What did you do before owning a microwave?

My mother used to put meats in a sink with cold water to thaw or put it in the frige a couple of days before she used it. She reheated leftovers usually on the stovetop or in the oven but it took a lot more time. Electric Can Opener-she used a manual one that was kind of hard to turn. Automatic Coffee Maker-She used to boil it on the stove in a big metal pot. Carpet Steam Cleaner-She used stuff you sprayed out of a can and then vacuumed up. As I recall, it didn't work that well.

I remember when my mother got the automatic drip coffee maker, before that it was the perculator. Let alone the micorwave, the VCR or the DVD player. Let alone when cassettes became popular back when I was growing up, it was all LP's before that. Of course one of the things she loved when it came out, instant oatmeal. She'd take this on camping trips along with Tang. It was the only time we'd get Tang. Before the microwave? We ate a lot of cold left overs that's for sure. I still don't thaw with the microwave so I still do it the old fashion way. Same for baking. I do cook in it but not bake for the most part. However I do use it almost every day so it's worth having.

I wonder sometimes. We would defrost meat in a a sink of cold water. I think the gadget I like the most now is my electric hot water kettle. It heats water so fast that I am amazed and I use it all the time. From instant oatmeal to heating water for the one cup coffee drip. I also am amazed at the way we can dry our hair so fast when the first hair dryers didn't even move my hair around. Wow! I like the fact that they are ionized now and they dry faster even still. I really like the bowl that has the paper disc in it to make popcorn without all the additives that are in the prebagged popcorn. Orville Redenbacher has that one. I use that and I am able to control the amount of salt and I use the butter flavored oil that is made for it. Much better and much less fattening!

I like kitchen gadgets very much.So here some 1=fridge alarm,you put inside your fridge and sets of an alarm when it finds light over 30 second.It helps you understand that you let you fridge door open. 2=Pasta maker.You have your own pasta and spaghetti. 3=Pressure cooker.Save your time at the kitchen.(I real don't know when you first see at your country but my mother hadn't one. 3=Ice cream maker.The magic toy for your kids. 4=Kitchen thermometer.Very useful. 5=Meat slicer.For you slice what ever you like And many many others.Some more useful some not so much.All for your kitchen. .

1)We recently bought one of those vacuum sealers. My freezer is now full of meal size packages of meat. Frezer burn is a thing of the past. 2)Geore Foreman grill. I used that all the time and now that I have one where the grill can go in the dishwasher, I really love it. veggies and hot dogs and burgers. 3)Which brings to mind the dishwasher. Mom said she did not need one - she had me. I moved out, she got one. I guess she wasn't lying. 4)Breadmaker - again this is one of my favorite kitchen appliances, nothing smells better then walking into the house and smelling bread baking and a crock of soup. 5)The crockpot (slow cooker) - I don't know when they became popular, I know back about 25 years ago- they never lasted more then 2 seasons, the new generation of crockpots seem to last longer. I have 3 crockpots 1 qt, 4 qts and 6 qts. 6)Not an appliance but quality knives - my mother always seem to have a drawer full of knives that never stayed sharp. I have a great set that don't seem to need sharpening and I have been using going on 3 years. 7)A few years ago I bought Mom an electric bottle opener and a super shooter. She seems to like those. I think this is the list of the biggies for me. I hope you like it.

I remember before the microwave, everything had to be defrosted in the refridgerator or in cold water the night before. Food had to be cooked on the stove or in the oven and it seems to take forever. Electric Coffee Pot Electric Can Opener Non stick frying pans (we had cast iron) Vegetable choppers and slicers they had to use a knife. Electric knives Hot Air Popcorn poppers Electric Ice Cream makers Bagel Toaster Kitchen Aide

1. Microwave oven - we would put something in the lower part of the refrigerator, or on the shelf depending on how fast it needed to thaw. 2. VCR - my mom didn't live long enough to see is device. 3. Cordless Telephone - a simple thing, but made life quite a bit easier because one didn't have to run to answer the phone!

I love kitchen gadgets too but I don't own a microwave, really have no need for one, I only ever freeze meet but I defrost in the fridge by taken it out the night before. I couldn't live without my ken wood it makes my life so easy. Also my lean mean grill-er and sandwich toaster mm mm.

i had a grill oven that was enough good to cook and i still have it

I can remember when my mom got her first microwave... she did not want one! My uncle bought it for her and she honestly was going to take it back to the store! But we talked her into keeping it. We were just kids then. Now, I can't even imagine my life without one! My SIL bought us our first microwave for a wedding present. Thank goodness! Let's see, we used to have one of those really old ringer washing machines that you had to actually turn a crank and push the clothes through to get the water out... can you tell I'm old??? lol! Oh, and I remember getting our first dishwashing machine! Wow, was that a treat! My mom would only use it about once a week because she was afraid that she'd wear it out! lol! How about an electric can opener? She never did have one of those when we were little and I don't think she does yet! But I remember getting one as a wedding present.

I remember it well. I could do without my microwave even today. I mostly use it to reheat things. When I was married, we did not have a microwave, TV, clothes washer or dishwasher. I washed our clothes on my hands in a tub. I did not miss a TV and I could do without it today, as I really do not view much TV. I find that it is getting too dirty for me.

we cooked at our oven the food.now when we don't have the oven anymore we want it back but we don't use the microwave.it's strange but it's how it is.anyway the microwave is usefu,heat the water or my chocolate.

Ah.. what an interesting topic. Sometimes its good for some reflections and ponder on how blessed we are today. I recall when I was younger my beloved mother would always be frantically working in the kitchen to prepare daily meals for our family. Being from Malaysia, it is very rare these days to see people make Sambal Belacan the old fashion way by pounding them in a solid stone pounder. I can also remember vividly how the kitchen would be filled with frozen items in the early afternoon upon returning from school as she would be defrosting those items for dinner. With technology it does provide efficiency but also takes away a lot of olden values and traditions.

well there are alot gadgets which were not available in local market couples of year back but now they are getting popularity.. 1) Water Filter 2) Fire extinguisher 3) juicer/blender

wow i cant even imagine