10 Reasons Why I DON’T Miss Having a Microwave:
Eliminating Electronic Dependence in the Kitchen
I love my blogging community of homesteaders and food writers—they are experts at what they do. Many of them have written about the dangers of using a microwave; there seems to be a healthy body of information out there about why a person should not use a microwave. This is not that.
This is the practical side of not using a microwave and I won’t even touch upon whether it is or isn’t harmful to health. I figure that people don’t care. People are still eating margarine, refusing to wear seatbelts or helmets, and smoke cigarettes. But as a highly practical individual, I want to instead appeal to your sense of logic.
We (Wilson and myself, pre-kids) used to live in Europe. We learned to live quite well without a microwave, something that—having only been the part of the American home for 20 years—had become unbearably important. I really did not feel the need to have one upon our return to the United States, but visiting family did and thus—it was a Christmas gift to us one year. It swallowed my countertop and eventually made its way to Craigslist in my constant endeavor to keep things simple.
My friend Julia loves simplicity. In fact, she authors a blog by that name: Simplicity for Julia, and she has officially been microwave-free for a full month. She wanted me to pass along this encouragement to anyone considering the freedom (and free counterspace):
“Living without a microwave for the past month has been challenging, but as time continues, life without a microwave becomes easier.”
We (the Pantry Paratus crew) have not had a microwave this time around (yes, we fell off the wagon for awhile) for over 2 years. I just burnt myself on a cup of coffee while using my parents’ microwave…
and so I am oh-so-inspired now to give you this list:
Top Ten List of Things I Don’t Miss By Ditching the Microwave:
1. Cleaning it.
2. Scalding hot drinks and food.
3. An icy-cold center to the food.
4. Food that is ice cold in the center and yet still scalds your mouth.
5. Mushy, slimy textures
6. The weird smells foods take, not noticeable until you ditch the microwave altogether.
7. Losing 1 whole countertop to the space hog!
8. One more clock that’s wrong in the house.
9. The hum-buzz, electronic beeping, and iridescent lighting that consumes the kitchen when in use.
10. Food explosions, which brings us back to….cleaning it.
Tessa, The Homestead Lady, wrote a nice email to me today, when I asked her to read this blog. Did she agree? Did I miss anything? This is what she said:
We’ve been microwave free for several years now and so I had to think back to when we first ditched it and what that was like. We never did use it for cooking since we don’t buy pre-packaged foods but we used it to warm leftovers and melt butter, that kind of thing. I remember wondering what I would use instead of the microwave to do all those things and then I realized, duh, I’d use the stovetop and a pan. It took longer to do those things but if it was inconvenient at first, its not now.
There you have it….leave a comment and tell me what you DON’T miss…or perhaps why you’ve chosen to keep yours after all. You know, I actually heard from another friend of mine about 5 reasons why she cannot give her microwave up! I have to laugh–we do not all have the same gait as we walk our own journey to simplicity.
What about you? Keeping it or ditching it? What is your experience?
Keepin’ It Simple,
Chaya
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tessa
posted on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 1:28:16 AM America/Denver
chris
posted on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 7:37:14 AM America/Denver
Amy @ Tenth Acre Farm
posted on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 8:22:32 AM America/Denver
Kathryn
posted on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 3:17:49 PM America/Denver
Clare
posted on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 6:56:51 PM America/Denver
Cindy
posted on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 7:23:53 AM America/Denver
arlene
posted on Friday, December 5, 2014 10:37:58 AM America/Denver
Wanda Tolbert
posted on Saturday, December 6, 2014 8:44:09 AM America/Denver
Andrea
posted on Tuesday, December 9, 2014 6:46:36 AM America/Denver
Marcy Lundy
posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 9:33:30 AM America/Denver
Karen W.
posted on Thursday, December 11, 2014 4:49:07 PM America/Denver
Scott
posted on Friday, December 12, 2014 12:46:38 PM America/Denver
Judy
posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 6:25:07 AM America/Denver
Patricia Tow
posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 11:04:29 AM America/Denver
Tabitha
posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 12:07:15 PM America/Denver
JulieBaby
posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 1:03:35 PM America/Denver
Karen in WA
posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 1:16:28 PM America/Denver
Carolyn S.
posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 5:35:13 PM America/Denver
Daniel
posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 5:48:37 PM America/Denver
Patsy South
posted on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 7:33:03 PM America/Denver
I was ready to give mine up until my daughter reminded me that I needed it to warm up my rice bags for my knees and my neck. I have arthritis really bad and so does she. I had a toaster oven for years and I love them but when my last one died I got a toaster instead . That was not a good decision so I toss the toaster got back a toaster oven and now my toast is good.