Microwaves have become an increasingly popular addition to many kitchens because of the convenience they provide. Leftovers from last night? Push some buttons and in a couple of minutes, you’ve got a lunch meal ready. Coffee gone cold. Place your cup in the microwave and jumpstart your day with a hot cup of joe.
While microwaves are often associated with the daily task of reheating food and drink, did you know that you could actually do a lot cooler things with them?
At Garner Appliance and Mattress, you can find new and modern microwave models that come with a plethora of features that can help you cook meals faster, stay healthier, and also cut down on energy use and costs. Read on to get practical cooking tips and learn more about how awesome a microwave can be — it can definitely do more than just reheat your leftovers!
Enjoy Delicious Meals Right Away
Have you ever walked down the frozen food aisles in your local supermarket? There are so many microwave-ready food options to try! The recipes are fairly simple to follow; just make sure you read the instructions on the packaging. Cooking with a microwave allows you to easily enjoy snacks, full-course meals, and desserts even if you’ve got a busy day ahead.
Garlic Prep Made Easy
Garlic is a common ingredient for many home-cooked meals. So, are you sick of getting dry and pungent-smelling hands just from peeling garlic? Not many people know this, but you can use the microwave to peel garlic easily! Simply chuck a whole garlic bulb into the microwave, set the timer for about 20 seconds to soften it, and watch the cloves slide easily out of their skins with no mess. You can even use the microwave if you want to make fried or roasted garlic to add to your dishes.
Make Sweet Treats
Craving something sweet but don’t want to make a huge cake in the oven or wash baking tools and pans? Now you can satisfy your sweet tooth by making desserts in the microwave! It’s fairly fast and easy. Even with a small amount of ingredients, you can enjoy a decadent chocolate brownie in under an hour! There are plenty of microwave dessert recipes online that include indulgent cakes, delectable mug desserts, pudding, and muffins.
Steam Vegetables and Keep Nutrients
Many fitness enthusiasts say that the best way to get the most nutrients when cooking vegetables is to steam them. And because microwaves heat quicker than conventional cooking gadgets (with minimal water contact, no less), vegetables cooked in the microwave retain the water-soluble nutrients that get drained away when blanching.
So, wash your vegetables but don’t completely dry them. Since vegetables are almost 100% water, they will absorb microwave energy super efficiently. Then, take small servings of vegetables like green beans, broccoli, potatoes, and asparagus and put them in a microwave-safe bowl of water or wrap them in damp paper towels. Voila! Perfectly steamed vegetables.
Toast Nuts
If you’re looking to add nuts to salads, entrees, desserts, or use them as a garnish, toasting them brings out their rich flavor. Interestingly, using the microwave to toast nuts is by far the best way to do it. A microwave heats food quickly and evenly from all directions, and with small food items like nuts, you can actually cook them from the outside and the inside at basically the same rate.
Dry Herbs
Traditionally, herbs are hung upside-down to dry. However, if you don't want to wait, or want to extend the shelf life of the herbs you bought two days ago, you can use your microwave to dry the herbs instead. The electromagnetic radiation of your microwave efficiently evaporates water from the herbs, preserving the essential oils that give herbs their signature flavors and aromas. Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, and Bay Leaves are some of the best herbs to dry. And once dry, you can simply store dried herbs in airtight containers and use them the next time you want to make pasta.
Microwave Magic
A microwave is truly one of life’s little conveniences. As long as you know how to properly use it, you can do more in the kitchen as well as cook delicious meals in a fraction of the time even without a stove or oven.
Almost everything around us requires us to be quick and efficient—our day-to-day activities, work, kids, chores—so it makes sense to own a microwave that can drastically reduce the time we spend in the kitchen alone. Plus, when we opt to use a microwave to get things done in the kitchen, we also cut down on energy usage and costs at home.
So, if you’re looking to buy a new microwave, check out the Garner Appliance and Mattress website and view all the latest models we carry. You can also head over to any of our appliance stores in North Carolina. We’d love for you to visit us so we can assist you and help you find the perfect microwave oven to suit your needs. See you there!