I have a friend without a microwave. She says it's because she's afraid her son with Down Syndrome will do something horrible with it (he is the master of button pushing!), but I think it's because she just doesn't want one. It really is OK to not have one. It's kind of like those of us who don't actually want a bathtub in the master bath, not the norm, but so what?

I have a friend without a Microwave in her kitchen since she does not like the taste of microwave foods and felt she had no need for one and she has never missed it. I would miss mine so much!

I would seriously miss my microwave. But my dear SIL with young family doesn't have one and doesn't miss it. So if you've always done without you probably don't need to include it. Especially if space is a premium in your kitchen!

I moved the microwave to the basement when we renovated our kitchen. Rarely use it. I have a small kitchen and didn't want to give up space for it. As others have said, if you are used to not having one, you don't need it.

maryll moving the mw to the basement gave me an idea. Eventually we're going to build a pantry in the laundry room and if, down the road, we decide to get a microwave we could put it in there. Whew! Every decision is a relief!

I had to chuckle because it definitely occurred to me that our 2-year old would put something completely inappropriate in the microwave if it was in her reach. We've already melted one toy in the toaster oven....

If you have a toaster oven, I see no reason to have a microwave as well-at least considering what I use the microwave for.

Laundry room is perfect for infrequent MW use. I only use mine to heat up a pad that I use on sore muscles. Its in my pantry.

We never replaced the microwave which broke years ago and I don't miss it at all. The only concern on hub's part was no more microwave popcorn, until he realized how easy it is to pop on the stove.

I use ours all the time, so could not go without. It is a god-send for defrosting and for heating up a lunch or making oatmeal. I love it for steaming veggies in a rush and warming up soup in the bowl it is served in. I also trust heating something up in the micro on a low setting because when I do so in the oven, I sometimes forget and then burn things. I have never ruined anything in the micro. Our new regular oven has helped lately because I use its timed cook feature a lot but I still like the micro option. I do not like to cook anything with meat or bread in the micro, but I will warm things up gently there. I'd be less happy if the micro only had a high power setting. I use it as low as possible and get great results.

If I were a SAHM it may not be as urgent and I could certainly cook without it, but I also could bike everywhere in a pinch and I don't do that either. I think it is a great convenience and would not want to do without one for long. It also would be a tough selling feature down the road if there were no designated spot for a micro. People expect that just as they expect a dw these days.

bahacca - sounds like we use our toaster oven similarly to how you use yours. In addition to toasting and cooking small frozen items that I don't want to turn on the large over for, it's been great for warming up leftovers. Although... I am terrible about planning ahead for meals. After working all day and then taking the kids to activities, etc. it seems like there are too many nights where I'm figuring out what to make for dinner at 7:00 or later! I can see where the microwave might be very handy. So maybe down the road we'll put one in the adjacent laundry room but for now I think we'll be fine without.

Don't plan a new kitchen without a place for one, but if you don't have one now, don't stress out too badly about finding a place for something you don't use. However, I seriously have NO IDEA how someone can not have and use a MW on a daily basis! I use it more times per day than I can count! I cook bacon in it or reheat coffee in the a.m., and defrost bread for a sandwich at lunch, and heat a 100 calorie bag of popcorn for an afternoon snack, and bake a quick potato for dinner, or reheat leftovers on a time crunched night. I also use it quite a bit for actual cooking of vegetables quickly or heat a casserole or the list could go on and on.

I'm really curious as to how people do without one!

I would be considering resale (even if it is to say "we don't care"). I wouldn't buy a house that didn't have room for a microwave in the kitchen. That's not to say you have to have one--but it's something to keep in mind.

I'm a SAHM, and I use mine many times a day. I also don't know how I would get by without one. I don't cook in it for personal reasons, but I reheat ALL the time. At every meal, someone is eating a least a little bit of reheated leftovers. I also use it to melt butter.

If *you* don't use one, then don't worry about it. I still can't understand how one lives without one, but that's none of my business.....

