Microwaves - do you use yours or have you tossed it out?

[Mermaid Mama]

We use ours strictly for microwaving popcorn. I put 1/3 C. of kernels in a brown lunch sack, fold the top over twice, and hit the popcorn button. It's got to be better health-wise than the prepacked microwave popcorn at the store.

 

Yes - because actually the already in the bag stuff workers who put it together actually get sick from the chemicals!!!! There's a "disease" (AKA class of symptoms) known as microwave popcorn in the office syndrome.....or something like that.

 

I like it on the stove in olive oil and then drizzled with butter and salt.

[Mermaid Mama]

What do you do to reheat a cup of tea? I can see how to get by without a microwave for everything else....just not my large cup of tea that I seem to reheat all day long.

:bigear:

 

The stove. It takes just a few seconds.

Imagine how long it took to build the fire way back when!!!!

[Mermaid Mama]

I looked at pictures taken by a hs family as they were doing an experiment. They had two starter plants, both the same size and started watering one with microwaved water, the other with tap water. They watered them both a small amount every day. In 10 days the one on tap water was flourishing, the one on microwaved water was........dead.

We got rid of ours. I spend a lot of money each month feeding my family as near organic as I can and then I am going to microwave it? NOT!

It took a bit of a learning curve but I learned how to get along without it and I haven't regretted it nor looked back.

My dd WILL NOT eat something warmed up in a mic.

 

AWESOME experiment!!!!

One I will pass on to friends!

Thanks for sharing that.

[Parrothead]

I'd gotten rid of ours. It broke and I did not replace it for over a month. Dh was going into DTs because we did not have a microwave. So I bought a new one. Oy! It still doesn't get used for much.

[nmoira]

 

It doesn't say to do this on the package, and we are really enjoying them as is. How is the digestion helped?

My kids prefer the softer texture of soaked steel cut oats. However, supposedly if you add a bit of yogurt to the soaking/cooking water and leave it overnight there's some good thing that is rendered more easily digestible, though I don't believe that's the technical term. :tongue_smilie:

[1GirlTwinBoys]

Don't ever use ours, but it's above the stove and doesn't take up any counter space.

[Ellie]

I have a 4 cup teapot. I love it. It's my little kitchen friend. That and my little hand-me-down 8 inch cast iron skillet that smiles at me every morning. :D

Is that a tea *pot* or a tea *kettle*???

[Snickerdoodle]

Is that a tea *pot* or a tea *kettle*???

 

Erm...kettle, I guess. :D

[Liz CA]

Yes - because actually the already in the bag stuff workers who put it together actually get sick from the chemicals!!!! There's a "disease" (AKA class of symptoms) known as microwave popcorn in the office syndrome.....or something like that.

 

I like it on the stove in olive oil and then drizzled with butter and salt.

 

I believe it! Last night, during our community association's fundraiser, I was on the popcorn crew. We used the prepackaged kind that pops in the bag in the microwave. Then we ripped the bag open and emptied it into small brown paper bags. By the end of the evening, the entire commercial kitchen smelled toxic.

[Liz CA]

Interesting! Perhaps those who say, that the way the microwave heats things changes the enzymes in food, are on to something.

[Jen500]

We have a microwave, and use it regularly to heat up leftovers!

[Slartibartfast]

I just use mine for defrosting things :001_smile:

 

Mine is an over the stove type of microwave

[The Governess]

We use ours for defrosting meat (and too-hard-to-scoop ice cream) and I use it for reheating my coffee occasionally. I would rather not use it at all, but I'm a terrible planner when it comes to dinner and usually forget to put the meat in the fridge to defrost. :glare:

[Spy Car]

Never owned one...never will.

 

Bill

[Slartibartfast]

We use ours for defrosting meat (and too-hard-to-scoop ice cream) and I use it for reheating my coffee occasionally. I would rather not use it at all, but I'm a terrible planner when it comes to dinner and usually forget to put the meat in the fridge to defrost. :glare:

 

Yeah...that is why I use mine for defrosting meat. :lol: I don't use it for much else though.

 

 

My microwave was broken for awhile and in that time I coped ok. My husband bought a new one cause he does like to reheat leftovers. I am trying to train him better on not heating those leftovers in plastic. Duh.

[Hedgehogs4]

While I can't actually toss mine .. (its built in, and I'm in an apartment) I rarely use it. It is currently my hiding place for Mommy yummy stuff. (treats I don't want the boys getting into or seeing) I only use it for food about once a mth or so. However if I could, I would throw it out entirely also.

