net.consumers@orca.UUCP (03/14/85)
From: orca!orca!delyled (DeLyle Danner)
My parents had one of the first microwave ovens in the small town I was
raised in. It was a Litton. People use to come over and my parents would
show them how fast it could boil water, cook a hot dog, or freshen up some
old bread. It was great for defrosting or warming left-overs, but that was
about it.
My wife has been out doing some comparisons between the different brands
and is sold on a Quasar. The reason she wants a microwave is to cut down on
her time in the kitchen, by using the microwave to cook the meals with.
Her reasons for choosing the Quasar are; 1) it cooks from the bottom as
does a coventional oven. 2) it cooks fairly evenly. 3) it has a humidity
and temperature sensors. 4) life time of free cooking classes.
How many of you out there use your microwave ovens for cooking meals?
What brand do you have and what do you like and dislike about it?
Do you have a $500 bread warmer?
I will post the results to the net if there is enough demand.
-DeLyle Danner, Tektronix, Wilsonville, Oregon
Ignore paths in header. Use this:
uucp: ..{ucbvax,decvax,uw-beaver,hplabs,ihnp4,allegra}!tektronix!orca!delyledfigmo@tymix.UUCP (Lynn Gold) (03/21/85)
My folks also had the first microwave oven in the neighborhood. Hers started out as an expensive coffee-warmer, but quickly we tried things in it. Here's what we found: . Breads - They cook okay, but they look terrible because they don't brown. The microwave, on the defrost setting, can speed up the rising a little bit, but this must be done carefully or you'll cook the bread prematurely. . Potatoes - The skins don't get crispy the way they do in a conventional oven, but the insides are more evenly cooked and more moist. . Meat loaf - I've done this MANY times, and always with success. I've found that any meat with a sauce comes out okay because it does darken a bit, and the sauce covers up the fact that it isn't "oven-browned." There are also "browning" powders on the market, but since my husband and I have to watch our sodium intake, we don't use these. . Cheeseburgers, bacon, sausage - cook between paper towels with a paper bag underneath, and you'll have non-greasy meat! Burgers tend to look a bit grayish; I therefore recommend that you top them with cheese and microwave for 30 secs to 1 minute on high. . Hot dogs - My brother's favorite. From freezer to microwave: 1.5 mins on defrost. If fresh, 30 secs - 1 minute cooks them. I have yet to try custards or souffles, but I'd imagine they'd turn out quite well (I'm looking for a good recipe to go by). --Lynn Gold Tymnet, Inc.
phyllis@utcsri.UUCP (Phyllis Eve Bregman) (03/21/85)
> How many of you out there use your microwave ovens for cooking meals? > What brand do you have and what do you like and dislike about it? I bought a Quasar microwave (the same as the one you described) in September, and I often wonder how I managed to cook dinner for my family so they could eat before 2100 (we ate a lot of pizza). I don't use it very much for cooking full meals, except for fish, but I use it everyday to cook vegetables, rice, potatoes, and to defrost or reheat food. I definitely think microwaves are more than glorified bread warmers. I suggest you buy one! -- Phyllis Eve Bregman CSRI, Univ. of Toronto {decvax,linus,ihnp4,uw-beaver,allegra,utzoo}!utcsri!phyllis CSNET: phyllis@toronto