Microwaves have long been the saving grace for moms on the go and ill-equipped college students. With the help of a microwave, a touch of a button produces a mediocre meal and relieves an impending hunger tantrum.
Unfortunately, most culinary experts look down on microwave meals and judge them as lazy chefs’ best friends. On the contrary, the sleek appliances can produce delicious, healthy, and even gourmet recipes. Whether it’s a crispy apple mug cake or a fluffy breakfast omelet, your microwave can make five-star snacks.
You don’t have to be a chef to make tasty food. All you need is a trusty microwave and a few ingenious accessories. Consider these five products for a gourmet cooking experience.
A microwave cooking chef’s guide to microwave shopping
First thing’s first, you’ll need a reliable microwave. If you expect to cook a five-course meal in a ten-year-old model, you should seriously consider an upgrade. Smoke or burning odors are an urgent sign of an overdue replacement. Another less obvious indication is inconsistency in cooking. Waning microwaves cook food slower than usual and even pose a health hazard if cooking raw foods like chicken.
To test your current model, cook a cup of water on high for two minutes. If the water isn’t boiling after the timer beeps, it’s time for a new microwave. Shopping for a new kitchen appliance ensures you have a five-star meal, and it also enhances your home’s decor. Consider a sleek stainless steel model or an impressive microwave oven combo for ultimate convenience.
A cool touch bowl
There’s nothing worse than singeing your fingers on a piping hot glass bowl. Instead, a cool touch serving dish is touch-friendly as soon as it leaves the microwave. The high-tech material also allows steam to escape through the lid, which ensures thorough cooking. Cool touch bowls are ideal for reheating leftovers, steaming vegetables, or cooking frozen food. Even a novice microwave chef makes impressive meals with a cool touch bowl.
A pasta cooker
Sometimes, waiting for pasta to boil is not an option. Luckily a pasta cooker allows you to enjoy all of Italy’s finest in a few short minutes. Simply add water and pasta and let the accessory do all the work. Most models are cleverly designed to promote water circulation and temperature control for the perfect al dente noodle.
A rice cooker
Rice is a staple in thousands of delicious recipes, and you don’t have to own a hefty appliance to master the ingredient. With a microwave rice cooker, you can make flavorful polenta, couscous, and jasmine rice quickly. The plastic lid releases steam through a vent and allows for splatter-free heating. As a bonus, microwave rice cookers are fridge and freezer-safe. So you don’t need to dirty new Tupperware to store leftovers.
A crisper pan
If there is one microwave product every cook should have, it’s a crisper pan. Made from microwave-safe material, a crisper pan cooks like a frying pan by absorbing heat through its base. Use the pan for cooking food like burgers, bacon, fries, and even eggs. You’ll be surprised how crunchy your meals turn out, and they won’t lose any nutrients in the cooking process either.
Final thoughts
Microwaves have been the unsung kitchen heroes for far too long. Luckily, you can get back to cooking chef-worthy meals at the touch of a button with these products.
