# Most worn microwave button? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 14, 2017, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220 "2017-07-14T06:33:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/1 "2017-07-14T06:33:11Z")
The thread on dead/dying microwaves led me to look at the keypad on mine and note which buttons were much more worn than the others; namely 0, Timer and Popcorn. It’s about 5 years old. How about yours? Are you a coffee/tea drinker who’s worn the Beverage button to a dent? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/2 "2017-07-14T06:37:33Z")
Start and the insta-minute buttons. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/3 "2017-07-14T17:32:57Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > The thread on dead/dying microwaves led me to look at the keypad on mine and note which buttons were much more worn than the others; namely 0, Timer and Popcorn. It’s about 5 years old. > How about yours? Are you a coffee/tea drinker who’s worn the Beverage button to a dent? > [@snfaulkner](#): > > Start and the insta-minute buttons. Both of these on mine. The numbers 1-6 are “express” buttons that turn the microwave on anywhere from one to six minutes. Also the button to extend the cooking time by 30 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/4 "2017-07-14T18:09:58Z")
I rarely use the microwave for anything other than melting cheese on a tortilla or perhaps warming up a biscuit or something. So for me the “add 30 seconds” button is about the only one I use. Or perhaps the “stop” button once I realize that I only needed 20 of the 30 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/5 "2017-07-14T19:34:17Z")
No obvious wear, but probably “3”. I do thew lazy thing and just push “33” instead of “30” if something needs cooking for 30 seconds, ditto for 3-4 minutes cook time. Also “1” “Start” and the mechanical door open button. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/6 "2017-07-14T19:57:26Z")
i use our microwave a lot, and the most used buttons on it would be “Time” and “Start”. I hit the “Time” button (which defaults to the oven’s “max power” setting since I haven’t selected a power setting), then enter the time I want the microwave to be on in minutes and seconds, then the “Start” button. I mean. why use a device if you don’t use it on max power? ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/7 "2017-07-14T19:57:57Z")
800 Watt microwave, so for me its ‘5’ that has an indentation you can see if you look hard enough (TV dinners/snacks). Maybe its the way its designed though, since I usually use the “add 30 sec.” button more than anything. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/8 "2017-07-14T20:02:06Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > No obvious wear, but probably “3”. I do thew lazy thing and just push “33” instead of “30” if something needs cooking for 30 seconds, ditto for 3-4 minutes cook time. Also “1” “Start” and the mechanical door open button. I never use the “0” button; everything goes in for usually 66 or 99 seconds at a time. The “Start” button is also the “add 30 seconds” button, so that probably gets the most use. Just hitting “Start” will immediately turn it on with 30 seconds on the clock, and I will often just push that until I hit my desired time. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/9 "2017-07-15T01:07:32Z")
One could generalize this to other devices. Consider other machines with keypads. Supermarkets often have vaults in publicly visible places[sup][Why?][/sup], with keypads to open them. I saw one once, in which the numbers were totally worn off of four of the keys, slightly worn off two others, and not worn off at all of the rest. Gee, can you figure out what digits might be in the combination? A guy I know took me flying in a Piper Cherokee ([this one](http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000128982.html), to be specific) a few times, and let me do most of the flying. :eek: One of the most-used switches (a little rocker switch) on the panel, amidst a bunch of other little rocker switches, had the label totally worn off – you just had to know what that switch is – especially since it gets used a lot. (It was the switch to turn on/off the auxiliary gas pump, used when taking off, landing, and switching between the left and right tanks.) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/10 "2017-07-15T01:57:41Z")
“Add a Minute” = 60 seconds on high ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/11 "2017-07-15T03:33:17Z")
> [@sevenwood](#): > > i use our microwave a lot, and the most used buttons on it would be “Time” and “Start”. > > I hit the “Time” button (which defaults to the oven’s “max power” setting since I haven’t selected a power setting), then enter the time I want the microwave to be on in minutes and seconds, then the “Start” button. > > I mean. why use a device if you don’t use it on max power? Because [Max Power](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex9NaA2hetg) might just kick yer butt if you try it: ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/12 "2017-07-15T04:27:29Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Because [Max Power](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex9NaA2hetg) might just kick yer butt if you try it: You don’t snuggle with Max Power, you strap yourself in and feel the Gs. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/13 "2017-07-15T04:27:40Z")
The 2 for the insta-2 minutes to heat up a cup of coffee and the START cause it’ll add 30 seconds for the 1-6 insta buttons. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/14 "2017-07-15T16:57:57Z")
Start and zero. I’m surprised “2” isn’t worn, because I heat up a lot of 2:00 cups for tea. (For some odd reason, I never use the quick-button settings. (I just looked and my “auto cook” button only has 5 options: “bread, soup, baked potato, fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables.” Which one would I use for a coffee-mug to boil water for tea? Soup?) (Just checked: soup. And that’s the first time I have _ever_ used the “auto-cook” button!) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/15 "2017-07-15T20:40:49Z")
My microwave just has a single knob to turn clockwise for how many minutes you want. I’ve had it since 1985. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-worn-microwave-button/791220/16 "2017-07-15T21:14:09Z")
I only ever use the “add 30 seconds” button. If I want it to stop early, I yank the door open.