I am microwaveless. I was microwaveless for about ten years before renovating. I am healthy and alive.

I have one and wouldn't want to not have it, but we rarely cook in it. Occasionally we do to make a quick baked potato, but if I have time, I prefer the drier texture of a potato baked in the oven. And sometimes I use it to wilt spinach. More often it is used for reheating left overs, melting butter and bringing water from the instahot up to a full boil (I put a wood chop stick or skewer in to prevent the superheating problem). Our new one has a meal reheat button and does an excellent job of reheating evenly (unlike the cold bits and overheated bits that our 70's pre-remodel microwave would leave). It also is great for defrosting - which I guess I could do without if I was more perfect at planning ahead, but sometimes I'm not.

Pre-remodel, our microwave lived in the laundry room about 20 steps from the main work area in the kitchen and that wasn't a problem. The new one is right across the aisle from the fridge which is convenient but not a huge difference.

I gave up the micro for hubby's sake for about 2 weeks. He just KNEW the zapping was giving him all kinds of diseases. Well, let me tell ya - I did some MORE research (he didn't believe me the first time since "I" said it LOL)...so I gave him lots of evidence.

I cook his oatmeal at 4:30 in the morning...standing at the stove when I KNOW the same thing could be done in 2 minutes in the zapper...well, let me say - his experiment only lasted 2 weeks. (If that, may have been sooner)

I use the microwave for:

Oatmeal
Brown rice (cooks perfectly...no muss, no fuss)
Steam bags of Edamame, broccoli
Popcorn
Melt butter
Lazy 'dry fry' my cumin for salsa
Emergency meat thawing
Soften butter at 40% power
Reheat food
Roast nuts & pumpkin seeds if I only do a few (I know the oven roasting is better but if I'm in a hurry)...
My Easy Cheesy Enchiladas - only takes 45 seconds

I do my main cooking on the stove, oven & crock pot but my microwave is vital to my kitchen. I have an extremely small kitchen (about 2.5 feet of useable counter space - thank goodness I have the kitchen table right behind me but it's not at a good working height)...hubby put up a shelf above my dish drain. It's a little higher than normal but that means no kids can get into it.

Let us know what you end up doing. I love threads like this so we can see what others do.

This topic really got me thinking. Mostly about how I ever got along in the kitchen without a microwave. I thought back to 1970 when I saw my first one in a German highway rest stop (used to heat the vending machine hot dogs). I didn't own one though until many years later.

Now days I personally consider a microwave indispensable, but as I think about it, only for convenience! I don't really do much actual cooking in it, but I had to think for a second on how I would reheat my cold coffee, tea, etc.. or how I would defrost frozen foods, or reheat leftovers without one. I do prefer to cook/steam my frozen vegetables in the microwave, but I now realize I could still do the usual things that I use the microwave for, it would just take a bit more effort, or time.

But having said that, in my recent kitchen remodel, I went all in. I got rid of the counter top microwave, and the toaster oven, by putting in an Advantium speed oven (wall mounted). I find I'm using microwave cooking more than ever, since the Advantium can combine microwaving with three other forms of heating to get the best of each simultaneously.

Well, I've gone the opposite way, ecobuzz. I'm midway through a century now and never had one until a few months ago. Even with no kitchen for a year I didn't acquire the one that was planned until nearly the end of kitchenless-ness.

I have to say -- I do like it. But that's probably because I can't see how much energy I'm wasting using it. I could definitely live without it; having it I use it. I use it to heat stuff up that I could easily heat up another way - tea that I let cool a hundred times per day, leftovers. I heated leftovers on a stove for 40 years with no problem at all. Using the MW saves on cleanup, but only a little. It loses on flavor and probably energy and nutrition, though I'm fuzzy about those calculations.

Mostly, it's a convenience-luxury that isn't necessary, but is nice. e.g., I had some boiled chicken in the fridge extracted from chicken soup that I cut into bowls and pour hot soup onto. I decided I could actually easily and quickly heat that chicken in advance, not just let the soup do it. But the soup does it just fine, only it seemed a nifty idea... that sort of thing. I think most of the multiple-daily uses are of that order: I could have gotten by just fine without, but it's kinda nifty to have it.

