Did you know a microwave oven can be put to a whole lot of other uses, besides cooking and reheating food?
A group of us watched a microwave cooking demonstration a decade ago. Lunch in half an hour, said the lady, who demonstrated how to use the oven, confidently. She put the rice in, took it out, put it in again, and took it out; pushed in and pulled out a bowl of liquid plus veggies for sambar; repeatedly cooked neatly-shredded cabbage for a side dish — all the while chattering about the goodness of MW cooking. She added the garnish and served the meal with a flourish. The food was underdone, and tasted awful. “The cook-and-serve glass dishes are beautiful!” we said.
Our modular kitchens today come with designated space for microwave ovens. We know microwave heat is produced directly in the food molecules. The rate and degree of heating depend on the depth and density of the food, as well as its ability to conduct heat. Because microwave energy is changed to heat as soon as it is absorbed by the food, it cannot make the food radioactive. When microwave energy is turned off and food is removed from the oven, the food has no residual radiation. A MWO heats food without itself becoming hot. It has an automatic shut-off timer. Heating is safe and fast, especially in the case of stored/frozen foods. You save time defrosting, reheating and cooking. To prevent cold or hot spots occurring because of the irregular way microwaves enter the oven and are absorbed by the food, you just have to stir the food.
We have moved on from boiling tea-bags, bursting popcorn and thawing left-overs to cooking, grilling, baking and crisping. Pizzas made in a MW have met with approval. Pappads have turned crisp and crunchy inside it, and potatoes have come out baked. Cupcakes have risen evenly. Nifty tech features such as convection for versatility and SpeedCook for reducing time have made MWOs more than a kitchen ornament.
State-of-the-art microwaves have enough intelligent features to make all of us cooks. Their pre-installed programmes allow a variety of cooking functions. You press icons to cook veggies, puree tomatoes, pop corn, grill fish, roast nuts/garlic, make breadcrumbs, freshen bread/biscuits/chips, dry curry/methi/mint leaves for powders, make paneer and ghee, bake or grill.

OTHER USES

That's all passé. People have now found a surprising number of other uses, besides cooking, for the new-age oven. Did you ever think of sterilising storage bottles in a MWO? Disinfecting household sponges? Soak them in water spiked with lemon juice; heat them on high for a minute. They come out hot and clean! Disinfect plastic cutting-boards — wash them, rub them with lemon juice and heat them for a minute. Has the bottle/packet of your favourite malt drink, or sugar turned hard and solidified? Retain it in its packaging, add a few drops of water, and heat on ‘medium' for 10-20 seconds. Bring crystallised honey to liquid life by removing the lid and heating the bottle on medium power for 30 seconds to a minute. Lemons taken out of the fridge are hard to juice, so microwave them for 20 seconds before squeezing them.
More ideas! Place yeast dough in a large bowl and cover it with plastic. Place a cup of water in the back of the oven, the dough in the middle, and set the power as low as possible. Heat/rest for 3 minutes each, heat for 3 minutes longer, rest for six. The dough will double in size. Warming a hair-oil conditioning pack or facial mask takes 10-20 seconds. If hot wax hardens while it is being applied, reheating it in a microwave is less messy. Sprinkle a few drops of water on your plates before stacking them in the microwave to warm them up. Remove candle wax by putting the holder in for a few seconds on a plate. Broken crayons? Stick them together after nuking them in the oven. Dry clothes in your MWO during an emergency. Warm the broken-off end of a lipstick to set the lipstick bit back in place.
Want to have some clean fun by melting everyday stuff in a MWO? Like a piece of soap? Check out http://margo.student.utwente.nl/el/microwave/ It's called WE-MAN!'s funny things you could do with your microwave oven.
Don't forget: a microwave oven tells time in the kitchen.
DOS AND DON'TS
* Remove food from foam trays and plastic wraps (they melt) before defrosting it in a microwave.
* Always cook meat and chicken immediately after micro-thawing.
* Check if your dishes are microwave-safe.
* Wax paper, oven cooking bags, parchment paper and white microwave paper towels are safe for microwave use. Metal and foil reflect waves.
* Foods being reheated in the microwave should be steaming and hot to the touch, or at least 165° F. Cover foods and stir them from the outside in, to encourage even heating.
* Avoid heating baby food and formula. Hot spots could burn baby's mouth.
Keywords: microwave oven