sparksIt was November 2007, and I was making an afternoon snack. I pop some veggie Buffalo wings into the microwave. I’m hungry and impatient, and I stare at my food as though doing that will make it cook faster. I see sparks of blue flash, or at least I think I do, and then there’s an awful burning smell. I stop the microwave, and it looked as though a laser burned a few spots on my veggie wings.

Blue flashes, laser-like burns in my food: these things are too sci-fi for me to handle, so I arranged to get rid of the microwave. I was pissed because the warranty expired; Zac and I had to host a dinner party later that evening; and I don’t like anyone or anything messing with my veggie wings.

We haven’t replaced that microwave since then. At first it was because I learned that many people had a similar experience with this cheapo GE microwave found at Wal-Mart. I figured this is the punishment you deserve for shopping at Wal-Mart, so if we ever wanted a reliable microwave, we’d have to spend upwards of $150, which neither of us felt like doing.

A few days without a microwave hardly made an impact on our lives. We had a recipe that called for melted butter. Usually we’d turn to the microwave, but we used a sauté pan instead, and it worked just fine.

One night while making dinner, I started putting frozen veggies in tupperware, as I often did when I’d cook them in the microwave. I steamed the veggies in a pot instead, and they actually came out better.

Days without a microwave turned into weeks, and we hardly noticed its absence. A couple of times we groaned about wanting to heat up our coffee, but then we learned to keep coffee hot longer by heating our mugs with warm water before pouring coffee.

Heating leftovers in a pan or oven took some extra time, but eventually we got used to it. Sometimes there were extra dishes to clean; sometimes it was the same amount of work as getting microwave-safe dishes dirty.

I even got accustomed to heating my veggie wings in the toaster oven.

As I type this, I’m looking at the counter space where the microwave used to sit. Part of me thinks a microwave belongs there, but there’s another part that doesn’t see the point. Why buy something you really don’t need?

I’m not anti-microwave at all. I think they’re great for the office, or a dorm. But at home, I think there’s truth to the saying that a microwave is just an over-priced popcorn popper.

But what about you, dear readers? Is the microwave another necessity we need to rethink?