 

Here is some reading on the why :

www.relfe.com/microwave.html

www.globalhealingcenter.com/microwave-ovens-the-proven-dangers.html

www.cancersalves.com/articles/Microwave.html

 

There are many many reasons why using a micowave for food is bad.

And I have chosen to forgo the convenience for the peace of mind in knowing my boys are not being exposed to the dangers it causes.

 

HTH,

 

well, i was on the verge of throwing mine out, but now i'm sure. it's gone as soon as i can figure out the means by which i should dispose of it. :tongue_smilie:

[Hedgehogs4]

We use ours for defrosting meat (and too-hard-to-scoop ice cream) and I use it for reheating my coffee occasionally. I would rather not use it at all, but I'm a terrible planner when it comes to dinner and usually forget to put the meat in the fridge to defrost. :glare:

 

I find it faster and nicer to immerse my meat, sealed in a ziplock bag, in tepid (and when necessary, i.e. i forgot to get it out to thaw) hot water. it doesn't take that long to do, and probably is safer, health-wise.

[rdolphingirl]

well, i was on the verge of throwing mine out, but now i'm sure. it's gone as soon as i can figure out the means by which i should dispose of it. :tongue_smilie:

 

Good deal, I sure wish I could get rid of mine, even knowing how horrid it is the temptation to use it for convenience takes over once in awhile .... and I wish it wasn't even in the house ... Glad to be able to help push you over the edge :tongue_smilie:

 

I will be moving soon, and be able to plant a garden, but will be renting still and in the same situation .. built in one over the stove that I will NOT be able to get rid of ... *sigh*

 

To health!

[Quad Shot Academy]

I find it faster and nicer to immerse my meat, sealed in a ziplock bag, in tepid (and when necessary, i.e. i forgot to get it out to thaw) hot water. it doesn't take that long to do, and probably is safer, health-wise.

 

:iagree:

 

I use mine for small leftovers and an occasional bag of popcorn. I use an electric hot water dispenser for hot water. It keeps water hot for oatmeal, noodle bowls, instant black beans and tea. You can also buy under the sink ones. I hope to get one when we buy a new sink. I use an insulated travel mug around the house, so my tea doesn't go cool and I don't have to worry about the kids knocking over my cup! I use a food steamer to cook frozen and fresh vegetables. I can cook several different kinds at once, which is nicer than getting lots of pots dirty. It is also the best hard boiled egg maker too!

[OnTheBrink]

I use mine for defrosting when I forget, and reheating left-overs.

 

For hot water, though, I use my BUNN coffee maker with the thermal carafe. That baby keeps my water HOT for 8 hours. I start the day with coffee or hot tea, then make a quart of super strong tea to be iced later. I love that thing. And, having a friend who works for BUNN was an added bonus; I got it for less than half price.

 

Back to the microwave--I've thought about getting rid of it, or just not using it, since it's installed over the stove. I never like how the meat comes out from being defrosted, anyway.

[The Governess]

I find it faster and nicer to immerse my meat, sealed in a ziplock bag, in tepid (and when necessary, i.e. i forgot to get it out to thaw) hot water. it doesn't take that long to do, and probably is safer, health-wise.

 

See, I've always heard that defrosting in warm water (or leaving meat out on the counter to thaw) encourages bacteria growth and isn't safe. Do a lot of people use this method? I would love to have this as an option but I'm kind of a conservative when it comes to food safety, and I've been scared to try it.

[creekland]

I looked at pictures taken by a hs family as they were doing an experiment. They had two starter plants, both the same size and started watering one with microwaved water, the other with tap water. They watered them both a small amount every day. In 10 days the one on tap water was flourishing, the one on microwaved water was........dead.

 

 

I wonder if anyone else has tried this experiment, or if they tried duplicating theirs using more than one plant. We've had kids at school do all sorts of experiments with plants and water temp - even microwaved water - and never had a result like this... I'm REALLY suspicious of their results. Maybe we should all give it a try, but use 5 plants in each group? Otherwise, it reminds me of the folks that said water from the microwave killed their fish - without realizing heating water eliminates oxygen in it and ANY heating method would have done the same... it wasn't due to the microwave itself. I don't see the oxygen issue affecting plants (as a control, use heated water from the stove - heated to the same temp), but I also know I've seen multiple results in our school that have used microwaved water with no issues. Really hot water can kill the roots, but it still isn't due to the microwave.

