Green Challenge: Unplugging the Microwave

Go Green in 2014: Week 16

Jason V / https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmv/

Unplugging the microwave...and other household appliances

This past week, my challenge was to unplug the microwave and to find alternative ways to cook and reheat all of our food - then to decide whether it was worth it.

First, let's go over how the week went:

Not long after unplugging the microwave, I needed (wanted?) to warm up a cup of coffee. I walked straight to it before remembering that it wasn't plugged in. In an attempt to creatively reheat my coffee, I ran another small cup through the Keurig using the same K-cup (Yeah, I know, K-cups are not very green. I'll tackle that problem later.). It was a little watery, but it worked. The coffee was at least a little warmer.

A couple days later, Dan went to the microwave to heat up some bacon for breakfast. Unfortunately, he had to waste a clean pan to fry it up on the stove instead. Throughout the week, we have had to cook our veggies on the stove and either bake our main dishes in the oven on throw them on the grill. I ended up reheating all my leftovers in the oven.

All in all, it is definitely possible to live without a microwave - people did it for a long time before their invention!

If you don't have a microwave, read this article I wrote on How to Survive without a Microwave.

What are the benefits of unplugging the microwave?

*Some people are concerned about losing nutrients by cooking food in the microwave. From what I have read, it doesn't seem to have a profound effect. Vegetables will lose some nutrients no matter how they are cooked; the key is to avoid overcooking them. However, it's up to you to decide whether you feel comfortable using the microwave or not.

*You can save a little money by keeping it unplugged. It's not a significant amount, even when on standby. However, if you find yourself able to keep it unplugged all the time, every penny saved is an extra penny in your pocket. On the other hand, you will need to use other sources of energy to heat up your food.

*You might be concerned about the radiation emitted by microwaves. Some research suggests that there may be a link between microwave radiation and cancer, while other studies cannot find one. If you can live without it, all the better for you.

Sure, I can live without a microwave. But we will be plugging ours back in simply because it does save a lot of time when reheating leftovers at lunchtime on workdays. Still, I tend to lean toward other methods for reheating certain types of food, simply because the microwave can turn them into a pile of mush.

There is one thing this challenge did inspire me to do, though: I have been consciously starting to unplug some of our appliances and household items, such as the toaster, to save energy when they aren't in use.

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Your challenge: This week, attempt to make everything without the use of a microwave; unplug it to save energy.

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**This post is part of a weekly challenge {Go Green in 2014}, during which the author has challenged herself - and you - to find 52 ways to lead a greener life in 2014. You can follow the weekly posts on this page.**