# Cooking with a microwave **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [January 30, 2024, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865 "2024-01-30T13:44:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/61 "2024-01-31T17:58:27Z")
> [@(OLD) The Dessert MMP!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-the-dessert-mmp/983106/8): > > Pierce each yolk with a toothpick, knifepoint, etc. CAUTION: Skipping this step results in needing to wash out your microwave. I don’t pierce the yolk when I poach eggs in the microwave. I do cover the bowl/mug with a paper towel. The yolk has burst maybe twice in several years. When I used to pierce them, they still occasionally burst, so I just don’t bother. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/62 "2024-01-31T19:17:26Z")
You’ve changed my life! I’ve always wrapped it in paper towels and clean dry dishcloths and squished it under the cast iron skillet for a long time. It does dry it reasonably well, but it takes forever and I end up with a bunch of no longer clean or dry dishcloths to wash. ---
**Author:** ![Drummond\_Bays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@Drummond\_Bays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drummond_Bays)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/63 "2024-01-31T19:35:32Z")
I am surprised this hasn’t been mentioned yet: The only thing I use the Wurlitzer for is warming lemon before squeezing. 13 seconds for a half, 26 seconds for a full lemon. Let sit a minute or two for the heat to spread evenly. It makes a huge difference in the amount of juice extracted. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/64 "2024-01-31T19:37:03Z")
I am pretty much in the reheat leftovers / frozen dinners / heat up water / melting butter / defrost stuff camp. Thinking back, my mom did a lot more actual _cooking_ in the microwave than I do. That was pretty much her standard way of making steamed vegetables: put them in a casserole dish, add a bit of water, cover, and microwave. That was pretty much how she cooked potatoes, too – quarter them, then use the same process as above (they basically tasted like boiled potatoes). Corn on the cob, pretty much the same technique. My parents also had a special plate that was specifically for microwaving bacon (I guess it could be used for other meats, too). It was kind of like a microwave grill, with ridges and channels so the fat would drain away. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/65 "2024-01-31T19:55:29Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Thinking back, my mom did a lot more actual _cooking_ in the microwave than I do. That was pretty much her standard way of making steamed vegetables: put them in a casserole dish, add a bit of water, cover, and microwave. That was pretty much how she cooked potatoes, too – quarter them, then use the same process as above (they basically tasted like boiled potatoes). Corn on the cob, pretty much the same technique. As I said earlier, because a microwave cooks by energizing water molecules in the food, the results are often much like steaming. If you would cook something by steaming (e.g.- vegetables) the microwave will likely produce excellent results. If steaming is the last thing you’d ever do (e.g.- a roast) the result in the microwave will likely guarantee it’s the last time you ever try it! 😉 There are exceptions, of course, like bacon or microwave popcorn. My own approach to bacon, because I’m lazy and dislike spatter and kitchen odours, is precooked bacon. It costs about four times as much as regular bacon, but when making bacon and eggs, it takes literally a few seconds on the same hot pan on which you just cooked the eggs – super convenient. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/66 "2024-01-31T22:19:11Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#): > > You’ve changed my life! I’ve always wrapped it in paper towels and clean dry dishcloths and squished it under the cast iron skillet for a long time. It does dry it reasonably well, but it takes forever and I end up with a bunch of no longer clean or dry dishcloths to wash Yeah, the trick is to figure what to use to keep the tofu up above the water level. I happened to have some old plastic lids from some [furikake jars](https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/GUEST_cb18f302-7783-4fff-814d-44886dfa4680?wid=400&hei=400&qlt=80&fmt=webp). Once I used an inverted small bowl inside another bowl. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/67 "2024-02-01T02:26:00Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I melt butter in my microwave. If I needed the space, I’d get rid of it. I melt butter in mine too. I cook bacon in it. It’s my favorite method for that. I occasionally make manicotti - it comes out surprisingly well. I make rice sometimes (quicker than using the rice cooker) and I almost always use it to make boxed mac ‘n’ cheese. I just saw a recipe in the NYT Cooking section about making salmon in the microwave, which I might try. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/68 "2024-02-01T05:09:35Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#): > > Our old microwave started shutting off unpredictably right before Christmas, so we bought a new one, and it turns out this one has a “soften/melt” setting. I used it to soften butter for several batches of cookies, and it works a treat! Just make sure you don’t melt the butter. Creaming sugar and softened butter incorporates the sugar into the butter globules, but melted butter will have too much air in the mixture. My microwave has the soften/melt button too. I never used the “soften ice cream” option, but one day we had a birthday party and a quart of frozen-solid ice cream. The soften option saved the day. Everyone watching just about fainted when I put the ice cream in the microwave, but they were soon happily eating cake with perfectly-softened ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/69 "2024-02-01T05:13:41Z")
