Saying goodbye to my microwave

It would be interesting to know how much energy you might save (or not) using a microwave to cook vegetables, heat a mug full of drink, heat a ready meal etc. vs. hob, kettle, oven. Can’t help with the toast or ironing though.

I have never read a which? report, but I think you will find (if you read them?) that on power saving grounds alone a microwave oven is a good investment if you regularly cook at home.

I wonder why you assume that microwaves are only used for ready-meals and pre-cooked junk.
I never buy ready-meals, I cook everything from scratch using fresh ingredients and know what is in it. I cook a large quantity of something healthy and freeze it in individual portions. With the microwave, defrosting and reheating are much quicker, and doing it this way I save not only time but also energy costs. Vegetables are also much tastier cooked in the microwave.

Steamed fresh vegetables are much tastier than microwaved frozen ones – except peas.

I really do not understand this one. The energy savings of a microwave for veggies at least, together with the improved protien and vitamin retention makes them a must for any functioning kitchen.

Well put by Nanny… aforesaid… the ubiquitous microwave –
upmarket model- can do almost everything save and except a
Chinese restaurant ‘super-hot’ stir-fries that they seem to do
so well…. as I understand it, the domestic stove’s thermal output
is not quite good or high enough.

But Patrick, you will not have a microwave in the near future. You will have to cook Jamie’s meal in you conventional oven for something like 20 minutes.

Thank you for that, NannyTheo: I never knew I could heat plates in the microwave. I’ve just tried, and I’ll be, it worked! That’ll work brilliantly for so many occasions!

“Microwave ovens are banned from sale in Russia on health grounds.”

I don’t believe this. As this is supposed to be a (sometimes) serious consumer website, please supply an accredited source for this statement.

Was banned in old Soviet Union but believed now rescinded.

There’s deep reservations about microwave safety in particular
by Swiss researchers and other academics……I err on the side
of caution and do not use it a primary source for cooking uncooked
foods…. more for defrosting and the very occasional warming up of
microwave meals and of course warming up tepid coffee.

There is a plethora of learned writings on the internet and vCJD
and mobile phone technology….. it often takes very long usage
even a generation or more to show signs of maifestation.
The ban in the Soviet Union as to domestic microwave lasted
for well over a generation if not much longer.

BTW I bring a connected switched-off light bulb close
to microwave when set high and working to test for
any sign of radiation leakage.

Not many people wd know that, I presume.

“Not many people wd know that, I presume.”

Isn’t this one of those self-limiting bodies of knowledge? Like the number of people who know how to check their gas oven for leaks with a lighted candle …

The most important thing a consumer can do is to clean and inspect the microwave oven regularly. Unplug the oven. Then look for any signs of cracking in the door and around the hinges, damage to the door seals and areas the door seals come into contact with, food lodged in the seals, anything that would stop the door closing fully or the safety interlock from operating.

If you have any doubts at all, you will need to have the microwave checked by a professional with a calibrated radiation detector. There is no reason for a microwave to emit more than 1 mW/cm2, which is about enough energy to illuminate a gnat’s kneecap. For those that are concerned about these things, it would be nice have the reassurance that the microwave is safe, which a proper test will tell you, rather than find out that it has been dangerous for some time before the leak gets so bad that it can be detected with a light bulb.

Or just chuck it and buy a new one. Unfortunately, the cost of testing a single microwave oven is often more than it is worth.

I’m sure Which? has more sensible advice about this.

I agree with Em. It is important to check the gap round the door to ensure that it does not stick and always closes properly, and that the oven shows no sign of damage.

Hi Em, the point of the research on microwave safety is what the microwave does to the food cooked in it, and to people who eat it, not the physical condition of the oven. I have also read the research and I use mine only for defrosting and occasional reheating. I have reservations about having one at all but need the convenience. I probably won’t replace this one when it expires as I won’t have the same time constraints.

If your twenty-odd year old microwave oven is like mine, it will be spotlessly clean inside. If anything is spilled, it’s easy to clean up because the inside of the oven does not get hot. I don’t expect this applies with a combination oven, so I have kept my old one.

