Surprising Uses for Your Microwave

The microwave was just about the best invention to come to the kitchen in the last 100 years. It makes preparing a perfectly good meal convenient and fast. In just seconds you can enjoy the leftover pasta from the restaurant you went to the night before. However, there are other uses for microwaves rather than just heating up your leftovers.

Remove Stamps

You can unstick a stamp from an envelope by putting a drop of water on the stamp and putting the envelope in the microwave for 20 seconds. The stamp will peel off easily when it’s done.

Clean Your Sponge

Just think about how dirty your kitchen sponge is after cleaning a few plates after dinner. To disinfect it, soak it in water, wring it out, and put it in the microwave for 2 minutes. It will kill almost all of the germs that have been harboring there.

Toasted Nuts

You don’t have to spend a ton of money buying toasted nuts. Instead, put them in your microwave for three to eight minutes. They’ll be delicious, especially when served warm.

Make Potato Chips Crispy

There’s no greater sadness than when you find out your potato chips have gone stale because someone left the bag open. To make them crispy again, simply put them on a paper towel and microwave them for a few seconds. They’ll come out tasting fresh and crisp.

Disinfect Cutting Boards

Cutting boards are another kitchen item that can get pretty germy. To kill these germs, rub each side with half a lemon. Then place it in the microwave for about a minute.

Prevent Food from Exploding

To keep your food from exploding in the microwave, puncture holes in the surface so that the steam can get out as it heats up. This works great with potatoes and tomatoes.

Clean Your Microwave

Forget scrubbing that old food off the walls of your microwave. Next time you want to clean it, put a bowl of water with lemons in the microwave for five minutes. It will make it so much easier to wipe off that crusty food.

Make Scrambled Eggs

If you’re running late one morning, make scrambled eggs in the microwave. Beat your eggs in a mug and microwave for 45 seconds. Take it out, stir again, and microwave for another 45 seconds. You can also add cheese, vegetables, and more!

Stop from Crying While Cutting an Onion

Nobody likes crying while cutting an onion. Before you start chopping, cut off both ends of the onion and microwave it for 30 seconds. This will stop you from crying.

Dry Out Your Herbs

If you have too many herbs coming out of your garden that you don’t know what to do with, start drying them out in the microwave. Put them on a paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Take them out, flip them over, and do it again. It should take about two to four minutes total.

Refresh Your Bread

Bakery bread seems to get stale so fast. Refresh your bread by wrapping it in a damp paper towel and placing it in the microwave for 10 seconds. It will absorb the moisture and become softer.

Peel Garlic Easily

Easily peel your garlic cloves by placing them in the microwave for 15 seconds. The skin will slide right off of the cloves so you don’t have to worry about fighting to get it off.

Cook Beans Faster

Some of the dried out beans can take a while to cook on the stove. Speed up the process by putting the beans in a bowl of water with a pinch of baking soda and microwaving it for 10 minutes. Let them sit for 30 minutes afterwards.

Peel Peaches and Tomatoes

Peaches and tomatoes are pretty fragile fruits, especially when it comes to peeling the skin off. Microwave the fruit for 30 seconds and then wait two minutes. The skin will slide right off.

Sterilize Soil

One trick to having your plants grow well and lush is to sterilize your soil. Place it in the microwave for a few seconds to kill off any germs.

Revive Old Mascara

To keep your mascara from getting dried out and clumping, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. It will become soft again and feel just like new.

Juice Your Fruits

If you have ever tried to squeeze juice from a cold citrus fruit, you know just how hard it can be. More juice will come out if you put the fruit in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds. It should be warm, not hot though.

Make Honey Liquid Again

While honey never goes bad, it can crystallize over time. Help it return to its natural state by placing it in the microwave. Eventually, it will become liquid again.

Homemade Heating Pads

If you have a sore neck and in need of a heating pad, take an old sock and fill it with rice. Sew the opening closed and throw it in the microwave for a minute or two. It’ll feel great on those tense muscles.

Cook Fish Quickly

You can cook your fish quickly by placing it on a microwave safe dish with seasoning. Microwave for two minutes and enjoy!

Bake a Mug Cake

The next time you’re craving a piece of cake but don’t want to bake an entire cake, make a small one in a mug using the microwave. You’ll have a delicious piece of cake in just minutes. However if you like to have a unique flavored cake, like a durian cake, you can always purchase it from https://emicakes.com.sg/durian-cakes.

Steam Veggies

Vegetables don’t lose as many nutrients when you steam them compared to sautéing or baking them. Simply microwave them with some water in a bag for a few minutes until they are soft and tender.

