If you don’t have a microwave at home right now, you are definitely missing out. Yes, the microwave oven has been in the market since the late 1940s, but there are functions it can provide that would make your kitchen life so much better. 

For those who forgot about the power of a microwave oven, here’s a refresher:

1. Prep your food quickly

Preparing meals can be the most challenging of all. Of course, if you’re cooking for a bigger family, a microwave, especially a commercial one will be helpful for faster and more even cooking. If you have a microwave at home, it could help you with numerous tasks as well such as:

• Removing garlic skin: Garlic skin glides off after just 20 seconds in a microwave oven.If you haven’t tried this trick yet – DO IT! I love garlic, but this process can be time consuming (and sometimes can cause painful dings near my fingernails).
• Cooking corn on the cob: If you’re only cooking less than 10 corn, then this method is time-saving and no need to boil water. 
• Homemade spices from your herb garden: When you run out of spices, you can still create homemade herbs by dehydrating your herbs. Even beginner-gardeners would be pleasantly surprised how easy you can make your own spices.

Defrosting in the microwave seems like such a one-off function, but it can be a time-saving step in any food prep. For baking, this means time saved from waiting on butter, chocolate bars to melt. When it comes to cooking, this means even rock-frozen meats can be cooked just minutes in the microwave. 

2. Heat leftovers and reduce food waste

If you’ve been feeling guilty about all the food you throw out each week, maybe having a microwave oven can reduce the amount of food wasted. For example, old baguettes, pizza crust and similar pieces of bread (that haven’t expired yet) can be revived again with the help of a microwave oven. 

For working parents, heating leftovers can also ensure kids, your partner and anyone who couldn’t join the family during meals will still be able to eat a warm meal. If you are stressed about acidity or other stomach problems, you can try these anti-inflammatory drinks after your meal.

3. Cook meals from scratch

Microwave ovens aren’t known as main cooking devices. They’ve been used to complement a stove or convection oven for so long that people don’t believe microwave ovens can be used to cook meals from scratch. 

Start with eggs. You can make poached, scrambled, sunnyside, hard-boiled eggs in the microwave by just switching methods and containers. Aside from this, you can cook chicken, and fish as well. 

You’d just have to be more creative with adding sauce. What works for me is to do make-ahead salsa, pizza sauce, Buffalo sauce, white cheese sauce, cranberry sauce and other sauces I could reheat and add to my proteins for that meal. So if I’m in the mood for steamed fish with cheesy mayo, I just have to pair them up. 

4. Bake single-serve or for two

There’s a reason microwave ovens are A MUST for college dorm-living. Aside from the never-ending cup noodles, there are endless recipes fit for small servings. For single- or two-person households, a microwave oven could be such a game changer. 

Got a craving for chocolate cake? You can totally bake in the microwave using a microwave-safe mug, your trusty recipe made into single-serving quantities, and 10 minutes to spare. The options are endless too! From brownies to biscuits, pastries to cakes, you can turn your microwave oven into a legit conventional oven. 

You can even make nachos, tacos, any kind of pita sandwich using your microwave oven. For late-night cravings, such as cooking mac and cheese (not the box types, real from scratch mac and cheese) is doable with only a few steps. 

5. Eat more healthier meals

What I like best about having a microwave oven at home is that I can prepare meals for me and my family anytime, do all the cooking, and store food in microwave-ready containers. Since we have decided upon the best time to eat, we don’t cross that line. This benefits our setup in multiple ways, but planning ahead allows me to cater to healthier meals (half-cooked veggies with seared chicken breast, steamed fish + green beans, and so on). 

If food is already prepared for you, you’ll avoid ordering food deliveries from the pizza place nearby or other quick-order restaurants. Since you’ve already prepared and cooked your meals for the week, heating them or cooking all the way through is easier with the help of your handy microwave oven. This is heating two birds with one stone, you get to enjoy your own recipe and you will make sure the ingredients will be as healthy as they could be. 

In fact, even kids could reheat these meals themselves. For busy moms, this technique is super useful for ensuring kids get to eat healthy meals without them noticing they’re eating something they don’t usually eat (even if they aren’t cooked from scratch on a daily basis).