Why Some People Are Breaking Up With Their Microwaves

Over the last few years, there has been a small but growing movement to break up with microwaves. If there is a modern convenience technology, there is almost always going to be someone who is suspicious of it, and microwaves are particularly susceptible to those concerns. Because of their non-tactile nature, and how few facts about microwaves are understood by people, they naturally raise concerns that they could be harmful, but the push to ditch them touches on more than that. It's an intersection of concerns over health, a movement to get back to more "natural" ways of living, and a simple recognition that microwaves might be a kitchen appliance you don't really need – particularly with the rise of the air fryer. Some of these concerns are more valid than others.

Browse TikTok or other places where people throw out life advice, and you'll find plenty of concern over microwaves' radiation. While microwaves do in fact give off radiation, it's a form of non-ionizing radiation similar to radio waves. It does not damage cells at all, it merely heats the liquid found inside food, so the worst it can do is burn you, like any other heat source. In fact candlelight emits more electromagnetic radiation than a microwave does. However, one valid area of health concerns here is heating food in plastic containers, as microwaving them can cause plastic to leech into food.

Another less specific concern around cooking with microwaves comes from a growing "back to nature," movement. This is seen with some homesteading influencers, who tout fully natural ways of cooking as both more satisfying and healthy. The desire to get back to a simpler pre-modern way of living is certainly strong in some people, and microwaves are a perfect symbol of modern convenience. Because this is more of a personal lifestyle choice, your mileage will vary based on your own preferences. There is certainly something satisfying about making food from scratch, and the sensory feelings you get from the sight, smell, and sounds of traditional cooking.

However some people in this same crowd, as well as other health and wellness influencers, also claim that microwaves destroy the nutrients in food, rendering it less healthy. This is not true. Any form of heating does damage some of the nutrients in food, but microwaves are no more harmful in this way than an oven or grill. In fact microwaves have actually been shown to damage the nutritional content of food less than other forms of cooking. That's because microwaves heat things so much faster, which leaves less time for the food to break down. So from both a radiation standpoint and a nutritional one, the two biggest health concerns driving people to break up with microwaves are unfounded.

There is one last reason why people will write op-eds and film videos about no longer using a microwave, and it's probably the most convincing for many home cooks: Microwaves often don't produce very good food. While there are a few from-scratch meals you can make with them, like microwaving yourself a baked potato, the appliance is primarily one of convenience for heating up leftovers or pre-made frozen food. It certainly does this fast, but for any dish where texture is part of the enjoyment, which is a lot of food, microwaves fall short. They really don't do crispy. Even something as basic and microwave-friendly as a frozen pizza roll is worlds better heated in the oven, and for many, saving a few minutes isn't worth the drop-off in quality. Add in the fact that new appliances like air fryers are able to crisp up food quickly, and the microwave is even losing its convenience appeal.

Because health shouldn't be a concern, it's a choice that's entirely up to you and what you care about, but for some people a microwave just takes up space without delivering much value. You can heat soup up in a small pot in minutes, or make frozen chicken tenders in the oven. You don't need a microwave at all, there is no one task that makes it essential. But convenience is a real upside for a lot of people too, so only you can make that decision.