One of the ways to get by just fine without is just not to have the leftovers hot. It usually works just fine cold. Oatmeal is best stewed on the stove for a goodly while. Instant oatmeal tastes horrible and is best made with boiling water, which an electric pot heats faster than the MW (knowledge I have c/o the year with no kitchen -- I wish I didn't have it!). Hot water can heat up innumerable cold beverages to a fine temperature.

So ... I bought the MW because dh wanted it, sort of, though I could have refused and would have won the argument. But I was weary of seeming so out-of-it. I wanted the kids to feel less part of a 'different' household -- it's the same reason I bought a TV at last. I want them to hold my smaller-footprint ideals voluntarily and not reject them for ulterior, reject-those-weirdos reasons. I don't want the hyper-technology (MW, TV) to be taboo. Having one in the pantry, out of premium-space way, would seem to be a good reflection of the importance of the appliance in your household. You don't *need* the thing, though there are reasons beyond strict need that result in a whole lot of people having them. I don't regret getting it, but if it broke I would unlikely replace it. Apart from the 'resale' argument, there is no viable reason I can comprehend for retaining or acquiring an appliance you don't need or want. Unless you need to meet some external expectations of, say, a buyer, then rejoice in the extra space and money you will acquire by remaining microwaveless.

Yes. When I moved one year ago, I left my microwave at the old house. I use a Delonghi convection/toaster oven and it is so much better than a microwave. Potatoes come out great and reheating food comes out much better. I am getting an above the range microhood for my new kitchen, but only so that I can melt chocolate and make popcorn.

I haven't had a microwave for most of my adult life because:

1. I believe having a microwave oven in my home is unhealthy.
2. I believe the food cooked in a microwave oven is unhealthy.
3. I don't like the way microwaved food (even re-heats) taste.
4. I think they are an eye sore.

There are many articles explaining in detail and scientific terms why they are a bad idea such as this one
http://curezone.com/foods/microwave_oven_risk.asp

Cooking, nourishing our family members, is a sacred and important responsibility. The energy and mindfulness that we put into home cooking, the quality of the ingredients, the cooking methods and cooking equipment should all be chosen carefully so as to nourish and impart health . . . not just quell hunger. We are the "keeper of the keys" to our family's health.

Just to point out the obvious - you don't NEED a microwave. Civilization survived for thousands of years without one and so can you.

Personally, the only thing I actually like out of the microwave is popcorn. We lived 10 years without one, but then we had a child. Hello microwave! They definitely are handy for quick warmups.

BTW - the above link is total junk non-science. Just because someone uses a "scientific" term doesn't make them a scientist. Every source of cooking heat is "radiation." Radiation is just the process of moving energy from one source to another. The metal in your stove radiates more energy over a wider spectrum than a microwave does.

I also don't think the micro uses more energy than other methods. If I can heat something on the plate it will be served on, it saves the energy that would have been spent on the pot or other container it might have been heated in. Zapping something for a minute does not use more than heating up an oven. I also like how it does not heat up the whole kitchen in the summer.
I can see how one can do without but don't get why. I could hang up all my clothes to dry on a line (and I do for non-cotton items) but I would not want to do without a dryer. I could also wash all our dishes by hand, but it has been proven that using a late model dw is a more efficient use of energy for the environment.
I could do without a calculator, cell phone and many other conveniences, but I embrace the things that make my life easier. I have many things that complicate life so the gadgets are an appreciated helping hand.
Being green is not a black and white issue and sometimes, is counter intuitive.
I also would not banish the micro far from the kitchen proper because I clean the adjacent area and interior often and think if it were far from my sink, it would be a pain. I can trust myself to clean up spills immediately, but can't vouch for my other family members ;). I just don't like the idea of cooking in a pantry. A pantry should hold mostly sealed items (not counting potatoes and onions) and be kept free from any possible bacteria.

