How did we 'warm up foods' BEFORE the advent of the microwave oven?

mretzloff said:

I think people cooked smaller portions and used a stove in the rare case that they had leftovers. I removed the microwave from my kitchen and have not missed it.

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VerbaVolant said:

I don't have a microwave oven either. We used one for a while but got rid of it and never missed it.

We cook from scratch every evening and plan meals in advance.

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Edcculus said:

I don't have a microwave. We either heat it back up inthe over, or over the stove depending on what it is. I mostly bring whatever leftovers we end up with to work the next day, where I do heat them up in a microwave.

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Bushhippi said:

Pluse 1 on that... we also have removed the microwave from our home.

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+1

We also got rid of the microwave almost 10 years ago and haven't missed it.

Microwaves are the multiblade razors of the kitchen. They promise you quicker better results and end up reducing the quality of your results... and neither one of them is good at giving you an irritation free shave

Your "supposed" to heat leftovers to 160-165F internal temperature to warm them up. The problem is with microwaves is that it heats food in spots. So trying to heat something to the appropriate temperature will result in dry burnt spots.

If I use the microwave to defrost or to heat up food I turn the power level down to 80%, which doesn't reduce the power of the microwave just cycles it on and off, and I do short cooking cycles with a pause in-between to give the food time to rest and distribute the heat.

I remember I had a microwave that wouldn't spin. Every time I cooked a meal with it I would have to fraction the time and rotate it partially by hand.

Older gas stoves had continuous burning pilot lights that were just right for keeping the kettle hot and to warm up or keep food warm.

Grand ma would pull the left overs at 4 pm and place them in a preheated oven at 200 with a bowl of water and let the food warm up like that.

Our microwave died about a year ago and we decided to try to live without it to see what happened.

We have found we rarely miss it. We heat things in pots on the stove, fry up leftovers or head them in the toaster oven. Doesn't take that much longer, no radioactivity and we gain back some counter space.

First of all i wish to thank you folks for your replies. they will be well noted, and i hope to learn from all of you.

NOW!!! I have a piece of information for anybody that has 'glommed onto the myth of the microwave'. I am a former Asst. Fighter Radar Calibration Dock Supervisor, USAF, 35th Tactical Fighter Wing, 35th Avionics Maintenance Squadron, formerly of George AFB, (Victorville, CA.). A microwave oven does NOT produce "radioactivity", period. The device inside the oven that produces the radiating energy is called a magnetron tube. It is a smaller version of the same tube that enables your beloved radio station to transmit to you, what you receive on your shelf radio, your pocket radio, and in some cases, your particular cellphone. It produces ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ENERGY. The fighter aircraft, of which the radar systems I maintained, broadcast this energy, just as a flashlight casts a beam of light, for a distance, depending on weather, over 80 miles, (I signed one of those forms that you have to wait so many years to discuss exact things). Now think .... if it were "radioactivity" being produced inside that box, why would the manufacturer rate that oven in 'WATTS'??? Yes, some folks would argue that 'WATTS' is the amount of power consumed, once the box is plugged into a wall socket, and turned on. But remember, your beloved radio station is also measured in 'WATTS', are they not? ""50,000 watts of pure rock and roll power!!"" So, again, no "radioactivity" produced, and none consumed from a product from a microwave oven. I have heard this same claim from the day I first entered 'radar set school' IN THE EARLY '70'S, from hippies, to folks of all kinds, today. I remember all the cooked chickens, steaks, hams, and turkeys, that we, at the Calibration Docks produced during times when our unit was on alert, or when we had a heavy schedule of cyclical aircraft maintenance. (To end the argument among the newer trainees, we had the Disaster Preparedness fallout crew come and take readings, to silence the debate. THERE WAS NO RADIOACTIVITY PRODUCED FROM THE UNIT, NOR WERE THERE ANY IN ANY OF THOSE LUSCIOUS PIECES OF MEAT.)

Again, I thank you all for your support, ideas, suggestions. May you all have a Wonderful Hannukhah, Yule, or Christmas.

I doubt very much that a concern regarding "radioactivity" was the driving force behind anyone in this thread getting rid of a microwave.

Ours is mostly limited to melting butter and as a bread box for bread made with said butter. We keep it as we live in an RV camper full time and use LP gas tanks and sometimes we run out of LP before we realize it. The microwave can still come in handy in a pinch.

I have Chuck Norris roundhouse kick my leftovers.

I use my microwave very frequently.

1. In my opinion there is no better way to cook green/yellow beans, cauliflower, broccoli etc. Trim rinse and steam in the microwave.
2. Thaw frozen steaks, chicken breasts, etc. before you BBQ etc. I've always got frozen meat on hand . . . BBQ ready quick.
3. I tend to cook in large batches. I break down these batches into meal sized containers and freeze. The microwave turns these into very quick meals.
4. I don't think there is any quicker or efficient way to warm my wife's coffee . . . the energy goes right where it is needed . . . no waste.

I'm not giving up on my cast iron or carbon steel pans. Not giving up on my oven. I enjoy my slow cooker. Love my gas Grill and charcoal smoker too.

Thank you all again, for all of your answers!!
It's gonna have me taking time to read through them all aafter i print them, but I did ask for them, right?
Again, Happy Yule (Can you believe that in a week, the shortest day of the year will be here?), Merry christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Prior to the microwave, all cooking technology was simply a variation of this:

By the fire

Alacrity59 said:

I use my microwave very frequently.

1. In my opinion there is no better way to cook green/yellow beans, cauliflower, broccoli etc. Trim rinse and steam in the microwave.
2. Thaw frozen steaks, chicken breasts, etc. before you BBQ etc. I've always got frozen meat on hand . . . BBQ ready quick.
3. I tend to cook in large batches. I break down these batches into meal sized containers and freeze. The microwave turns these into very quick meals.
4. I don't think there is any quicker or efficient way to warm my wife's coffee . . . the energy goes right where it is needed . . . no waste.

I'm not giving up on my cast iron or carbon steel pans. Not giving up on my oven. I enjoy my slow cooker. Love my gas Grill and charcoal smoker too.

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+1

A microwave oven is a tool (although not an indispensable one.) Use it for the right job and you'll get good results. Oh, and the power level button is there for a reason. Zapping everything for 30 seconds and checking on it, stirring, and zapping again repeatedly makes no sense. Pick a lower power level and increase the cooking (or reheating) time and you'll get more even heating.

http://www.ulive.com/video/alton-maximize-your-microwave