 

We use our microwave all the time with no regrets at all. We use it for defrosting, reheating meals, heating water or milk for tea/cocoa, cooking frozen vegetables, as a timer, the occasional popcorn, and very rarely for frozen dinners. I don't cook in plastic in them, but otherwise, I can't imagine getting rid of it. We use it morning, noon, and night and have for years. Hubby just had a great mid-40's checkup and it's been ages since any of us were sick with even a cold.

 

To each our own, but I'm not a "hop on the everything's going to kill you" bandwagon. I suspect cell phones are worse - and I KNOW more people die in car accidents... We don't use cell phones often because we don't like them, but we do still go place in our vehicles.

[Perry]

 

I wonder if anyone else has tried this experiment, or if they tried duplicating theirs using more than one plant.

When Snopes repeated the experiment, the plants thrived. :D

[creekland]

When Snopes repeated the experiment, the plants thrived. :D

 

Many thanks for confirming my suspicions. It amazes me what people will believe off poorly designed experiments. Seriously, ONE plant in each group and they came to conclusions???? And even if they did duplicate it, did they even consider that there might be confounding variables (like the fish in water experiment I spoke of - dying from lack of oxygen due to heating the water, not because the water was microwaved)?

 

I'm afraid if the science community got wind of that (the experiment posted on the web, not folks questioning microwaves) it would be another bad "homeschooling science" antidote they'd use. The sad part is while they'd be right about that experiment, they'd generalize across the board. But I digress...

 

People are more than welcome to diss microwaves if they wish - as people did with Alar on apples and other such issues that might be an issue on a minor level or with a few people (seriously - to each their own - we still enjoy apples too, but I've no issues with those that don't). Just please leave reports of bad experiments out of it.

 

And remember, far more people die DAILY in car accidents so one might want to rethink their transportation! :)

[KS_]

Ours in is the garage. Dh likes to have it to reheat leftovers (usually for his breakfasts before he leaves for work). I rarely use it (once a month?) and the kids will sometimes use it for reheating, but not that often. I'd be fine with getting rid of it, but at least we don't use it much.

[Teachin'Mine]

Snickerdoodle, thank you for the Good Earth link! :001_smile:

Edited March 22, 2010 by Teachin'Mine

[EarleneW]

I use it everyday.

[Dobela]

I don't use mine every day, but nearly every day. It depends on what we are having, if Ihave left overs, and all that.

[WishboneDawn]

Otherwise, it reminds me of the folks that said water from the microwave killed their fish - without realizing heating water eliminates oxygen in it and ANY heating method would have done the same... it wasn't due to the microwave itself. I don't see the oxygen issue affecting plants (as a control, use heated water from the stove - heated to the same temp), but I also know I've seen multiple results in our school that have used microwaved water with no issues. Really hot water can kill the roots, but it still isn't due to the microwave.

 

Plants do better with water that has more oxygen in it. Another experiment would be to water plants with tap water and fresh rain water and measure growth as rain water has more oxygen in it generally then tap water.

 

Regardless, I agree that the experiment you mentioned tells very little about how good or bad a microwave is for people.

[WishboneDawn]

I use our microwave almost everyday for re-heating, popcorn, defrosting, cooking, etc. It uses a lot less energy then a conventional stove and I've never seen evidence (the links provided in this thread included) that would make me think it's truly more risky or dangerous then other methods of cooking. I've seen a lot of half-baked (ha! Get it? :D) "evidence" but nothing that stood up when really challenged or researched.

[creekland]

I use our microwave almost everyday for re-heating, popcorn, defrosting, cooking, etc. It uses a lot less energy then a conventional stove and I've never seen evidence (the links provided in this thread included) that would make me think it's truly more risky or dangerous then other methods of cooking. I've seen a lot of half-baked (ha! Get it? :D) "evidence" but nothing that stood up when really challenged or researched.

 

:iagree:

[Gratia271]

I had no idea that microwaves were a problem except that you should never heat plastics in them. Is it really as bad as those articles suggest?

[hornblower]

I use our microwave almost everyday for re-heating, popcorn, defrosting, cooking, etc. It uses a lot less energy then a conventional stove and I've never seen evidence (the links provided in this thread included) that would make me think it's truly more risky or dangerous then other methods of cooking. I've seen a lot of half-baked (ha! Get it? :D) "evidence" but nothing that stood up when really challenged or researched.

 

 

:iagree: & I :D got it.

 

 

I use my microwave all the time, but never anything in plastic.