Big business would like us to believe that microwaves are safe. As a result many people believe that they use their power to suppress the truth. This has been done many times in the past. Just think of the tobacco industry. The FDA regulates the consumer's exposure to microwave radiation and has approved many products in the past that the FDA later banned (cyclamate, which is an artificial sugar; hundreds of drugs). In addition, there are many products that have proven to be harmful that are still allowed to be in our food chain (nitrates, aspartame, food dyes, hydrogenated fats, MSG, genetically modified organisms, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, BPA in plastic, to name a few). So I never rely on a government agency or big business to protect my health. Instead I use my common sense and educated judgement.

It is true that if you do a search you will find those that claim microwave ovens to be safe and those that do not. I've been following this topic for many years. I believe the data, scientists, organizations, doctors, etc. that say they are hands down unsafe. The following article by Dr. Mercola gives a lot of information and references/links (see below) to where the data came from if you are interested.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/microwave-hazards.aspx

References cited from Dr. Mercola's Article:

[1] Davis D R. (February 1, 2009) “Declining fruit and vegetable nutrient composition: What is the evidence?” American Society of Horticultural Science

[2] Rust S and Kissinger M. (November 15, 2008) “BPA leaches from ‘safe’ products” Journal Sentinel Online

[3] “Microwave oven radiation,” Food and Drug Administration

[4] Havas M. “DECT phone affects the heart!”

[5] Vallejo F, Tomas-Barberan F A, and Garcia-Viguera C. “Phenolic compound contents in edible parts of broccoli inflorescences after domestic cooking” Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (15 Oct 2003) 83(14);1511-1516

[6] Kidmose U and Kaack K. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica B 1999:49(2):110-117

[7] Song K and Milner J A. “The influence of heating on the anticancer properties of garlic,” Journal of Nutrition 2001;131(3S):1054S-57S

[8] Watanabe F, Takenaka S, Abe K, Tamura Y, and Nakano Y. J. Agric. Food Chem. Feb 26 1998;46(4):1433-1436

[9] George D F, Bilek M M, and McKenzie D R. “Non-thermal effects in the microwave induced unfolding of proteins observed by chaperone binding,” Bioelectromagnetics 2008 May;29(4):324-30

[10] Quan R (et al) “Effects of microwave radiation on anti-infective factors in human milk,” Pediatrics 89(4 part I):667-669.

[11] Lee L. “Health effects of microwave radiation-microwave ovens,” Lancet December 9, 1989 (Article)

[12] Thomas W. “Cooked” Alive.com

[13] “Microwave oven and microwave cooking overview,” Powerwatch

[14] “History of microwave ovens” Green Health Watch

[15] “Microwave ovens: A danger to your health?” (January 26, 2010) Nutritional and Physical Regeneration

[16] Villablanca E (December 19, 2007) “Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation: Their difference and possible health consequences”

[17] “Health effects of microwave radiation (Western view)”

[18] Sage C. “Reported biological effects from radiofrequency non-ionizing radiation” Wave-Guide.org

[19] Penn State University. “DNA and the microwave effect” posted from MailBag (April 8, 2002)

[20] Kakita Y, Kashige N, Murata K, Kuroiwa A, Funatsu M and Watanabe K. "Inactivation of Lactobacillus bacteriophage PL-1 by microwave irradiation" Microbiol. Immunol. 1995;39:571-576.

[21] Adams C. (May 6, 2005) “Does microwaving kill nutrients in food? Is microwaving safe?” The Straight Dope

I haven't researched the subject or clicked on the link... but I do know this much:
1.) that billl is right about radiation being present everywhere
2.) that microwave radiation is far different heat radiation,
microwave radiation is far different from nuclear radiation,
nuclear radiation is far different from heat radiation,
etc.
( add all the radio frequency waves from cell phones and you have more "differences")

Which type of radiation is harmful, when, and under what conditions, is a subject that will be debated for many years to come.

David, so why is it you haven't researched this topic but felt inclined to post? Just wondering?

