Unexpected uses of a microwave oven

Cooking quick meals, baking potatoes, warming up skincare and hair care products, roasting nuts... these are some quick and easy ways to prepare food using a microwave oven that not everyone knows about.

Besides popping popcorn, this useful household appliance has many other surprising uses waiting for you to discover:

Disinfect and deodorize sponges.

Don't throw away that smelly, fishy kitchen sponge. Soak it in warm water with white vinegar or lemon juice, then heat it on high for about a minute in the microwave. This will kill bacteria and eliminate the unpleasant odor of the sponge you used to wipe up fruit juice, raw meat, etc.

Image credit: Promo-wholesale.com.

Cook a complete dinner in just 10 minutes.

You can have a varied dinner with your microwave in minimal time. Braised salmon, boiled beans, mashed potatoes... all can be cooked quickly in the microwave. Use the microwave for any menu from braising, steaming, boiling, and it will only take 3/4 of your usual cooking time. Remember to stir frequently to redistribute heat and always only remove food from the microwave after 1-2 minutes of the timer because the cooking process continues.

Roast potatoes

Microwaves not only help you get perfectly cooked, soft, and fragrant baked potatoes, but also create an attractive reddish-brown color, all in an average of about 4 minutes. You can cook as much as you want. A general rule for heating more food is to add 30 seconds for each extra cooking time.

Simple method: Score the potatoes with a small knife and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip the potatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes. To make mashed potatoes, warm the milk in the microwave before adding it to the potatoes.

Melting clotted honey

Solidified honey can be returned to its normal liquid state by opening the jar and heating it on medium heat in a microwave for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Fermenting flour

Regular dough proofing takes an hour or more at room temperature, but it can be reduced to 15 minutes in a microwave. Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place a 240ml cup of water in the center of the microwave, then place the bowl of dough in the middle and set to the lowest heat setting. Heat for about 3 minutes, then let the dough rest for 3 minutes. Heat for another 3 minutes, then let the dough rest for 6 minutes. The dough will double in size.

Warm up healthcare products

You use a microwave to heat up your coffee, why not try using it to reheat a gel pack for headaches or backaches? Don't do this with packages containing metal.

Warm up beauty products.

In just 10-20 seconds, you can warm up a packet of hair oil in the microwave and experience its amazing effects. You can also warm up moisturizing masks to help them absorb better when applied to the skin (remember to mix the mask well and test the temperature with your finger before applying it to your face). And if your hot wax hardens when you've only used half of it to remove leg hair, reheat it in the microwave. This saves you time and is less cumbersome than using a double boiler.

Grilled garlic

Roasting garlic takes 45 minutes in the oven but less than 8 minutes in the microwave. Cut off the tops of the garlic cloves. Place the garlic in a small, deep bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Pour 2 tablespoons of water into the bottom of the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes. Leave in the microwave for a few minutes before removing and peeling off the plastic wrap.

Partially cook for grilled dishes.

To reduce the cooking time for vegetables or even meat, you can pre-cook them in the microwave before grilling. This method saves you considerable time. The pre-cooking time varies depending on the type of food; for example, potatoes need 2 minutes, bell peppers about 1 minute, etc.

Help to extract all the juice from citrus fruits.

An orange or lemon taken straight from the refrigerator will be harder to squeeze than one left at room temperature or slightly warmed. To get the most juice, microwave the lemon for about 20 seconds before squeezing.

Roast nuts, bread, and coconut.

Using a microwave to bake these items takes only a quarter of the time it would in a conventional oven. Spread the nuts on a plate and heat on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute. Remember that they will continue to cook for about a minute after the microwave is turned off, so don't take them out immediately.

Cooking vegetables

Almost all vegetables can be steamed in the microwave without adding water. Place them in a large plate or bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and cook on high heat. Cooking times may vary depending on the type of vegetable; for example, spinach, mushrooms, and white beans take about 30 seconds, while crunchy vegetables like carrots take about 4 minutes.

According to VnExpress