Jump to content

Luddite..cause no microwave, toaster at home


shootingstar

Recommended Posts

I didn't realize I was so weird-- other people at work who I work with, were intrigued I had not replaced my broken microwave for past 3 years. Also we haven't had a toaster at home for past...um 18 yrs.  

Sure when I did use a microwave it was only to heat up instant oatmeal.  He uses to reheat his bagels, sometimes leftowever food.

Microwaved Chinese cuisine food,...tastes flat to me.  So I explained to my work lunch folks, that my style of cooking just isn't conducive to microwaving leftovers.  ie. stir fries.  And I very rarely bake or roast savory dishes.. I'm not excited by a microwaved potato. I rarely eat potatoes.

He also likes to do stove top cooking too. Neither of us have dug around for microwave based meals.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I now have no microwave, and haven't had a toaster in years.

Oven toast is far better anyway, I have discovered.  I do miss the microwave a bit, though.  Food doesn't taste as good with the microwave, but it is a convenience item rather than something that improves upon a standard way of cooking.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

38 minutes ago, petitepedal said:

I dont have a toaster..my microwave times my tea :D I use it to thaw  a few thing and sometimes reheat leftovers...but mostly..time my tea.

I'm glad you and I have identified its single or dual-use for microwaves.  

I just didn't want to buy another microwave again when it wasn't something I missed much at all.  I rarely have bread for breakfast at home.  I will eat some toast at hotels, etc.

It was a wake-up moment when my work colleagues discussed their microwave, toaster, etc.  I wasn't part of the in-crowd for a short while. B)  I didn't realize my home food world was different enough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am a traditional make from scratch cook but there is a place for the microwave. Mine is working right now steaming a large spaghetti squash. In a little while I will easily cut it open and create a side dish for dinner that is made in the traditional oven. 

  • Heart 2
  • Awesome 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

In 2018, $280,000,000 was spent on toasters alone.  I suspect the majority, still find them useful.  I am one of those who do but not included in those survey numbers. :) 

13,450,000 Microwaves were purchased in the same year. 

Quite often for condos built in last 15 yrs., a microwave is automatically installed as part of the whole pkg., along with the stove, fridge.  I only used mine ie. 3 times per wk. for a few yrs. before it broke down and haven't replaced it since.

Our kitchens in prairie city and Vanouver are decent size for 1-2 people, but not for putting counter top appliances, like a toaster. If we don't need it/use it, no point having the appliance. I used to have a table top blender 20yrs. ago. Thank god, for hand held immersion blenders.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would like to chuck our toaster oven as it takes up a lot of counter space but my wife wants it. My son uses it but we rarely if ever use it.  I had to think for a minute on the micro... Sometimes I heat water for tea and maybe 2-3 times a year a bag of microwave popcorn.  I really don’t use it often at all.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Microwaves are really useful for heating cold leftovers.  This is how I heat my lunches at work, 100% of the time.  

Here at home, I just used it to heat butter.  I am finishing off my long rise cinnamon rolls that I started last night.  Once they are finished, I will package most for the freezer, so we don't eat the whole pan in two days.  The toaster oven is excellent for reheating baked goods such as this.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Randomguy said:

???

Try it. Bake your grill cheese instead of frying. 
 

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). 
  2. Butter one side  of bread, and place butter-side down on a baking sheet. Arrange cheese on each slice of bread. Spread butter on remaining slices of bread, and place them buttered-side up on top of the cheese. 
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the sandwiches, and bake an additional 6 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown. 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Airehead said:

Try it. Bake your grill cheese instead of frying. 
 

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). 
  2. Butter one side  of bread, and place butter-side down on a baking sheet. Arrange cheese on each slice of bread. Spread butter on remaining slices of bread, and place them buttered-side up on top of the cheese. 
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the sandwiches, and bake an additional 6 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown. 

INteresting.  They would be very crisp, I imagine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is not criticism for owning a microwave or toaster.  It's more how different other people prepare meals at home, based on cuisine style, habits, etc.

Could my mother use a microwave? Maybe.  She just steams her leftover food. She's not going to spend time figuring out how to transform her traditional way of cooking to a microwave.  Nor do we plan to convince her...that will end up in resistance and her demanding her adult children to then cook for her.  That will not go over well at all.

Let me know if there's a way to do stir fries, pad thai, steamed meat dishes (probably possible), etc. in microwave.