No one is debating your points 1 and 2.

great. Glad to know. Thank you!

I'm with you judydel on your first 3 points. I don't necessarily think they are an eyesore though.

I definitely agree on the taste thing. My mom "steams" her veggies in the microwave and when we're over there I notice the difference in taste and so do my kids. Hubby is a different story - he'll eat anything :-). And once I figured out how easy it is to pop corn on the stove with a bit of oil I wouldn't want to have my popcorn any other way. It is SO yummy popped on the stove. I never did like microwave popcorn so I don't miss that.

So for now we have decided that there will not be a microwave in the kitchen. However, should we ever change our mind, we will have plenty of room for one in the pantry that will be added to our laundry room after the kitchen is complete.

I've been trying to research the microwave safety issue, but it is kind of difficult and confusing. I found lots of informal, home studies with watering seeds/seedlings/plants with water that has been microwaved versus not - but the critique is that it would be a better test to compare it to water that has been boiled on the stove versus not having been heated up. Not sure if that's been done, but an easy enough home experiment.

Interesting, though, that the folks down at our high end appliance shop are concerned about microwaves being unsafe. They were talking about it when I was in there last month ogling appliances out of my price range. (I admit, my jaw was dragging on the floor. The price of one appliance was often much more than the price of my entire appliance budget, but that's another story...)

They are recommending people move to something called a steamer. I took a look at one down at the shop, it looked a lot like a microwave, but uses steam heat. They are offering cooking classes to try it out. Apparently, you can make the moistest cake in the world using one - just don't expect it to brown. We are intrigued and plan to look into the pros and cons of the various options before we finalize our plans, i.e., toaster oven, convection, steam and microwave.

Anyway, just throwing it out there in the mix.

I have a very small, low power micro that I use infrequently, mostly for heating up a rice pad for sore muscles and melting/softening butter. I could easily live without it. I remember when we got our first microwave in 1984. I didn't like having to think in terms of how many seconds had gone by while reheating...it made me more aware of the passage of time, and faster isn't always better. I felt removed from the creative cooking process, somehow. I know I sound like a dinosaur, but:
To each his own :)

When we did our kitchen reno, we didn't put in a built-in MW, or MW drawer or anything. We built a cubby into the island so we could swap them out at will, or do away with the MW altogether. We use it maybe once a day and could easily do without one, but it does come in handy.

I bought a stove top popcorn popper from Lee Valley Tools and am sooooooo happy with how it makes popcorn! Aside from my concerns about microwaves, the microwave popcorn is especially toxic because of the hydrogenated oils.

Steph if you read the articles I posted you'll find a lot more than home studies I assure you.

And isn't there BPA or some other nonsense you don't want to ingest in the lining of the microwave popcorn bag? But food safety aside, microwave popcorn doesn't taste nearly as good as stovetop! Your picture above has inspired me to try some sort of flavored popcorn the next time - I'll bet there are great recipes out there for stove top popcorn. Now if only our stove was hooked up.... sigh....

If you never want to sleep again, start googling how dangerous it is too grill food. Those tasty, tasty grill marks? Known carcinogens. And that isn't even counting the dangers of inhaling all the fumes from burning hydrocarbons.

Basically, any heat applied to any food causes all sorts of reactions that scientists don't know all that much about. If you ignore that and focus on the method of heating, sure, you'll find all sorts of nasty things present in microwaved food. You'll definitely see proteins "unfolded" - because all cooking causes proteins to denature. That is how cooking meat etc kills any lurking pathogens.

BTW -you'll notice in the citations that the scary claims are coming from such renown scientific journals as "The Straight Dope"

Actually, microwave energy and heat (infrared) energy ARE the same thing. Microwaves are a lower frequency form of infrared.

And if you are truly afraid of electromagnetic radiation, turn off your computer and walk away. You're getting a healthy dose right now looking at your screen.

Personally, I'm a lot more afraid of cell phones than of microwave ovens.