I cook most vegetables in the microwave. And make terrific hot cocoa. Otherwise, it’s mostly reheating. And i generally avoid reheating meat (or meat-prominent dishes) because it makes the meat rubbery. Oh, and i use it to melt chocolate. But i generally melt but on the stove. That being said, i use the microwave almost every day. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/70 "2024-02-01T05:48:51Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > figured out how much time and how much liquid it would take to get soft noodles with no leftover liquid. Would you mind sharing your wisdom with us? I’d love to try this. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/71 "2024-02-01T06:08:32Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > > [@BigT](#): > > > > figured out how much time and how much liquid it would take to get soft noodles with no leftover liquid. ⁢ > > Would you mind sharing your wisdom with us? I’d love to try this. ⁢ Sure, but it may be different with different noodles and bowls. I get the gluten free macaroni from Walmart. I tend to cook 8oz (half a bag) in a bowl that’s about 10-inches round. I flatten it perfectly, and then add just enough broth or water to completely cover, and the heat it for 6 minutes. Or I add a bit more liquid and go for 8 minutes. But since you’d be experimenting, I’d probably suggest starting with more liquid and less time, and then keep reheating until you get a good time. And then look at how much liquid is leftover to give you an idea of how much liquid you need. But it will at least have to cover the noodles. Note that I actually make two servings of this, after adding some canned chicken and some mixed veg. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/72 "2024-02-01T14:59:01Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > My own approach to bacon, because I’m lazy and dislike spatter and kitchen odours, is precooked bacon. I’m with you! I hate my house, hair, clothes, etc. smelling like bacon. It hangs in the air way too long. We don’t eat a lot of bacon but once in a while we have BLTs or I make breakfast for dinner. I always use pre-cooked bacon. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/73 "2024-02-01T15:22:49Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > My parents also had a special plate that was specifically for microwaving bacon (I guess it could be used for other meats, too). It was kind of like a microwave grill, with ridges and channels so the fat would drain away. The best thing about the microwaveable bacon ‘grill’ (below) is that it allows you to retain the rendered fat. With the paper-towel method, that fat gets soaked up and wasted. [![](https://www.nordicware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/60150_bacon_780x780_09__77759.1617722755.1280.1280-370x370.jpg) ](https://www.nordicware.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/60150_bacon_780x780_09__77759.1617722755.1280.1280-370x370.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/74 "2024-02-01T15:25:27Z")
Photos of bacon before I’ve had anything to eat is extremely cruel. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/75 "2024-02-01T15:51:47Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > > [@InternetLegend](#): > > > > Our old microwave started shutting off unpredictably right before Christmas, so we bought a new one, and it turns out this one has a “soften/melt” setting. I used it to soften butter for several batches of cookies, and it works a treat! > > Just make sure you don’t melt the butter. Creaming sugar and softened butter incorporates the sugar into the butter globules, but melted butter will have too much air in the mixture. > > My microwave has the soften/melt button too. I never used the “soften ice cream” option, but one day we had a birthday party and a quart of frozen-solid ice cream. The soften option saved the day. Everyone watching just about fainted when I put the ice cream in the microwave, but they were soon happily eating cake with perfectly-softened ice cream. Definitely never melted! That’s why I didn’t try to soften it in the microwave before. But with this setting, I put two sticks of frozen butter in, pressed the buttons, and it came out feeling like I’d remembered to take it out of the freezer the night before (like I’d intended to do). ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/76 "2024-02-01T16:15:19Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#): > > Definitely never melted! That’s why I didn’t try to soften it in the microwave before. But with this setting, I put two sticks of frozen butter in, pressed the buttons, and it came out feeling like I’d remembered to take it out of the freezer the night before (like I’d intended to do). I wonder what the “Soften” setting on a microwave actually does? I’m wondering if it _pulses_ the microwave emissions – a steady stream of microwaves will soften and melt the butter too suddenly. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/77 "2024-02-01T16:18:05Z")
I’m pretty sure that it pulses. There’s sometimes a defrost setting that does the same thing but probably at a higher power. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/78 "2024-02-01T16:23:28Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I’m pretty sure that it pulses. There’s sometimes a defrost setting that does the same thing but probably at a higher power . Yes … when a microwave is in Defrost mode, you can hear the magnetron (?) getting louder and softer as it cycles. I understand that this is essentially the equivalent of turning on the microwaves and then turning them back off, rinse, repeat. Similar for the various lower power settings. To soften butter or ice cream, though, the microwave\*\* on/off cycles would probably have to be rapid. Not ten seconds on then ten seconds off … but much shorter cycles. Maybe measured in tenths of a second? \*\* _here, I mean the physical electromagnetic-spectrum microwaves, not the actual oven itself._ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/79 "2024-02-01T17:03:18Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > The best thing about the microwaveable bacon ‘grill’ (below) is that it allows you to retain the rendered fat. That’s what I love about my sous vide method. Put the entire pack in over night. In the morning snip off a corner and collect the fat. Each piece is crisped up in 30 seconds in a pan or microwave. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865/80 "2024-02-01T17:05:58Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > > [@wolfpup](#): > > > > My own approach to bacon, because I’m lazy and dislike spatter and kitchen odours, is precooked bacon. > > I’m with you! I hate my house, hair, clothes, etc. smelling like bacon. It hangs in the air way too long. We don’t eat a lot of bacon but once in a while we have BLTs or I make breakfast for dinner. I always use pre-cooked bacon. I also use precooked breakfast sausages for the same reason, although unlike bacon, sausages that are properly pan-fried from scratch are distinctly better than the pre-cooked ones, but they create even more of a lingering kitchen odour. The nice thing about the pre-cooked sausages is that they can be prepared in the microwave in seconds (wrapped in a paper towel), and even nicer is that they can be frozen and then prepared in exactly the same way, just with a slightly longer nuking time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cooking-with-a-microwave/996865.md?page=5)