On the Asian side,  at best is to use rice cooker, and throw in marinated meats into boiling rice (did you know that technique?) or break an egg on top of cooking rice. Voila...you have an instant cooked egg with no use of oil to fry nor a poached egg softness that some people go ewwwww.  Maybe use a slow cooker....which to me, is more effort than I care to learn. Nor do I want to cook that volume of food in a slow cooker.  I'm not much of a bulk food preparer with a lot of leftover to reheat.  To me, the food that I cook, then reheat, tastes flatter.  I eat leftover food from previous day, approx. 1-2 times /wk. Sometimes I go for a month without leftovers.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And I haven't had a rice cooker in the past decade.  Eating alot white rice often is not good for me. So I weaned myself off.

Strange as it may seem, I eat white rice occasionally..in restaurants.  Yes, of course I  know and did used to cook rice directly on the stove. I learned since I was 14 yrs. old and went on like this until my late 30's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

This is not criticism for owning a microwave or toaster.  It's more how different other people prepare meals at home, based on cuisine style, habits, etc.

Could my mother use a microwave? Maybe.  She just steams her leftover food. She's not going to spend time figuring out how to transform her traditional way of cooking to a microwave.  Nor do we plan to convince her...that will end up in resistance and her demanding her adult children to then cook for her.  That will not go over well at all.

Let me know if there's a way to do stir fries, pad thai, steamed meat dishes (probably possible), etc. in microwave.

On the Asian side,  at best is to use rice cooker, and throw in marinated meats into boiling rice (did you know that technique) or break an egg on top of cooking rice. Voila...you have an instant cooked egg with no use of oil to fry nor a poached egg softness that some people go ewwwww.  Maybe use a slow cooker....which to me, is more effort than I care to learn. Nor do I want to cook that volume of food in a slow cooker.  I'm not much of a bulk food preparer with a lot of leftover to reheat.  To me, the food that I cook, then reheat, tastes flatter.  I eat leftover food from previous day, approx. 1-2 times /wk. Sometimes I go for a month without leftovers.

I think there are a lot of similarities in our cooking styles & food choices.  Although I have both, I rarely use them.

 

55 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said:

Microwaves are really useful for heating cold leftovers.  This is how I heat my lunches at work, 100% of the time.  

Maybe I’m the Luddite as I have never once used the micro at work.  I eat my lunch left overs cold.  I generally don’t heat any leftovers, cold works for me for some odd reason...

  • Awesome 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

This is not criticism for owning a microwave or toaster.  It's more how different other people prepare meals at home, based on cuisine style, habits, etc.

Could my mother use a microwave? Maybe.  She just steams her leftover food. She's not going to spend time figuring out how to transform her traditional way of cooking to a microwave.  Nor do we plan to convince her...that will end up in resistance and her demanding her adult children to then cook for her.  That will not go over well at all.

Let me know if there's a way to do stir fries, pad thai, steamed meat dishes (probably possible), etc. in microwave.

On the Asian side,  at best is to use rice cooker, and throw in marinated meats into boiling rice (did you know that technique) or break an egg on top of cooking rice. Voila...you have an instant cooked egg with no use of oil to fry nor a poached egg softness that some people go ewwwww.  Maybe use a slow cooker....which to me, is more effort than I care to learn. Nor do I want to cook that volume of food in a slow cooker.  I'm not much of a bulk food preparer with a lot of leftover to reheat.  To me, the food that I cook, then reheat, tastes flatter.  I eat leftover food from previous day, approx. 1-2 times /wk. Sometimes I go for a month without leftovers.

They can steam a vegetable like squash, as Aire said.   They are a time saver.  

They are great for heating leftovers.  Also, for quick style butter melting.  I don't use mine often for cooking really.  Mine is almost always used for re-heating. 

We had a nice rice cooker, which broke. So far, I have not replaced it and have gone back to the pot method, or I use the instapot for rice.  The pan method seems best though, IMHO

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, ChrisL said:

Maybe I’m the Luddite as I have never once used the micro at work.  I eat my lunch left overs cold.  I generally don’t heat any leftovers, cold works for me for some odd reason...

Try living in a climate where 32 might be the high for the day.  Likely, a hot lunch gets more appealing. 

  • Awesome 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm an outlier....I haven't had much of a lunch for the past ..um 15 years.  Instead, it is 2 breakfasts... one at home..and then at work, a small thing before I start work. 

If I have a filling lunch (usually in a restaurant), then I won't eat much for supper or have a snack 1-2 hrs. before I go to bed.  That's how I also deal with meals when travelling as a tourist...especially in foreign countries. Breakfast will be bigger then, since lunch or dinner in a foreign country is contingent what we have found/discovered.