I hate to even propagate this thread, but the "articles" that judydel linked to are full of, welll, rubbish. And misinformation. And conflation of ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation. And invention of technical-sounding terms that are devoid of actual meaning. For example, there is an active field of research called biophotonics, and the second article judydel linked to referred to it. It has to do with the interaction of biological materials and light. Light is made up of things called photons. (This finding is what Einstein received his Nobel Prize for, and has been known since 1905.) So the article went on assert that there are things called "biophotons" that are "stored in" food, and transmit "bio-information" (whatever that is), etc. Of course, wouldn't you know it, microwaves could potentially have an uncanny ability to disrupt these biophotons! (Or so says our article.)

It is all rubbish. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof -- not invention of scare-mongering terms.

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
Arthur Schopenhauer
German philosopher (1788 - 1860)

Yes there are biophotons in food that are measurable . . . and these biophotons communicate with our cells. This is already proven.

"Properties of Biophotons and their Theoretical Implications" from the
International Journal of Biophysics states:
"Biological phenomena like intracellular and intercellular communication, cell growth and differentiation, interactions among biological systems (like "Gestaltbildung" or swarming), and microbial infections can be understood in terms of biophotons. "Biophotonics", the corresponding field of applications, provide a new powerful tool for assessing the quality of food (like freshness and shelf life), microbial infections, environmental influences and for substantiating medical diagnosis and therapy."
http://www.anatomyfacts.com/research/PropertiesBioph.pdf

"Light Emitting Cells Determine Food Quality and Bodily Health"
http://ezinearticles.com/?Light-Emitting-Cells-Determine-Food-Quality-and-Bodily-Health&id=1996890

Assessing Food Quality by its Afterglow
http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Lcoherentbiophotons.htm

Does DNA Emitt Light?
http://viewzone2.com/dnax.html

Are we emitting radiation by 'heating' up this topic??? ;)

I'm more worried about the garbage that goes into our minds & spirits that hurt us. Or the excess alcohol & smoking that does way more damage than any 45-second zap of leftovers.

Anyway...don't want to 'stir' the pot & this one's on the stovetop! LOL

Well, I have to hide from ultraviolet wavelengths (sunshine) because of a metabolic disorder. Microwaves are just another part of the spectrum I prefer to avoid overexposure to. No point going and crawling under a rock given all those natural earthy molds and fungi, though, of course. :)

Ecobuzz, I virtually never cook in our microwave so could do without it just fine. I do, however, multiply recipes and freeze extra dinner portions, defrost in the MV (if not on our second-floor living room porch), and briefly heat in the microwave. Fairly green as long as not compared with grubbing for roots and berries in our woods instead (they're there, but I planted for the birds and other critters, not us). We also use it to make tea and reheat coffee frequently.

I chose the size to hold a plate, but if I needed the room I might choose a smaller one that would hold a pint of frozen soup, and of course a tea cup.

On the same wavelength, we had a toaster oven about 25 years ago but just never used it. Sort of like you and microwaves. Same for the cupboard-guzzling crockpot I bought but used once because my 48" wide Wedgewood range did everything it did.

So bottom line is, it did make the cut because of its special contribution, but it just wasn't a big should-I-have-one layout issue--beyond listing it with a whole mountain of other stuff I won't have on the counter. Given the way I use it, I would put one in a pantry or behind an upper cabinet door (the small ones will fit in an upper).

Just a factual note - biophoton is a real term. It just means radiation, yes radiation, produced by a living organism.

"Yes there are biophotons in food that are measurable . . . and these biophotons communicate with our cells. This is already proven. "

And that is where we leave science and move into nonsense. Yes, cells communicate with each other. However, when you microwave them, grill them, boil them or whatever, you destroy or deform almost all of the complicated molecules. Also, all biological organisms decay with time once they are dead. So yes, you can measure all sorts of complex molecules and that can give you a way to measure freshness. That does not mean a whole lot in terms of their nutritional value though. After all, bacon doesn't become a healthfood no matter how fresh you get it.