 

Mine is an above the stove combo with fan model so it's right beside my head too because I'm always standing there waiting for it or cooking other stuff on the cooktop below! And hey - I'm totalloiurweetgn qieuropsptis wf rpdcocpt.....!

 

Physics for Future Presidents is a free online video course. First lecture is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ysbZ_j2xi0 & they continue from there, for those who want to understand the science behind those pesky waves and radiation and what actually is dangerous.

 

(BTW, as much as I like this course, he is a good example of bias in science. I could barely sit through his lectures on nuclear issues & had to detox myself with a video of Helen Caldicott's lectures in Saskatchewan about Uraniun mining & nuclear risks. )

[Janet in Toronto]

We have one, we use it, and love it. I simply do NOT believe the articles about the issues with microwaves. But I also use olive and canola oils, sometimes buy non-organic food, let my teens use cellphones and the internet in their rooms, and eat tuna. Mercola and the ilk give me the heebie-jeebies. Call me crazy. I'm just a statistician who tries to be realistic about risks in life and evidence-based in decisions.

 

Here's an article from the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.

[Storm Bay]

We have one, we use it, and love it. I simply do NOT believe the articles about the issues with microwaves. But I also use olive and canola oils, sometimes buy non-organic food, let my teens use cellphones and the internet in their rooms, and eat tuna. Mercola and the ilk give me the heebie-jeebies. Call me crazy. I'm just a statistician who tries to be realistic about risks in life and evidence-based in decisions.

 

Here's an article from the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.

 

 

I agree. We can't avoid all risks and humans have never lived in a purely healthy, risk-free environment. For one eg, how long did it take for chimneys to be invented? All that smoke! And how about the lack of hygiene. So far as I can tell, microwaves & cellphones haven't had nearly the impact on human life as small pox or the bubonic plague :). But since I don't care for how food turns out when cooked in the microwave, I choose to err on the side of caution. We have enough stuff filling up our kitchen for something we'd used just for popcorn (& dh already had a popcorn popper before we were married that still works well) and heating up tea or coffee. I do spend more time on the computer than is apparently healthy, though.

[nmoira]

We have one, we use it, and love it. I simply do NOT believe the articles about the issues with microwaves.

I completely agree. However, I don't use ours much simply because I get better results with other methods. Well, that and because it's on top of the fridge and I'm only 5'3". :D

[Lovedtodeath]

 

I do spend more time on the computer than is apparently healthy, though.

:lol:

[Wheres Toto]

I wonder if anyone else has tried this experiment, or if they tried duplicating theirs using more than one plant. We've had kids at school do all sorts of experiments with plants and water temp - even microwaved water - and never had a result like this... I'm REALLY suspicious of their results. Maybe we should all give it a try, but use 5 plants in each group? Otherwise, it reminds me of the folks that said water from the microwave killed their fish - without realizing heating water eliminates oxygen in it and ANY heating method would have done the same... it wasn't due to the microwave itself. I don't see the oxygen issue affecting plants (as a control, use heated water from the stove - heated to the same temp), but I also know I've seen multiple results in our school that have used microwaved water with no issues. Really hot water can kill the roots, but it still isn't due to the microwave.

 

To each our own, but I'm not a "hop on the everything's going to kill you" bandwagon. I suspect cell phones are worse - and I KNOW more people die in car accidents... We don't use cell phones often because we don't like them, but we do still go place in our vehicles.

:iagree:

I thought this didn't sound like much of an experiment. The articles linked also seem to just have a few specific incidences without enough information to conclude whether the microwave was the issue or not. (Did the nurse heating blood heat it too long? make it too hot? what was the patients health status in general?)

 

When I was single all the cooking I did was microwave or boiling water (pasta). Now, DH does all the cooking and he'll use it to thaw, heat leftovers and sometimes, veggies. We do both heat our tea water and make popcorn in the microwave. I grew up before they were available and love the convenience (I'm probably aging myself a little with that statement. DH actually remembers when color television came out. :D)

[Cindy in FL.]

But, if I didn't have a microwave I couldn't have walked in to the kitchen on Christmas morning to see my son staring at the flames inside it. What was on fire? A wooden "spy" toy for looking around corners. Why was it in the microwave? It was wet. Why was it wet? It was accidentally dropped in the toilet.

 

He thought that 10 minutes in the microwave would dry it right out. And it did. The house was filled with a lovely smell akin to a wood fire in the fireplace.

