I tend to be interested in the latest technology and the newest gadgets, yet I've never owned a microwave oven. It's hard to say exactly why, but I've always had this underlying negative opinion of the microwave oven. I think it is mainly because of what I tend to associate with the microwave oven - the fast-paced culture of modern times and the desire for immediate gratification. In some way I felt if I didn't own a microwave, I wasn't fully part of that fast-paced world. As a result, I've gone the past 15 years or so with just the trusty ol' range-top, oven, and toaster for my cooking needs. (Ok, I'll admit, the toaster was also a fairly late addition to my life, but for other reasons. The girlfriend/fiance who I was with for about 10 years felt a toaster represented too much of a commitment in a relationship, so she didn't want to have one - but she had toast and jam for breakfast every day! Do you know how wasteful it is to use a full-sized oven to make toast?? And as for commitment, never mind the fact that we built a house together or were engaged to get married - those things apparantly didn't represent commitment like a toaster did. Come to think of it, I'm now wondering if it was shortly after the toaster purchase that she left. Hmmm.... maybe the toaster was just too much...)
Anyways, back to the topic of microwave ovens. Today I bought one. It just makes sense. With my current schedule, I generally get home at 10:00pm on weeknights and I haven't even had dinner yet. The time it takes to cook something on these nights directly affects when I get to go to bed. Plus, I'm already eating many things that can be cooked in a microwave oven so it's not like I'm altering my diet. These items generally are cooked dramatically quicker in a microwave vs. stove top or conventional oven. In general, the microwave will save me anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. And it all only costs me $49 (and some loss of kitchen counter space). I can now eat earlier, which means I can get to sleep sooner, which means I can either get a bit more sleep, or get up earlier, giving me extra time in my day. The wonders of 20+ year-old technology....