I'm not unusual, re a filling lunch then very little for supper....it's how some of the European countries used to eat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We use our microwave a lot.  Both my wife and I are sauce people.  We still cook for five and have not reduced our menu size for the reduction in people in the house.  After eating we will do up a couple lunch size meal for work and either freeze or keep the rest for another dinner.  We will cook more rice and/or starch forbour meal but will nuke any sauces for the meal

  • Heart 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

I'm an outlier....I haven't had much of a lunch for the past ..um 15 years.  Instead, it is 2 breakfasts... one at home..and then at work, a small thing before I start work. 

If I have a filling lunch (usually in a restaurant), then I won't eat much for supper or have a snack 1-2 hrs. before I go to bed.  That's how I also deal with meals when travelling as a tourist...especially in foreign countries. Breakfast will be bigger then, since lunch or dinner in a foreign country is contingent what we have found/discovered.

I'm not unusual, re a filling lunch then very little for supper....it's how some of the European countries used to eat.

My lunch may be at 3:00pm.  No, I do not keep to a regular schedule. One of the perks of retirement.:whistle:

  • Heart 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Zephyr said:

We use our microwave a lot.  Both my wife and I are sauce people.  We still cook for five and have not reduced our menu size for the reduction in people in the house.  After eating we will do up a couple lunch size meal for work and either freeze or keep the rest for another dinner.  We will cook more rice and/or starch forbour meal but will nuke any sauces for the meal

Same.  We rarely have a chance to eat at the same time.  The price of busy and non-traditional jobs. 

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, shootingstar said:

I didn't realize I was so weird-- other people at work who I work with, were intrigued I had not replaced my broken microwave for past 3 years. Also we haven't had a toaster at home for past...um 18 yrs.  

Sure when I did use a microwave it was only to heat up instant oatmeal.  He uses to reheat his bagels, sometimes leftowever food.

Microwaved Chinese cuisine food,...tastes flat to me.  So I explained to my work lunch folks, that my style of cooking just isn't conducive to microwaving leftovers.  ie. stir fries.  And I very rarely bake or roast savory dishes.. I'm not excited by a microwaved potato. I rarely eat potatoes.

He also likes to do stove top cooking too. Neither of us have dug around for microwave based meals.

There is an art to microwaving.  For example, if I microwave leftover chicken pieces at high power in my 1100W microwave oven, they often overheat on the outside and taste rubbery in parts before the inside gets hot enough.  But, if I microwave them at 50% power, they taste like they came out of the oven.

Also, if I thaw most kinds of fish filets in the microwave before baking them for 10-15 minutes at 400°, they seem to get overcooked and a little mushy in places.

But, if it's haddock, they hold their texture in the oven even if I defrost them in the microwave or if I overcook them a couple minutes.  My excellent-cook cousin says she microwaves haddock until it's ready to eat and it's fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, ChrisL said:

I would like to chuck our toaster oven as it takes up a lot of counter space but my wife wants it. My son uses it but we rarely if ever use it.  I had to think for a minute on the micro... Sometimes I heat water for tea and maybe 2-3 times a year a bag of microwave popcorn.  I really don’t use it often at all.  

We have always had an under counter one.  The original Black and Decker was recently replaced with a much smaller one but it is still useful for toased cheeses, hot dogs, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My toaster gets used a lot, toasted burger & samich buns are expected now, it would be a rare day that the mikey wave didn't wave, reheating coffee for the Mrs. softening butter, thawing, reheating leftovers....seldom do any real cooking in it.

I bought a toaster oven a while back and have been using it a lot in place of the big in the stove oven.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, RalphWaldoMooseworth said:

We have always had an under counter one.  The original Black and Decker was recently replaced with a much smaller one but it is still useful for toased cheeses, hot dogs, etc.

You may laugh, but the size of our microwave is determined by a height adequate to allow us to warm the bottles of lamb's milk replacer.  We can always warm the milk in a separate container and pour it into the bottles, but is helpful if the bottle fits in the microwave.

  • Heart 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m considered a Luddite because I don’t replace things simply because they’re old.  My house and most of what’s in it is pretty rustic.  I’m not opposed to technology, however.  I simply have no desire to try and keep up with it. 

  • Heart 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Zealot said:

I’m considered a Luddite because I don’t replace things simply because they’re old.  My house and most of what’s in it is pretty rustic.  I’m not opposed to technology, however.  I simply have no desire to try and keep up with it. 

Except maybe a computer that works.  B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...