Single and no microwave

[kita]

Okay, I have just moved and I have a problem.

My microwave was one of the things that was left because it didn't seem worth shipping. I figured that one of a couple things would happen: I would find one on Craig's list, I would purchase one or a family member might have an extra one for me to use.

None of that has happened. Money has been tighter than I thought and microwaves out here more expensive. Maybe I need to find a Wal-mart.

Anyway, does anyone have good ideas on how to cook cheaply as a single without a microwave? I have a crockpot. (Christmas gift, woo-hoo..) and a bread machine. And an electric stove with an oven. And a tiny drip coffee maker.l

I am accustomed to cooking on the weekend and throwing "leftovers" into the microwave most of the week. Any good ideas out there?

[TigerGirl1226]

DH and I lived without a microwave for about a year. You just have to figure out what heats best in the oven and what heats best stove top. Honestly, for us it was trial and error.

It may behoove you to get a micro though because the power required to use multiple things instead of the micro. Just a thought.

[dcompton]

I agree with TigerGirl. You can experiment with what reheats different ways, but I would focus on what you can heat on the stovetop. Heating the oven to warm a single portion is very expensive.

You could also try to make do for a while with more things that don't require reheating. Sandwiches, salads, anything you don't mind cold.

I would also agree to try find a way to get a microwave. If you only use it for reheating, a small one would be enough.

Have you checked Craig's list for toaster ovens. That would be better to reheat small portions than your large oven.

I feel for you. As another single, I would really hate to be without my microwave.

[Josephhgoins]

Find a Wal-mart!

I purchased one for my camper from there a few years ago for less than $30.00

Also, keep in mind that you could probably find one at a thrift shop to make due, until you can get a better one. I would just give it a good cleaning.

Don't get me wrong, I prefer the oven usually over the Microwave, but your power bill will be quiet a bit higher.

I bet Grainlady has all sorts of good suggestions that she can share with you.

[Contrary Housewife]

Look for a toaster oven. K-Mart has one for $20 (http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_1...W011131020001P) The other discount dept stores should have similar ones. Try to find the freecycle list for your area and ask for either a microwave or toaster oven there. It will be free.

I went to college in the days before microwaves were affordable and portable. We lived on hot plates, toasters, and room temp food.

Think about stuff you can reheat on the stove, like soup, stew, chili, rice and pasta. With leftover rice you can add a little water to get it steamy, or turn it into stir fry. Drop leftover pasta into boiling water for 30 seconds to heat it up. Vegetables can be steamed in a little water (1/4" in the pan) with the lid on, or dunked into hot water like the pasta. Don't let them cook too long.

If you have leftover meats like chicken or pork chops they can be heated in a small frying pan over low heat with a little water to create steam, or a little oil to help crisp it up if it was breaded. You want to keep the temp low to heat it slowly without burning it, since it is already fully cooked and just needs warmed through. Putting a lid over your pan will help hold heat in and make it go faster.

Sliced pizza can be reheated in a lightly oiled skillet, with a lid over it.

Consider turning leftover meats into hot sandwiches. Start like you are making grilled cheese, two slices of toasted bread onto which you have melted cheese. Chop some chicken or pot roast and sprinkle it over the top. Let it sit on low heat for a while until it is warm through.

[savvy_sniper]

Check WalMart, Target, BestBuy, etc. I got my microwave really cheap at BestBuy because it was a floor model - no box or instructions. You could also check eBay (search for listings in your area with free pickup), craigslist, garage sales, AND thrift stores. My brother bought a used one from a board at work for $30.

Research, research, research and shop, shop, shop. It WILL payoff in the end.

[Neeley]

Our microwave is our bread box. It has not been plugged in at all for over two years. To be honest, I doubt I will ever use one again. Anything can be reheated on the stove or in the oven.

Things like spaghetti and other pastas that you have already mixed with the sauce are easily reheated by melting a little butter in the bottom of the pan then adding the spaghetti. When we eat things like ribs, pork chops, or chicken we pop them in the oven for about twenty minutes on 350*. I freeze pancakes in batches. The kids will throw them on a cookie sheet and warm in the oven for between 8-10 minutes on 350*. Veggies are easy to reheat on the stove top as well.

[Palooka]

Remember the days before the microwave? My mom would turn those left over mashed potatoes into those fried like patties.

I remember looking forward to that night of eating.

Anyhoo, there is some great tips so far.

[Grainlady]

My sister and I (we're both "old" - so you know where we're coming from) often have the discussion that the day's coming when people can't cook without a microwave, and ironically, neither of us use ours and I've owned one since 1979.

I have a Convection/Microwave and use the convection feature for low-cost fast baking. I can bake a loaf of bread in 20-minutes without pre-heating. It's a workhorse in my kitchen and does most of the baking. I had a counter-top convection/microwave about 10-years ago (purchased on-line from Overstock.com), and I'd never go back to just a microwave alone. But to the question, here are some ideas for you.

1. Stir-fry is a really quick way to prepare food, and maintain a lot of nutrition. Use frozen veggies, fresh veggies, or a combination of frozen and fresh. You can often get small amounts of produce from the salad bar at the grocery store if you only need a small amount of something. The salad bar is also a good place to get toppings for homemade pizza. Pan frying also takes very little time.

2. As already mentioned, the trusty toaster oven. There are complete cookbooks written for toaster ovens, and it's been another favorite of mine over the years. I can bake chicken tenderloins sprinkled with SPIKE seasoning mixture, or a small meatloaf, a couple potatoes, and add 2 pieces of foil-wrapped cornbread from the freezer to reheat, and make a whole meal in the toaster oven. Add a tossed salad and fruit for dessert! I'd also suggest checking the library for cookbooks for cooking for one or two. Most of the recipes are easy to fix.

