Living without a microwave might seem impossible if you're used to the convenience of heating foods quickly. Microwaves are great; they warm leftovers, melt butter and chocolate for baking, and allow you to eat frozen dinners on busy nights. But if you don't have the space or budget for a microwave in your kitchen, it's completely possible to live without one.
Trust us, going without the appliance isn't the end of the world. Click through to discover the reasons you’ll actually want to live microwave-free.
Your oven will reheat food evenly.
Yes, it will take longer to warm up those leftovers in the oven than in a microwave. But your food will be heated evenly, which isn't always true in the microwave. Even Hot Pockets — which, as Jim Gaffigan has noted, tend to be both still-frozen and scalding-hot when microwaved — cook evenly in the oven.
It's a lot harder to rely on frozen meals for dinner.
Yes, you can still buy frozen pizzas and heat them in your oven. But single-serving frozen meals may not be oven-compatible, or they can take a long time to heat up. Without relying on pre-made frozen meals, you'll buy more fresh foods and learn to prepare delicious, homemade dinners.
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You'll have more counter space.
This may seem obvious, but if you live in a small apartment, every inch of kitchen space counts. Not having a microwave gives you space for a KitchenAid mixer, a coffeemaker, or just more room for chopping vegetables.
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You'll never have to clean up a microwave disaster again.
Many of us have heard about — or experienced — the soup or pasta-sauce explosions that manage to cover the entire interior of a microwave. Without a microwave, scrubbing sauce flecks becomes a thing of the past.
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You'll get more creative with the resources you do have.
No microwave? No problem! Limited resources mean that what you do have in your kitchen will serve double-duty. For instance, you can use muffin tins to cook eggs, freeze to-go soups, or make mini appetizers. Without a microwave to cook your food, you'll have to get more creative, and that's not a bad thing.
Photo: Getty Images.
You can still make popcorn.
Yes, it won't be as easy as putting a packet of butter-flavored popcorn into the microwave, but fresh popcorn will taste better anyway. There are plenty of options for making popcorn at home without a microwave, whether that means investing in an air popper or going old-school with a Whirley Pop popcorn maker that works on the stove.
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Hot chocolate (and other drinks that require hot milk) are better when made stove-top.
Microwaving milk for hot chocolate can make it curdled and uneven. But if you heat the milk stove-top, where you can stir the liquid, you'll have a delicious cup of cocoa every time.
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