We finally got a microwave cooker

[watervole]

We're probably one of the few people in the country who didn't have one already, but after having discovered how easy it was to use auntygillian's when I was cat-sitting recently (hers has a broken timer, so if that's easy to use, then the rest must be child's play), we decided to get one ourselves.

By way of a bonus, they use less than a quarter the electricity of a conventional cooker, so, less CO2 emissions as well. It's hard to calculate exact savings, as I can't measure what the normal cooker uses. However, according to a site I just looked at, the large ring on an electric cooker uses around 2kW and a microwave is less than 1kW (think of a small ring as just over 1kW). Things cook in roughly a quarter of the time in a microwave, so the electricity usage will be between a quarter and an eighth of what I'd normally use.

Sticking a finger in the air, I'd expect to save at least a tenner a year in electricity if I get in the habit of using the microwave regualarly.

Quicker, cheaper and less CO2. Works for me.

(the microwave was thirty something quid, so will pay for itself in less than four years, without adding anything for the convenience)

Comments

Microwave Cookery

[johnrw.livejournal.com]

There are other savings which are not so easily measured, for example if you make a milky drink you can mix it in the mug and cook in the microwave. That way you not only use just the energy required to heat one cup but you don't have to wash up the saucepan (or heat the pan as well as the milk). Christmas puddings traditionally require several hours steaming. If you put it in the microwave for five minutes and let it rest for five minutes then give it another five minutes you can halve the normal steaming time - if you don't steam it it looks somewhat anaemic and the taste isn't properly developed. Also you can do sponge puddings in a fraction of the normal time (if you want a brown crust sprinkle a little brown sugar, it should caramelise!).

[linda-joyce.livejournal.com]

Have you tried a George Foreman grill? If you cook electric then yes you can cook everything in the microwave and save energy but meat comes out looking uncooked and fish can dry out very quickly. I cook with gas so I don't know if I'm saving anything except time but I cook all my protein, except eggs, on the grill and some of my veggies. Everything cooks in half the time of a conventioal grill or oven, so it must save some energy

[watervole.livejournal.com]

meat comes out looking uncooked

I suspect that's just a case of getting used to it. Meat that is cooked evenly by microwaves won't brown on the outside as the heat isn't coming from the outside. It's still cooked - it just doesn't look the same as we're used to.

Everything cooks in half the time of a conventioal grill or oven, so it must save some energy

Depends on the wattage. If the wattage is the same or less, then you're ahead of the game. Why not see what the rating is?

[alex-holden.livejournal.com]

That type of grill will almost certainly have a thermostat to regulate the temperature, so it won't be consuming the rated power the whole time it's turned on. Electric hobs and ovens are the same.

[kerravonsen]

The only meat I cook in a microwave is if it's part of a one-dish casserole. Stuff that you would normally grill or brown turns out horrible in a microwave, because all the juices run out instead of staying in, and it's tough and doesn't taste as nice.

Basically, anything that steams well will do well in a microwave, but stuff that is better grilled or baked, doesn't do well in a microwave.

I guess I was talking about red meat, because fish can be done very nicely in the microwave; no batter or breadcrumbs, just a little water, a little lemon juice, some dill -- yum!

[ia-robertson.livejournal.com]

Meat loses a lot of flavour - over and above losing its juices that someone else mentioned, part of the flavour comes from the caramelisation on the outside which a "nuke" just doesn't give.

Potatoes can be quite good - slit as for baking and nuke for about 15 mins

They're also extremely good in combination with a freezer - make double or triple quantities of stews and casseroles and freeze the surplus; when wanted, just nuke the frozen stuff....

[kerravonsen]

Oh yes!
And veggies are much nicer cooked in a microwave, because they cook in their own juice and you don't lose any vitamins.