# Microwave Lies and Misconceptions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2015, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456 "2015-08-31T00:47:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/21 "2015-08-31T19:55:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Aside: One of my classmates in undergrad was named Dave. At one point, we were working on a project on some computers owned (and administrated) by one of the professors, who was elsewhere in the room on a different computer. And just as Dave entered the command to compile his code, the professor used remote access to the computer to make it play that sound clip. 😃 So, did Dave laugh, or did he run screaming from the room? ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/22 "2015-08-31T20:43:45Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > We all know how vile bagels from the freezer section are, but did you know that, when they are fresh out of the oven, some brands are delicious? Worked by a bagel factory and they had fresh, hot bagels for sale in their little store. Scrumptious until they cooled, and microwaving them just made them tough and way too chewy. I’ve mentioned this before, but before you discount all frozen bagels, give [Ray’s NY Bagels](http://www.raysnewyorkbagels.com/) a shot. I’m a bagel snob who grew up on LI; my uncle worked in a bagel factory too. IIRC, these are frozen right before they’re finished a normal cooking process, so the microwave finishes them off. 30 seconds on high - you can thank me later. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/23 "2015-08-31T20:49:32Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > Why am I hearing Steven Wright’s voice when I read this? I’m a lot like Steven Wright. Except I’m not normal like him. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/24 "2015-08-31T22:05:08Z")
> [@](#): > > So, did Dave laugh, or did he run screaming from the room? IIRC, he jumped out of his seat and yelped in surprise, then settled back down and shot a dirty look over at the professor, who was laughing. But it’s been a while, and I might just be filling in those details. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/25 "2015-08-31T22:13:47Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > I’ve mentioned this before, but before you discount all frozen bagels, give [Ray’s NY Bagels](http://www.raysnewyorkbagels.com/) a shot. I’m a bagel snob who grew up on LI; my uncle worked in a bagel factory too. IIRC, these are frozen right before they’re finished a normal cooking process, so the microwave finishes them off. 30 seconds on high - you can thank me later. As a New Yorker, I say microwaving bagels is the immoral equivalent of eating NY pizza with a knife and fork. I do not buy freezer bagels, but when I do buy what passes for bagels in California I freeze the ones I don’t eat right away. Six minutes in the toaster oven is not as good as fresh from the oven, but reasonably close. I know many people toast them, but that leaves the exposed area dry. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/26 "2015-08-31T22:16:12Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Krispy Kreme donuts, fresh out of the fryer, are wonderful. If you let them cool to room temperature they become just donuts. “Oh, but if you pop them in the microwave for a few seconds they are just like fresh,” I’m told, but it is a lie. They are soggy and flat and the topping is senselessly hot, as it was not applied before the donut was fried, but shortly after, in the open air, so it forms a hard coating on the outside while it soaks into the donut on the inside. The difference between fresh and microwaved is so great I wonder if some people even have mouths, tongues, and taste buds. The thing is that though they are not as good as fresh, microwaved (for a very short time) Krispy Kreme donuts are far better than non-microwaved stale ones. The alternative is eating the whole dozen when fresh and getting diabetes. Or worse. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/27 "2015-09-01T02:05:41Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > People would probably smack me upside the head if they knew I microwaved bacon. It’s just so convenient. To smack you upside the head? Agreed. [thwack!] ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/28 "2015-09-01T02:23:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Another lie told about microwaves is that they’re good for defrosting. They’re about the worst tool possible for defrosting. Liquid water is better at absorbing microwaves than ice is, so as soon as you have a few small pockets thawed out, those pockets will start getting hotter and hotter much faster than the still-frozen parts which need it most. You can end up with parts of the dish boiling and parts frozen at the same time. This is very much the description of resistance welding if you change some of the words. People in general are bad at using microwave ovens. They want to hit the automatic one minute button at high power, but other power levels give heat a chance to distribute. Oh, I’m guilty, too. One minute at high, stir, one minute at high, stir. If I had patience I should set it for 10%, five minutes, and then just walk away. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/29 "2015-09-01T14:46:01Z")
When I reheat food in the microwave - especially meat - I like to set the power at 70%. The meat doesn’t seem to come out as tough as if you just blast it at 100%. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/30 "2015-09-01T16:01:11Z")
When I was a kid I used to love those Microwave Magic Shakes, Burgers and Fries. Yeah, they had shakes you make in the microwave. They were frozen solid and you were supposed to warm them up just enough to drink but you would end up with ice cream soup but I still liked them. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/31 "2015-09-01T18:48:00Z")
> [@Cartoonacy](#): > > \ > As a lifelong New Yorker, I can only say that real Brooklyn bagels are \*supposed \*to be tough and chewy. I haven’t had a real bagel in about 30 or 40 years. Since the eighties, most bakeries just make rolls with a hole in the middle and call them “bagels,” but they’re not even close. > \ My grandfather was a baker, from the old school. You could hammer nails with his bagels. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/32 "2015-09-01T19:42:36Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I’ve tried microwaving bacon after reading all over online about how great it is, and found it tasteless. **I think the problem is that if you microwave it on paper towels, all that fat gets absorbed**. Do it on a big microwave-safe dinner plate. No paper towels under, and just one laid on top to protect the microwave walls from splatter. A turntable in the microwave is a must – and even with that, stopping the cooking process once to rearrange pieces is often needed. But the bacon comes out fine. The plate, however, will be a dripping mess. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/33 "2015-09-01T19:54:50Z")
Nothing wrong with microwaving bacon when you’re in a hurry. Better to eat microwave bacon than no bacon at all. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/34 "2015-09-01T20:59:03Z")
I once complained that I had no cast iron skillet. Then I met a man who had no bacon. Or shoes. Because I stole them from him. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/35 "2015-09-01T21:09:01Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > I once complained that I had no cast iron skillet. Then I met a man who had no bacon. Or shoes. Because I stole them from him. After you’ve walked a mile in those shoes you’re in a good position to criticize him. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/36 "2015-09-01T21:19:36Z")
I just had bacon. I’m taking a nap ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/37 "2015-09-02T07:34:50Z")
I had a friend who refused to use microwaves because, and I quote: “They change the molecular structure of food”. Damn good thing, too, or it wouldn’t be cooked. I wish I had known then about the terror of dihydrous monoxide to scare him with. ---
**Author:** ![Oops\_I\_Went\_Poopies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Oops\_I\_Went\_Poopies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oops_I_Went_Poopies)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/38 "2015-09-02T09:31:43Z")
The advice is sound. I’ve been microwaving Krispy Kreme donuts for a long time, and they always come out better than fresh. You nay need to adjust microwave settings or your personal microwaving technique. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/39 "2015-09-02T13:40:15Z")
Cover them with a damp paper towel. Works on the day old fritters I get for a quarter from On-Cue. ---
**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:** [September 2, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456/40 "2015-09-02T15:02:45Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > Cover them with a damp paper towel. This is a good general tip for many kinds of reheating in the microwave. A little steam can go a long way towards replenishing the moisture in, say, day-old biscuits or rice dishes. Also helps when reheating pizza (though the crust can never really go back to what it was fresh out the oven). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microwave-lies-and-misconceptions/729456.md?page=3)