The microwave gets a bad rap and, honestly, it kind of deserves it. A microwave's hot rays are good for reheating certain stuff (here's the best way to reheat everything) but these speedy machines aren't so skilled at cooking from scratch. In my home, the air fryer has gets tapped far more often than the microwave for most quick cooking, zapping and reheating tasks.
I do call on the microwave to soften butter or revive last night's mashed potatoes but there's not much I make from scratch in the microwave that doesn't turn out rubbery and dry.
That said, here are the only six foods I will make in the microwave that actually turn out tasty.
Poached eggs
The microwave makes a mean poached egg and it only takes 60 seconds to do it.
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.
Rice
In a pinch, the microwave turns out some fluffy rice in a hurry.
I'm a die-hard rice cooker user -- I always get it a little wrong on the stovetop -- but when there's no rice cooker to be found, I usually opt for microwave rice. It's fast, cleanup-free and difficult to mess 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.
Nachos
I know I'm going to catch heat for this microwave nachos are one of my favorite comfort foods.
I know some people are going to come for me on this one, but microwave nachos are still my favorite. I won't turn my nose up at oven-baked nachos, but the microwave is my go-to for this classic snack. Why, you ask (probably in horror)? It's because a microwave doesn't dry out the chips or the cheese.
What can I say? I like a soggy nacho. Plus, it only takes about 50 seconds to melt the cheese and heat the salsa into a gloopy, gloppy delicious nacho mess.
If you're not a soggy nacho lover like me, try using an air fryer since it will also melt the cheese quickly without drying it out or burning the corn chips.
Popcorn
Bag a rubber popcorn maker and skip the over-salted bags.
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. If you're not keen on bagged microwave popcorn, this $12-dollar device will make microwave popcorn from scratch and save you money on the packaged stuff.
Baked potatoes
Cook your potatoes in the microwave and finish them off in the toaster or air fryer.
Potatoes are another one of those rare foods that can handle a microwave's mysterious heat and not crumble under the rays. For a fast-baked potato, microwave your spud on high for 12-15 minutes, depending on the size, checking occasionally for doneness with a fork.
I like to stick the cooked potato in an air fryer on high for 30 seconds afterward to get crispy skin. It sure beats waiting an hour for potatoes to bake in the oven.
Mug cakes
Mug cakes take very little baking prowess to pull off.
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.
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.