The Only 6 Foods I'll Make in the Microwave

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The microwave gets a bad rap and honestly, it kind of deserves it. A microwave's intense rays are good for reheating some foods (here's the best way to reheat everything) but the microwave isn't so adept at cooking. In my house, the air fryer has replaced the microwave for most quick cooking and reheating tasks. 

I call on the microwave to quickly soften butter to revive last night's mashed potatoes but it largely serves as a digital clock above my oven. There are still a few foods I'll make from scratch in the microwave: six specifically that handle microwave penetrating rays well and don't turn out dry, rubbery or unevenly cooked.

If you're wondering if the microwave is the right place to defrost meats or cook frozen foods, the answer is usually no. Here is the proper (and safe) way to defrost meat. As for frozen snacks such as pizza bites and empanadas, get yourself a $75 air fryer and thank me later.

Here are the only six foods I'll make in the microwave. 

Poached eggs 

This might sound like an odd one but poaching eggs in the microwave is my favorite use of the common appliance. All it takes is one minute, give or take, a small bowl of water and an egg. Here's my step-by-step explainer for making poached eggs in the microwave.

Rice

I'm a die-hard rice cooker user -- I always get it a little wrong on the stovetop -- but when there's no rice cooker to be found, I usually opt for microwave rice. It's fast, cleanup-free and difficult to mess up. 

To make rice in the microwave, put 1 cup long-grain white rice, 2 cups water (or 1 cup milk and 1 cup water for creamy rice), and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a microwavable bowl and mix the ingredients together. Cook it on high for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the rice is tender. 

Nachos

I know some people are going to come for me on this one, but microwave nachos are still my favorite. I won't turn my nose up at oven-baked nachos, but the microwave is my go-to for this classic snack. Why, you ask (probably in horror)? It's because a microwave doesn't dry out the chips or the cheese. 

What can I say? I like a soggy nacho. Plus, it only takes about 50 seconds to melt the cheese and heat the salsa into a gloopy, gloppy delicious nacho mess. 

If you're not a soggy nacho lover like me, try using an air fryer since it will also melt the cheese quickly without drying it out or burning the corn chips. 

Popcorn

Popcorn is a microwave classic and that's for a reason. It deftly turns those hard kernels into a puffy snack as well as any other method. If you're not keen on bagged microwave popcorn, this $12-dollar device will make microwave popcorn from scratch and save you money on the packaged stuff. 

Baked potatoes 

Potatoes are another one of those rare foods that can handle a microwave's mysterious heat and not crumble under the rays. For a fast-baked potato, microwave your spud on high for 12-15 minutes, depending on the size, checking occasionally for doneness with a fork. 

I like to stick the cooked potato in an air fryer on high for 30 seconds afterward to get crispy skin. It sure beats waiting an hour for potatoes to bake in the oven. 

Mug cakes

I don't do a lot of baking but the microwave turns out tasty cakes with very little skill required. Mug cakes were very trendy a few decades ago and there's a reason. Mixing ingredients into a batter and flash-cooking them in the microwave nets a gooey cake that goes particularly well over ice cream or simply eaten with a spoon. 

Here's how to make a perfect mug cake on any night that cake craving comes calling.