak your sponges and cutting boards in some lemon juice and heat them in a microwave for a minute.
 This will both disinfect as well as deodorise your kitchen items.
- Roasting garlic
 If you’re a foodie, then no doubt you love roasted garlic on many of your dishes.
 While roasting a bulb of garlic takes about 45 minutes, you can do it in 8 minutes using a microwave.
 Just season your garlic bulb, cover it with plastic wrap, roast it and you’re done!
-  De-crystallising honey
  Have you ever struggled with honey that has solidified?
  a microwave is an ideal solution when it comes to de-crystallising honey.
  Just grab your jar of solidified honey, open the lid and microwave it for about a minute.
- Proofing yeast normally takes over an hour, but you can do it in 15 minutes using a microwave oven.
 However, to do this, don’t just set your microwave to 15 minutes.
  Instead, set your microwave to 3 minutes and then allow  the dough to stand for 3 minutes.
 Then, heat it again for 3 more minutes but let it rest for 6 minutes.
This will double the bulk of your dough.

So you can see used for what they are good it, Microwave ovens are very useful and efficient.
I dont believe they are harmful as many like to repeat that they are!

I heat a lot of stuff on the dash board of a broke down van.   Any sunny day it works pretty good if you plan ahead.  I mostly heat my shower water that way, and it also works for leftovers if I plan ahead enough ... its a slow heating

I deeply respect the choice of people who prefer not to use microwave ovens. I personally am not convinced microwaves are entirely evil, but I accept the axiom that any benefit has a cost.

I live in an area where grid electricity is mostly derived from fossil fuels. Since I did consulting work in the generation industry, I understand how much loss there is from the plant to the plug in my kitchen. Utilizing the efficiency of a microwave oven for certain tasks seemed the ethical course. We have developed methods of scratch cooking that brings good food to the table in short order. When I compare our solid, simple meals to skip-the-dishes I think we are miles ahead health-wise. And emissions-wise, across the board. It's an important tool in our kitchen toolbox.

I also think that, given the amount of hand-grown raw veg and oven-roasted veg we consume in all seasons, I rather doubt we will come down with "microwave scurvy" or some such deficiency.

It's possible though that I may grow two heads later. I'll let you know.

I wonder if new gadgets like Instapots and air fryers narrow the gap from an energy efficiency standpoint. There are more options these days; in the past it was a choice was between an energy hungry conventional oven vs. a microwave.  

- Mr. Two Heads