The 5 Perfect Foods for Your Microwave Oven

I don’t use the microwave very often, especially now that my kitchen
is equipped with an air fryer. Microwaves gets a bad rap and much of it is earned. Microwave radiation can be really good for reheating some stuff (here’s the best way to reheat everything), especially when you’re strapped for time.

But it’s hard to make a meal from scratch, and other appliances are able to produce a tastier end result. In my home, the air fryer gets tapped five times more often than the microwave for quick cooking, zapping and reheating eats. 

This might sound like an odd one but poaching eggs in the microwave is my favorite use of the common appliance. All it takes is one minute, give or take, a small bowl of water and an egg. Here’s my step-by-step explainer for making poached eggs in the microwave.

2. Nachos

Popcorn is a microwave classic and that’s for a reason. It deftly turns those hard kernels into a puffy snack as well as any other method.

You might have to experiment with your microwave’s popcorn function, as it might leave too many unpopped kernels if you don’t add extra time. But once you figure out the perfect cooking time for your particular microwave, you’ll be able to consistently make a tasty move night snack in only a couple of minutes.

If you’re not keen on bagged microwave popcorn, this $12 device will make microwave popcorn from scratch and save you money on the packaged stuff. 

4. Baked potatoes 

I don’t do a lot of baking but the microwave turns out tasty cakes with very little skill required. Mug cakes were very trendy a few decades ago and there’s a reason. Mixing ingredients into a batter and flash-cooking them in the microwave nets a gooey cake that goes particularly well over ice cream or simply eaten with a spoon. 

Here’s how to make a perfect mug cake on any night that cake craving comes calling.

Rice, but only in a pinch

I’m a heavy rice cooker user — I always get it a little wrong trying to make rice on the stovetop — but when there’s no rice cooker to be found, I opt for microwave rice. It’s fast, cleanup-free and difficult to screw up. 

To make rice in the microwave, put 1 cup long-grain white rice, 2 cups water (or 1 cup milk and 1 cup water for creamy rice), and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a microwavable bowl and mix the ingredients together. Cook it on high for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the rice is tender. 

More on microwaves

If you’re wondering if the microwave is the right place to defrost meats or cook frozen foods, the answer is usually no. Here is the proper (and safe) way to defrost meat. As for frozen snacks such as pizza bites and empanadas, get yourself a $75 air fryer and thank me later.

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