I asked an interesting question on my personal facebook yesterday and received quite a lot of responses.
Can we do without a microwave?
I ask this question for multiple reasons.
Reason #1. As you are all aware, I am continuing to read through Nourishing Traditions. Allow me to quote an excerpt, if you will:
“Unfortunately, the microwave achieved instant popularity without much prior research to study the effects of eating microwaved food. In consequence, one large experiment involving an unwitting populace is now in progress. The small amount of research done on the effects of eating microwaved food has shown that the microwave may have unfavorable effects on fats and proteins, making them more difficult to assimilate. More recent studies carried out in Switzerland revealed that the microwave caused changes in vitamin content and availability. Eating microwaved food results in abnormal blood profiles, similar to those that occur in the early stages of cancer. An especially dangerous practice is using the microwave for heating baby's bottle. Altered amino acids in microwaved milk can be toxic to the liver and nervous system, especially for infants. We recommend that you resist using the microwave at all costs.”
I am not a scientist, nor am I equipped to check the validity of such statements. But this isn't the first time I've read information “questioning” the effects that microwaving has on our food. And until the jury is back with a clear verdict on this, well, I guess I shall just be cautious.
Reason #2. I have 3 square feet of counter space. And of all the times that I exaggerate my facts, this is not one of them. I literally have 3 square feet of counter space. And as I was dusting the microwave yesterday morning, I thought to myself, “Self – why are you allowing this beautiful microwave to take up 50% of your available working space.”
Good question, self. Good question.
Reason #3. We never use it.
Okay, of the moments I exaggerate, that was one of them. We do use it, on occasion. To heat up a luke-warm cup of coffee or to make homemade microwaved popcorn. All meat defrosting and such is done in a bowl of water (something about microwaved meat really gags me…) If I had to honestly, with no exaggeration, guess how many times a week we use it, I would say probably three. Hardly enough to warrant the space it consumes and having to dust it.
It was a standoff between me and the beast. Man vs. machine.
Guess what.
Man won, baby.
I unplugged it, hoisted it up with all the strength I could muster (it's a big one!) and did the only thing I could think of at that moment: I set the microwave on the floor in the office. Not a very smart plan, as now it is taking up 25% of the floor space in the office, but none-the-less, there it sits.
It sits.
And I don't know what to do with it.
It was a wedding present, you know. Thank you Mom. Thank you Dad. I am sorry that your gift is facing an uncertain future as it sits on my floor.
I'm going to give it a week.
If I don't die of inconvenience, I'll say goodbye to the microwave forever.
What say you?
I’ve used a microwave a handful of times in the last year since we moved the first time. We gave a way the one that was here. My husband has one in the garage that he was given awhile back. I don’t miss it. I have a little pot for reheating beverages on the stovetop and I make popcorn in a pan. Heating leftovers is different, but I do it either in the oven or on the stovetop depending on what it is. I don’t plan to ever have one again-and look how I turned out. 😉
I am reading that book too and am very impressed with what she is saying. We don’t use our microwave very much either – heating up water for tea, heating up leftovers, popcorn, and frozen vegies. But…I could do all those things in the oven/stovetop except popcorn which I have an air popper. I think I might see if I can go a week or longer without using it too! Thanks! Erica
Ok, Popcorn, let me introduce you to my favorite thing ever. EVER!!! The Whirley Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper. Makes great popcorn in only minutes and no microwave needed. Plus you can put whatever seasonings you want on your popcorn and you don’t have to eat that nasty fake butter on the microwavable kind. Fred Meyer or Target. You can get ’em anywhere. Trust me. You’ll love it.
http://www.popcornpopper.com/stovetop-poppers.html?gclid=CMjE64i_zqgCFQkSbAodsng-gA
I got rid of mine years ago when I read the studies about the bad effects. I have a Breadmaster oven which can be used like a toaster oven to reheat small servings instead of using the regular oven.
I don’t miss it and I don’t buy foods that require a microwave.
I donated mine to Good Will, but recycling places will also take them.
I got rid of mine 5 years ago and I haven’t missed it ever. Well except when I don’t want cold left over pizza at 6am. 🙂 Other than that there is no missing that thing.
I was just thinking about ditching our microwave recently. I haven’t done it yet, but I rarely use it.
It sure is convenient for heating things up fast, but with my efforts to ‘live slower’ lately… all I can say is, What’s the hurry?
I also once read something about an experiment using microwaved water and regular water for seedlings, and the microwave watered plants did poorly. Who knows how true or scientific the experiment was, but it made me pause and evaluate my microwave usage.
First of all I love your blog. We just built our house and we purposely did not plan to put in a microwave. Everyone thought we were crazy! I concur about the whirly popcorn popper. We love ours! and we use coc. oil for the oil.
Do it! Cast iron skillet makes dandy popcorn!
I don’t know why this post was suggested on the bottom of your most recent, but I felt compelled to comment because I spent 3 years living in a tiny apartment in Halifax without a microwave, and never missed it once. Now I seriously question what it’s doing in my kitchen other than it was here when we bought the house… You may have given me the push to get rid of it.