3. As a gadget person, a GT Xpress 100 or the Xpress Redi Set Go (which is a little larger) is a fun appliance for really quick meals. I love using this in the summer, along with our solar ovens.

4. Hubby's favorite "meal" to make is a quesadilla, which are quick to make with 2 tortillas (or cut one in half and make a smaller portion), shredded cheese, spiced meat of some kind (taco meat from the freezer, shredded leftover chicken or pork, etc.) and cooked on a griddle or frying pan. You don't need a quesdilla maker.

5. Although this web site is to encourage kids to cook, I've found a lot of great recipes there that are all easy to make.

Kid's A Cookin - http://www.kidsacookin.ksu.edu/

I never spend much time cooking for a person who makes 3-meals a day. Most of my cooking is done once and divided into user-friendly amounts and stockpiled in the freezer and most entrees are located in the freezer and only require reheating.

I make mashed potatoes when I find potatoes buy one bag, get one free and freeze them in single-serving dollops in FoodSaver bags. I only make mashed potatoes a few times a year this way, but I always have mashed potatoes in the freezer to use for meals. If you thaw the potatoes in the refrigerator, you can heat it in a pan.

Taco meat: Brown and drain 1-pound ground beef. Add 1-2 t. taco seasoning from a package, and 1/8-1/4 c. salsa from a jar. I portion this in 3-ounce amounts for 1 serving of meat. I can use it for a plethora of things depending on whether you have hard taco shells or soft tortillas at the ready. Add it to a tossed salad for a taco salad, along with a few tortilla chips.

I make chili and portion it in 1/2-cup plastic containers and freeze it. I use this amount as a topping for a baked potato, or as the base for a taco salad (similar to Wendy's), as well as for chili.

Pre-cooked seasoned chicken or beef can be used frozen and quickly reheated to use in a wrap, the meat in a dinner salad, tossed into the stir-fry (my favorite way to use up produce in the refrigerator and we have stir-fry every Wednesday). I love to cook a food once and use for many meals and in a number of ways.

I make a recipe of Ground Beef Stroganoff and freeze it in single portions. When I have some leftover rice, or I'll boil some homemade noodles in a few minutes, and reheat the Stroganoff to top the rice or noodles.

Good luck extending your cooking skills and menu selections without a microwave.

[foxxyroxie]

I can sympathize... I've lived without a microwave for an extended period of time. I missed it terribly.

I agree that you'll just have to go by trial and error on reheating things. Makes for a little more meal planning because frozen stuff takes a bit longer to cook/reheat. I have found that meat does not have to be completely thawed to throw in the crockpot. The pork steaks I crockpot cooked today were partially frozen, even though I had taken them out of the freezer and put them in the frig. Sunday afternoon.

Keep looking at classified and trading websites (freecycle, craigslist, ebay, shopgoodwill.com) to get one. I got one from freecycle a few years ago for free when our other one went out and we were just a few months away from moving 700 miles away (that one didn't make the move 700 miles... I couldn't justify the space in the space in the moving trailer for something I got for free). I'd suggest trying Big Lots or similar stores. They tend to stock factory remanufactured small appliances. I purchased a remanufactured microwave from another similar type store and paid less than $40 for one that would sell for probably $80 or more. Just be patient and keep looking.

[Libby]

I'd suggest steaming your food to reheat it - for things that don't need to be crispy. If possible, go to Chinatown or asian market and see if they have one for sale - bamboo steamers are usually more affordable then the stainless steel versions.

All you have do is put your food in a heat safe dish/plate and pour water in the bottom of the frying pan or wok. Bring to a boil then turn down to medium heat, insert steamer then dish with the food followed by the lid. Check back in 5-10 mins and adjust time according to food.

Just thought of this better alternative - the asian stores will have this circular metal ring with legs on it. Place that in the pan with water, dish on top and cover frying pan to trap the steam. The ring is usually $1-$2 and the bamboo steamer is under $10 approx.

I hope that helps.

[kita]

Wow, thanks for all the great ideas. There are a couple of Asian stores nearby which might have the ring thing. And I'll try some of the ideas for reheating. Did anyone eat fried spaghetti as a child? I did and while I loved it, I don't think my waistline would tolerate it anymore.
I did buy some canned milk so I can make stove top mac and cheese. Will look for some homemade "instant" pasta side dishes. I always thought it was a waste of time because I could just make up a big batch of pasta, but this might be a time they would be worthwhile.
Also, I hadn't thought about toaster ovens. I might be able to get one cheaper than a microwave at goodwill. The microwaves I saw at goodwill were almost as expensive as the ones in the stores. Must check Big Lots. hmmmm .. lots to think about.

[frugalfranny]

Oh - don't think I could live w/o my microwave.

Watch CL. I see them on ours either free or cheap.

[druthb00]

I agree completely about the toaster oven. They're great, esp the convection style ovens that work the same as a bigger conventional oven. I've even been making whole casseroles in mine since it's much cheaper to use than a regular electric oven. You can get a regular cheap-o back & decker at BigLots for $20-30 where I lived before. The one I have now is a convection style and cost me about $65 on overstock.com. I think the only thing I use my microwave for is to defrost meat.....

[Siebrie]

Colleague/classmate/shopassistant: "are you new around here?"
You: "Yes I just moved here from X. I love it here and have a great apartment. The only thing I'm still looking for is a secondhand microwave."