Why There's Simply No Need For A Microwave Anymore

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When upgrading a home, most people opt to update the kitchen first. The kitchen is one of the busiest rooms in a home, so functionality is important. Kitchen appliances are one aspect of this practicality, and newer items can be more energy efficient and increase your home's value while improving its aesthetics. Every once in a while, there are more major innovations, like the invention of the microwave, that truly shake up the kitchen. More recently, the invention of the air fryer, used together with other kitchen appliances, has made the microwave far from the essential many people still think it to be.

The first microwave was patented in 1945. They didn't become mainstream in households until the 1970s, but by the 1990s, most houses had one in the kitchen. Compared to the oven, microwaves are a far faster way to heat and cook food. With frozen meals and foods, especially, microwaves shine, but they also have some downsides. If you've ever tried to reheat pizza and ended up with a pile of mush, you know one of the limitations. In fact, there are quite a few things to avoid putting in the microwave.

Powerful, efficient, and attractive units can also be fairly expensive to buy new. Given these issues and concerns, and the viable alternatives that may leave your food with a better taste and texture, you might decide that having a microwave in the home is no longer worth it. Here are some reasons why consumers have decided to ditch their microwaves, and what they're using instead.

If you've been disappointed with the soggy, unevenly heated food that your microwave produces, there are plenty of kitchen appliance alternatives you should consider replacing your microwave with to consider. Air fryers, toaster ovens, and steaming baskets will take you far, and your oven can handle the rest. The air fryer was invented in 2006, and it may be the microwave's biggest competitor. Air fryers aren't quite as fast as microwaves at reheating food, but they excel at achieving a crisp texture faster than the oven. They can also defrost and dehydrate foods, replacing multiple uses of your microwave with a single device that can still fit nicely on the countertop. In fact, some people find that their air fryer has so much functionality that it becomes practically the only appliance they use in the kitchen. 

If you often heat large portions, though, you may want a convection oven rather than an air fryer, while toaster ovens fill a similar space, defrosting, baking, broiling, and reheating a variety of foods. As for foods with higher water content, steaming is a pretty good alternative, using your stove. Steamer baskets can be inserted directly into pans and reheat your food without the rubbery texture microwaves tend to produce. Plus, a veggie steamer basket like the Sayfine Stainless Steel Steamer Basket can cost under $10. For beverages and soups, you can throw the liquid in a pot on the stovetop the old-fashioned way, and a stovetop kettle (or an electric kettle) can heat up water for tea or oatmeal instead of popping a mug or bowl of water into the microwave.

With all of these different kitchen items, you simply don't have to suffer through mediocre microwave meals anymore. However, even if the microwave isn't necessary, there are some situations in which you might miss it, even if all of its functions can be performed elsewhere in the kitchen. Speed is the main appeal of the microwave, and it's the fastest way to heat or reheat food. It doesn't take as long to heat up as an oven, it heats the food itself faster than an air fryer, and it doesn't necessarily need to be cleaned after each use. If you value efficiency over food flavor and texture, you may choose to keep your microwave alongside other appliances. But if you're trying to remove unsightly items from the kitchen, save money, or better enjoy your food, then it may be time to ditch the microwave.

When getting rid of a microwave, be sure not to just set it on the curb. Sending electronics to the landfill can cause environmental harm, as appliances like microwaves contain substances that can pollute the environment. Instead, consider donating or selling it to a secondhand store. It may seem surprising, but a thrift store will happily accept an old microwave. You may be able to sell your microwave online, too, if you have a nice one in good condition, and get some extra money to purchase a microwave alternative.