The differences of opinion on the benefits of a microwave are interesting. I'm firmly in the camp of "can't do without it". I was without one for about 2 weeks and several times a week I wished I had it. So I replaced it this weekend. Having initially thought I would not buy a combi again as I had hardly ever used it as an oven, I actually went one step further and bought a model that includes an air fryer. I have a small air fryer which is really too small to be of much use. The air fryer in the microwave is great - gets to a high temp very quickly

I have hardly any counterspace, and a friend gave me her old microwave a few years back. I realized I never used it but really needed that counter space so I boxed it up to donate, and thought I'd wait a few weeks to see if I needed it.  Never missed it.

So in my case it was counter space vs. microwave and more counter space won!

We use our microwave a fair amount  I recommend Barbara Kafka's books for how to cook with it.  Polenta, risotto, poached salmon in 3 minutes, precooking onions so they will sauté faster, toasting nuts!  And it beats steaming or boiling vegetables.  Undoubtedly there are many more ways to use it than I have tried.  Please don't disdain it; it is a wonderful tool. A note: avoid using plastic in it; use glass instead.

And it comes in very handy in solving a small irritation: if the soup you heated on the stove isn't hot enough, pop it in the microwave for about a minute.

Just be sure the bowl is microwave-safe, or transfer the soup to one that is. 

Originally Posted by: KatieK1

We use our microwave a fair amount  I recommend Barbara Kafka's books for how to cook with it.  Polenta, risotto, poached salmon in 3 minutes, precooking onions so they will sauté faster, toasting nuts!  And it beats steaming or boiling vegetables.  Undoubtedly there are many more ways to use it than I have tried.  Please don't disdain it; it is a wonderful tool. A note: avoid using plastic in it; use glass instead.

I have Barbara Kafka's book, Microwave Gourmet, which is undoubtedly what launched me on the path to making good use of my microwave, but I didn't mention it as I wondered if it might be too dated for a new reader. If you are finding it useful, perhaps it's worth looking at

Both plastic and ceramic can be microwave-safe or -unsafe. There are even glass utensils that are microwave-unsafe.

There are two general rules, tho: metal, even metal trim, is unsafe, and so is the plastic called melamine - if you have melamine utensils, don't even THINK of putting them in a microwave oven!

Originally Posted by: StokeySue

I have Barbara Kafka's book, Microwave Gourmet, which is undoubtedly what launched me on the path to making good use of my microwave, but I didn't mention it as I wondered if it might be too dated for a new reader. If you are finding it useful, perhaps it's worth looking at

The information in the back with a great listing of basic cooking times for different ingredients is worth the price alone.  

In addition, Cook's Illustrated has published some great microwave recipes.

Although it is not only microwave, but David Chang goes into using his microwave to speed up his cooking.  I am about  50% done reading every word in this book (which is very unusual for me ) and although this book does not give specific recipes (guidelines only), really enjoy how average home cooks really make their daily meals as quickly as possible.  

Cooking at Home: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Recipes (And Love My Microwave) by David Chang and Priya Krishna

Counter space wins in considering a lot of appliances in my kitchen:

Full-size food processor

Slow cooker

Instant Pot

Air fryer

4-slice toaster oven (I use a 2-slice toaster oven, and I wouldn't be using that if the first super I had handn't made a shelf for me)

My next microwave oven will go where my last microwave went: on top of my half-size refrigerator. It will be a compact one: big enough to hold an 11" plate but no bigger.

I moved from South Florida to New York City seven years ago. In Florida, I had a microwave like most poeple in the US. But my New York apartment was small, did not already have a microwave, and truth be told we only ever used the microwave to boil water and warm leftovers. So we decided not to get one because it would take up precious counterspace and it wasn't worth it. Haven't missed it one day since. We now have a slightly larger kitchen, but still no microwave.