Life without a microwave takes patience (but that’s a good thing)…
I threw out my microwave four years ago, not out of some pious crusade for health or the belief that those electromagnetic waves distorted my food (though those are things I certainly think about now). I threw it out, but I also never bought a new one, and I don’t think I ever will. I threw out my microwave because of spiders, and yes, it was about as traumatizing as it sounds.
After moving in to an apartment that featured a shiny, gigantic microwave built in above the stove, I stored away the appliance that had traveled with me from Boston to Pittsburgh, anticipating that, eventually, a time would come when I’d need it again. A year and a half passed by, and that time came. I was moving to a new place, with no humungous monstrosity conveniently suspended above the stove. So I sought out the original, buried in the depths of my garage, only to discover that a small but terrifying army of arachnids had already called “dibs” and taken up residence. The microwave was theirs, forever. And I was more than happy to acquiesce. Or rather, I wasn’t going to argue and I practically hurled the thing to the curb. And so began life P.M. (post-microwave). Until that point, I’d never really questioned my microwave use. The appliance was always just there, like the toaster, or the fridge, part of what made up a complete kitchen. When I moved in to my first apartment at 23, I brought a microwave along with me. Why wouldn’t I? It was second nature, and was certainly useful in heating up food and water for tea. It was convenient.
Convenient.
Microwaves are appliances of convenience, and that’s about it. The first commercial-use microwave was developed by a military defense contractor in the ’40s and was dubbed the “Radarange” (as in radiation)… which should be your first red flag. The microwaves we know and love that have been on our countertops since the ’60s? They’re fast… if they weren’t, an entire aisle — maybe more — of food in the grocery store would be rendered useless. There for us when we simply can’t wait for our food to be warm, or when the desire to place a marshmallow inside and see what happens becomes just too strong to resist. But the further I got from my life with a microwave, the closer I became with my own eating habits and my own patience when it came to preparing food. As a former latchkey kid, I have memories of coming home from school and immediately placing a flour tortilla with a slab of American cheese on top in the microwave to make a “quesadilla” (gag), zoning out as I watched the turnstile plate slowly rotate beneath the glowing yellow light. 30 seconds, that’s all it took. Ding! Now, sans microwave — and having accumulated some much healthier eating habits over the years — I’m forced to think every time I wish for that same convenience. Why do I want it so quickly? And why do I expect it so immediately? Am I so impatient for tea that I can’t wait the five minutes it takes for the kettle to boil? In our age of immediacy, even a small lesson in patience is immensely valuable, especially when it comes to the food we consume. These days we focus so strongly on connecting with the farms that grow our vegetables and produce the crops we eat, but the average plate of food still travels at least 1,500 miles to reach our plates… maybe don’t ‘nuke’ it for 30 seconds and call it good.
When I need to reheat my food and I’m feeling impatient, I remind myself of those 1,500 miles, and also am quick to remember what a relatively short few decades it’s been since this appliance has graced our homes. Then the stove, or oven, or even a plate of cold food doesn’t seem that inconvenient and that food actually tastes better for it.
There was life pre-Radarange, and I’m more than patient enough to embrace life after it.
+ What are your thoughts?
Love this, thanks for posting! we gave up our microwave as well, more for the harmfulness of it and to break a pattern like you said that was just second nature … luckily we did not have a spider incident (I would have died) and were able to donate ours! xx
I love this. Personally I am unsure as to whether or not microwaves are unhealthy, but I hate their bulk and I am patient with my food. I prefer reheated leftovers on the stove! Imagine that!
My parent’s microwave blew when I was a kid (thankfully no spiders!) and they never felt the need to spend money on a new one. In fact, I didn’t even know how to use a microwave until I went to college and I didn’t own one until I got married! Honestly, I would love to not have one, but my husband won’t go for it. He’s not a fan of reheating leftovers on the stove or in the oven partially because the oven heats up our whole apartment in the summer, making it miserable. I guess I understand, but I’d rather not have that thing sitting there wasting space.
Down with microwaves and their ionizing radiation! So glad more people are jumping on the wagon.
i agree but i have not given up the microwave yet. almost all people are using the microwave now.
I moved into an apartment 1 year ago and had no room for a microwave. So i didn’t buy one and it’s like i never skipped a beat. Water in a kettle, food in a pan. Pretty simple and doesn’t add much time.
YES! I heat all my food in the toaster oven at work and everyone thinks I’m mad weird.
I have tried to preach this same message to others-and for some reason, they just don’t get it. Originally from Texas and now living in Colorado for the past 10 years, my friends think it’s some dumb “hippie” myth. WTF. I am sending ALL of them this post. Thank you, thank you!
We got rid of ours about 3 years ago. It is just such a giant appliance that I couldn’t take it anymore! That and for health reasons we decided to live without. It really doesn’t impact us at all after changing our diet to plant based. No dairy (cheese melting was all the micro was used for anyway!) so we just use our stove top to warm up any leftovers. No complaints here!
I was so happy to read this. I haven’t had a microwave in my house in 10 years! The food people cook and heat in a microwave is just gross. A lot of my friends think I’m weird that I don’t own a microwave but I don’t care. I won’t eat anything that comes from one. Glad to know there are others like me out there.
I enjoyed reading this. I moved from the US to England and my flat came without a microwave. Instead of buying one, I’ve just warmed up everything on the stovetop and to be honest, the food tastes better. It’s not zapped out of moisture with that plasticky feel that microwaves sometimes do. Haven’t owned one in about 3 years and I’m fine without it.
My primary frustration, honestly, was our societal norm. When you stand in front of a microwave-tapping your fingers impatiently-something is wrong. I wanted to slow down, savor, enjoy, and eat meals. I had microwave on my shopping list and kept putting it off as a low priority. It took a very short time to realize how content I was without it. I have all I need…stove, oven, toaster! Thank you for your article :)