 

Everytime I used the microwave after that (we did eventually replace it) the aroma of burning wood wafted through the house.

 

That being said, we do have a microwave still, but we only use it for reheating. No plastic.

 

Cindy

[kathkath]

Wait a sec. I'm supposed to soak steel cut oats?

 

you don't if you do them overnight in the crock pot.

[Alaska Missionary]

Ten Reasons to Throw Out Your Microwave

From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we

can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research,

we can conclude this article with the following:

1. Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long

term-permanent-brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in

the brain (de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue.)

2. The human body can not metabolize (break down) the unknown by

products created in microwaved food.

3. Male and female hormone production is shut down and /or altered by

continually eating microwaved food.

4. The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual (long term,

permanent) within the human body.

5. Minerals, vitamins and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or

altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body

absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down,

6. The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals

when cooked in microwave ovens.

7. Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths

(tumors). This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer

in America,

8. The prolonged eating of microwaved food causes cancerous cells to

increase in human blood.

 

9. Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system

deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.

10. Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration,

emotional instability and a decrease of intelligence.

"Have you tossed out your microwave oven yet?"

This article is taken from an article written by Anthony Wayne and Lawrence Newell for the Christian Law Institute and Fellowship Assembly. The full text of this long and exhaustively documented report can be found online at: http://www. healthfree. com

[nmoira]

Ten Reasons to Throw Out Your Microwave

From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research, we can conclude this article with the following

 

[snip]

 

The full text of this long and exhaustively documented

Your link doesn't work. Can you please provide the citations? I'm assuming they're peer reviewed. ;)

[WishboneDawn]

Ten Reasons to Throw Out Your Microwave

From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we

can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research,

we can conclude this article with the following:

....

This article is taken from an article written by Anthony Wayne and Lawrence Newell for the Christian Law Institute and Fellowship Assembly. The full text of this long and exhaustively documented report can be found online at: http://www. healthfree. com

 

That long and exhaustively document report is not at healthfree.com. Healthfree.com is a store which makes me suspicious that this post might have been spam.

 

Regardless, I just wasted too much time with the article mentioned, trying to track down studies and authors and such and most of what I come up with is that same article replicated over and over on tons of sites.

 

I can't find the actual studies mentioned.

 

There are only a couple of studies mentioned (the problem being that it's not simply one study's result that makes good science, it's the replication of those results by other scientists).

 

HUGE claims are made with absolutly NO citation whatsoever.

 

The wikipedia entry on microwaves is much better, contains real citations with actual links to the studies (some of which directly contradict the claims made in the "Hidden Hazards" article).

 

The article is classic pseudo-science. Sciency rather then science. Enough to give a veneer of plausibility for those who will read it and not bother looking into the matter any further.

[Perry]

That long and exhaustively document report is not at healthfree.com. Healthfree.com is a store which makes me suspicious that this post might have been spam.

I found it at healthfree.com here

 

My browser (Firefox) isn't displaying it right, though. I had to scroll way over to the right. I don't know where it originated.

[Wheres Toto]

There's a whole generation of children who were raised drinking their formula from plastic bottles heated up in the microwave and have now reached adulthood (or at least older childhood). If half of these claims were true we could expect to see a sharp increase in nutritional deficiencies, cancers and other health problems among a good portion of the population that was born between 1985 and 2000. Cancers may take time to appear but nutritional deficiencies would show up very quickly.

 

The fact that there isn't is as much a case for them being harmless as any of the "data" showing them to be harmful.

[hsmom]

Well mine is gone and we are on day 2!

[creekland]

 

The article is classic pseudo-science. Sciency rather then science. Enough to give a veneer of plausibility for those who will read it and not bother looking into the matter any further.

 

The internet is great for these sorts of things, isn't it? I wonder how many are "started" by the competition - in this case, say, toaster oven or conventional oven makers.

 

The rest I suspect are started by bored teens or adults. I imagine they get quite a kick out of how many people they can convince by making them sound so real.

 

I suppose it's one reason I really like Nutrition Action magazine - no ads and they tend to expose pseudo-science experimental claims.

 

However, to each their own. The placebo effect is totally real for many people, so if one truly thinks they are being harmed by something, their body might make it so.

 

What's "real" is cooking in plastic in the microwave is not good. Eating or drinking out of certain types of plastic is seriously questionable. The microwave itself isn't a problem. Whether one likes to use it or prefers a different method is totally up to them.

 

And driving or riding in a vehicle is still more likely to do harm to someone.