It was a spotlessly clean stainless steel interior until a few months ago. I started to neglect it when the automatic door opening button started to stick and I have to help it open. That is why I’m planning on replacing it. I see that Which? is planning a review of microwaves soon, so I may as well wait and see the recommendations. I want a combi with a small footprint and a turntable large enough for a dinner plate. Another use for microwaves is to warm dinner plates.

Careful cleaning round the button should prevent it sticking. If not, silicone spray or even WD40 will do the trick. I have to deal with this problem every few years.

Thanks for that tip, I’ll try it out in the next few days. Any ideas about the turntable continuing to turn after the cooking time ends. My solution is to turn off the power at the socket. I think it may be gradually giving up on me. Not surprising after 22 years. If the next one lasts as long, I will be happy.

Not unless you are familiar with taking apart mains-powered equipment and aware of the hazards (e.g. discharging the large high-voltage capacitor).

It’s probably a faulty relay (or a sticking switch if its a simple machine with a motor-driven timer). Your solution is good and there is no reason to assume that other problems will develop soon.

A little anecdote for you … I have a friend high up in the elf’n’safety executive, specialising in nuclear power stations. When I once commented to him that such things must be pretty scary places, he replied ‘No, the two most scary things are the amount of time people spend under sun-beds, and people attempting to repair their microwaves’.

Rhona – If you are concerned about the radio frequency radiation emitted by a microwave oven, then don’t even think about using a mobile phone held against your ear – and just a short distance from your brain.

Patrick has obviously been affected by his mobile. Like others, he has started talking about Androids, and is no doubt seeing little green men.

Ohh my goodness that made me chuckle. Good point tho!

Some people have suggested that microwave cooking can create toxic substances. To some extent this is true because food containing little water will get well above boiling point in a microwave. For example, Christmas pudding cooked or reheated in a microwave oven can get very hot and will taste burnt. Microwave ovens don’t need to be used at full power all the time and used correctly, they are an excellent way of reheating Christmas pudding. High temperature cooking (grilling, frying and even baking) does create toxic substances and carcinogens, and this has been known for years. Fairly recently, we have become aware about the amount of acrylamide in these foods.

I believe that microwave ovens used sensibly are a pretty safe option for cooking compared with the alternatives.

Thank you James for your informed comments on safety aspects. There isn’t much we do in life that isn’t dangerous at one level or another but it’s re-assuring to know that some manufacturers have made progress and your comments re how to check the machines is very helpful. We must all make our own decisions on the relative risks of using such devices (mobile phones included) and I am aware that people fitted with pacemakers are at higher risk due to the interference caused.

Thawing blood products using a microwave oven can indeed cause damage to blood products, but other methods are likely to cause far greater damage. You have to know what you are doing.

Used correctly and for suitable purposes, a microwave oven can produce tastier and more nutritious food, for example when cooking green vegetables. One of the problems is that many people use their microwaves at the maximum setting, whereas no-one would use an oven at 250C for everything.

So has Figgerty bought her new microwave yet? We need to know that as well or whether she is still coping with a sticky switch and a spinning platter.

When I moved from London I put my microwave on a heap of unwanted stuff for the council to take away; overnight, people helped themselves to various articles including the microwave. It had hardly ever been used and we never replaced it. I wouldn’t recommend using a second-hand microwave myself.

I’m not tempted to get rid of mine. Instead of a turntable it has some device hidden at the top to distribute the microwave energy. That seems as logical now as it did over 20 years ago when I bought my microwave.

Useless kitchen gadgets?

A quick search has revealed a Magic Spiral device that was a free gift some years ago and has languished in a kitchen drawer ever since. Apparently it ‘Creates Continuous Spiral Garnishings’ from fruit & veg. That reminds me of some of the creations I’ve seen in Chinese or Indian restaurants. The sharp blade concerns me, but I might give it a go if I can find suitable PPE.

Perhaps the popcorn could be enjoyed by those of being entertained by the last men standing in the homeopathy debate.

Salt or caramel ?

No-go, Malcolm. Which? tells me the (food) traffic lights are at red.

I tend to use my microwave oven mainly for heating cooked food and cooking certain vegetables, but my favourite use is to gently warm up the ingredients when making heavy fruit cakes. It makes it so much easier to mix them by hand and shortens the cooking time, helping to avoid over-cooking the outside of cakes.