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Microwaves make a comeback in the kitchen

TREND. You probably didn’t know the secret to being a four-star chef was sitting on your kitchen counter. Need a hint? Nope, not your Magic Bullet or the Margarator. It’s your trusty purveyor of hot pockets and Ramen noodles: the microwave. A lot has changed since the first Radarange rolled off the assembly line in 1947.

“Most people don’t know that you can cook from scratch in the microwave; they associate it with heating processed, frozen foods,” says Japanese chef Machiko Chiba. To help America get with the program, she recently introduced the Cook-Zen, a cooking pot specially designed for the microwave, and a companion cookbook filled with healthy Japanese recipes. 

“In bringing the Cook-Zen pot to the U.S., I wanted to change people’s ideas about microwave cooking. The cookbook has gourmet recipes that any home cook can easily make,” says Chiba.

The microwave even helps to reduce overall cooking time when making Chiba’s chili potatoes or steamed mussels in butter-soy sauce. Most of her recipes take less than 10 minutes to cook.

If you don’t have a Cook-Zen or microwaveable pot, you can look to another kitchen staple — the plastic bag. Ziploc recently introduced Zip ’n Steam bags and GLAD offers SimplyCooking Microwave Steaming Bags. These oversized bags won’t melt and are perfect for steaming. As an added bonus, you don’t have to worry about washing pots or pans when you’re done.

As part of the microwave’s makeover, the trend of using silicone (who doesn’t have a potholder or silicone
spatula?) has finally come to the countertop classic. CoverFlex silicone lids ($22) are sold in sets of four (www.napa style.com). The lids stretch to form an airtight seal on any microwave-safe container. When you’re done, they are dishwasher safe.

With new products and a fresh look at the appliance from foodies, the microwave renaissance is only a counter away. Just be sure to clean out the microwave before you get started; who knows what you last cooked in there.