Keep Brown Sugar Soft

When your brown sugar gets rock hard, place it in the microwave with a damp paper towel. Microwave 30 seconds at a time until it becomes soft again.

Cook Your Bacon

Everyone loves bacon in the morning. Make it easily and with less of a mess by placing it in the microwave on a paper towel for two minutes at a time until it’s cooked and crisp.

Proof Your Bread Dough

If you’re making homemade bread, you know you have to let the dough rise. Use your microwave as a proofer by heating up a cup of water until it starts to steam then putting the dough in the microwave with it. Keep the door closed and check back later to see it rise.

Soften Beauty Products

Over time your beauty products can dry out and get hard. Rather than buying a brand new one, put them in the microwave for about 20 seconds to make them soft and feel like new.

Determine Microwave Safe Products

If you are wondering what dishes are microwave safe and which aren’t, here is a nifty trick. Use a cup that you already know is microwave safe and fill it with water. Put it on the plate you are testing and microwave until it starts to boil. If the dish is cool, then it’s safe. If it’s hot then you shouldn’t put it in the microwave.

Froth Milk

Stop spending so much at Starbucks for a latte or cappuccino and froth your milk in the microwave. You can enjoy specialty coffee drinks right at home.

Partially Cook Grilled Foods

Vegetables can take a little while to grill. Cut that time down by cooking them in the microwave for a couple of minutes before putting them on the grill.

10-Minute Dinner

You can make yourself dinner in just 10 minutes with the microwave. If a recipe calls for poaching, steaming, or braising, you can cook it right in the microwave in just a quarter of the time it takes to cook it regularly.

Smores Without the Campfire

If you’re craving an ooey-gooey smore but don’t have a campfire handy, make it in the microwave! Put your smore together and microwave for 7 seconds.

Cook Your Pasta

You’ll never have to wait for water to boil again. Cook your pasta in the microwave for about 20 minutes. For every cup of pasta you’re cooking, add a quart of water.

Cook Corn on the Cob

Not only is microwaving corn on the cob easier than boiling or grilling it but it will taste so much better. When it’s microwaved, the flavors stay better.

Make Ice Cream Softer

Stop struggling to get a scoop of ice cream out of the container if it’s rock hard. Place the container in the microwave for just a few seconds to make it softer. It’ll save you from having plenty of broken spoons over the years.

Poach an Egg

Poaching an egg may be the hardest way to cook them. In a bowl with a little bit of white vinegar, crack the egg and poke the yolk with a toothpick. Place it in the microwave, covered with plastic wrap, for seconds. Remove the bowl then turn the egg over and put it back in for another 20 seconds.

Make Brownies

Make brownies in just a minute and a half in the microwave. It’s easier, less messy, and they still come out tasting delicious!

Melt Coconut Oil

There are many great uses for coconut oil. When it gets hard from sitting on the shelf, simply pop it in the microwave to melt it.

Hot Compress

To make a quick hot compress, soak a towel in water and place it in the microwave for a minute. It’s so much faster than waiting for the water from the sink to heat up.

Make Leftover French Fries Crispy

Nobody likes eating soggy French fries. If you’re reheating fries from the night before, put them on a crisper pan instead of a regular dish. They’ll taste fresh and crisp all over again.

Parmesan Crisps

Parmesan crisps are a great addition to any pasta dish or salad. Simply grate some parmesan cheese on parchment paper and microwave it for 30 seconds.

Shuck Corn Easily

Microwave corn on the cob to make shucking it easier. It will also keep those pesky strands from getting stuck to the corn. After cutting the stalk off, microwave for about a minute.

Homemade Potato Chips

Slice thin pieces of potato and coat them with olive oil and salt. Microwave them in a single layer for three to five minutes and you’ll have your own homemade (and healthier) potato chips!

Makeshift Kiln

Turn your microwave into a kiln for your pottery projects with just a kiln kit. You’ll be able to harden your clay creations and even fuse glass together.

Dye Yarn

Put white yarn in a bowl of water and Kool-Aid to dye it. While it’s in the bowl, microwave it for a few minutes and the color will adhere to the yarn.

Soap Cloud Project

If you’re looking to entertain some kids, place a piece of Ivory soap in the microwave for two and a half minutes. It’ll expand and grow so that you can mold and play with it. The kids will have a blast.

French Toast in a Cup

You can have French toast right in the microwave in just two minutes. Forget taking the pan out and frying it. This is much faster and makes much less of a mess.

Make Pickles Without the Wait

Long gone are the days of waiting weeks until your cucumbers turned into pickles. Simply slice up your cucumbers, put them in a jar with vinegar, sugar, onion, and seasonings and microwave for 8 minutes.