Bill you obviously haven't read anything I've posted in entirety. That's okay. We can agree to disagree. I'll go with the more gentle methods of heating food, not overcooking, eating some food raw, cooking from non GMO, organic, basic ingredients of home grown vegetables, herbs, fruit, our own henhouse eggs, raw cultured dairy, raw honey, and a bit of meat products, nothing in a box, seldom from a can, and nixing the micro. Just trying to share what I think is valuable information that I was blessed to receive 35 years ago. My family and I are blessed with no health conditions, my husband and I still have our natural hair colors at ages 55 and 59 and are told we look 10+ years younger than our ages. We never take prescription medications. These are our choices and it's working well for us so far. We consider food sacred and believe "you are what you eat". I practice energy healing and have helped many clients through hands on healing, effecting their biophotons if you will, through my energy field and intentions. I can, dry, freeze, pickle, bake and cook with joy.

judydel I'm with you !!! :)
Had a large microwave(a boyfriend gave it to me) and really enjoyed using it...as a file cabinet for paid bills. Also no TV---gasp! (never got converter box from analog to digital) so my kitchen has no microwave, no mounted TV.
Ecobuzz think about if you really need the microwave. Use the space for plants or a few good cookbooks...they just look cluttered on the counter. Just because most kitchens include them you do not have to. If you ferment oatmeal overnight w/yoghurt or buttermilk it cooks super fast on the stove, you can steam vegetables in a few minutes on the stove, and if you want a baked potato make a few while your'e roasting a chicken or stuffed eggplant(if your'e a vegetarian). If your life is too stressful to cook (w/o a microwave) maybe you need to look at how you allocate your time(just a paraphrase from the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon)

i dislike the smells a microwave makes.
I don't like the noise.
I don't like looking into microwaves. The cavity of the microwave.

Microwaving to cook stuff might be "unhealthy" in a fuzzy way. Or not. We would know by now. These are not new toys.

I just don't like them. But, I wonder if I might like a microwave more if it were installed in a wall recess under the cooktop exhaust. I found there wasn't any easy way to hook it up to the kitchen exhaust ventilation (the hood over the cooktop).

We don't have one and are not putting one into our kitchen reno simply for resale. We won't be selling anytime soon, and when we do the new owners can replace the range hood and put in an over the range microwave if they like - it really wouldn't be that big a deal in the grand scheme of purchasing a new home. Heck, they'll probably want to make changes to the kitchen to suit their pesonal taste anyway!

I work in the nuclear industry so I'm not overly worried about the radiation concerns... I know there are far more scary things we do on a day to day basis to worry about. I am however concerned about how ugly they are, and how much precious space they take up in a small kitchen. I've only ever used them for popcorn anyway, and making it on the stove gives me more control about what crap gets put on my popcorn: loads of real butter when I am being bad, and sometimes I even eat it plain when I am being good. Popcorn with real butter lasts 100x better then microwave popcorn with that weird powdery/dry butter "flavour".

I use my microwave to warm leftover tea and sometimes to warm leftovers. I bought the smallest one that would hold a dinner plate, because I can't imagine actually cooking with it. I didn't want it in my new gorgeous kitchen because it would break my long lines of counter and cabs. So it is on a shelf in the laundry area, right outside the kitchen door and it's fine. So far none of my small appliances have escaped their designated hideouts to cover my gorgeous marble.

While I don't consider mercola a reliable source of info, I am with Judydel. I don't have a microwave, never would use one, don't want one and am not putting one in my kitchen renovation. When I had one once upon a time, I only ever used it for microwave popcorn which is so easy to make on the stovetop. I also don't have instant hot water. I like the ritual of boiling water if I want hot water.

don't have one … never will … there is something about them that I just don't trust -- not that I have any scientific or specific basis -- they just don't feel right. Going with my gut feeling (well, we are in the kitchen!) on this. And i've never missed having one….

I am without a microwave. I never used it. It took up valuable counter space so I ditched it. Much happier with more space. I prefer to reheat food in oven.