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Why every microwave sucks these days

moth.monster

181–190 of 419 posts

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#181

I'm gonna say it. Instant Pots suck. They're too small compared to a crock pot and aren't really fast for a lot of things. Most things that you can cook quickly on a stove take forever due to pressurizing and depressurizing. I can cook noodles faster on a stove top. Rice is barely faster than my old rice cooker, and if I'm going to make a stew or something, does 4 hours really matter vs 8 hours? I suppose I could sta…

4 hours in a pressure cooker? What are you putting in your stew, hooves? A nice stew is 7-8 minutes in high pressure with quick release, otherwise you end up with mush, in my experience. I do a lot of seitan, and that's 25 minutes compared to nursing it for hours on a light simmer. And that's the other thing with the pressure cooker, I press a button and walk away and do something else, the pot does it's thing and keeps the food warm at the end. Having something in a pot on a stove requires more involvement.

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#182

I'm gonna say it. Instant Pots suck. They're too small compared to a crock pot and aren't really fast for a lot of things. Most things that you can cook quickly on a stove take forever due to pressurizing and depressurizing. I can cook noodles faster on a stove top. Rice is barely faster than my old rice cooker, and if I'm going to make a stew or something, does 4 hours really matter vs 8 hours? I suppose I could sta…

[deleted]

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My ideal microwave would have two buttons. 1: The first two times you push it, it sets the timer to 0:30 and starts cooking. The next time, adds 0:30. Each time after that, it adds 1 minute and starts cooking. 2. Reset the timer to 0. And a door latch which stops cooking. I don't need power levels, or more precise timing, or any of that other stuff.

What an asinine solution. A button that doesn’t work consistently. How are you going to set 1:30 (which is very common)? Or 55? You’re going to stand there and press that one button 57 times? What about defrosting where you want a low power level? Or soups? Or a hundred other examples. How does having a number pad ruin the experience?

> What an asinine solution

"Why does not everyone have the same opinions and preferences as I do?!"

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#184
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Correct

I don't understand why that is dramatically better than cycling? Isn't the overall energy input into the food roughly similar over time? It's not like microwaving gives great texture or browning to begin with?

In addition to everything else people mentioned, high power microwaves tend to cause pockets of steam inside food which explode and make a big mess all over the interior. By dialing down the power level on an inverter microwave, you eliminate the chance of that happening. This did not always work on the old cycling microwaves due to the long duty cycle.

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#186
post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well don't leave the crowd in suspense.

I use a Panasonic NN-SD945S and it's configurable https://help.na.panasonic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/NNS... I leave it enabled though because it is not continuous and has like a TADA.WAV kind of vibe. So happy!

Oh, I have a Panasonic NN-GD38 that only beeps once. Sometimes I forget my food in the microwave because of it though. It's the best microwave I've ever had (also the first time I've ever spent so much on one).

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#187
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I simply toggled off JS and kept reading

I decided I don't hate my microwave enough to bother, lol

There’s nothing to hate. No microwave I’ve owned has stopped working. That’s his only “reasoning” for why microwaves suck.

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#188
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The kind of review you're looking for is what Consumer Reports is, (or at least used to be, as I'm not sure of the current state of things,) famous for. Because it's a paid subscription, and all of the items they review are actually purchased from retail suppliers who have no knowledge that Consumer Reports is the buyer, they can take their time and do very thorough comparisons incorporating tests of real world usabi…

The problem with consumer reports is I only need it every once in a while, so it isn't really worth paying a continual subscription for.

Libraries have their subscription.

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#189
post #120

I have a fancy GE Microwave, its a built in, over the stove job, that is also a convection oven (a lousy one perhaps), but when used in hybrid convection cook mode, its pretty spiffy. The boyfriend does not like using it with the moisture sensor active (he strongly likes to cover his food with a lid, to prevent splatter), but I find just a paper towel is good enough for me - and when left to its normal pre-programmed…

You can avoid splatter and get much better results by just turning down the power level. I now rarely use the microwave above 60%!

Re: Why every microwave sucks these days

#190
post #109

Not to be tin foil hat, and I have no idea what I'm saying, but something just felt unnatural and wrong about microwaves, so years ago started using a toaster oven and I use it now over microwave and oven as well for toasting and baking everything. Please tell me how I'm doing it wrong my mind is open.

It depends. I like microwaving rolls of bread because they still come out soft and fluffy. Can’t do that with a toaster or anything else really without drying it out.
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