Life Without a Microwave

In the chaotic scramble to purchase and prepare everything I thought I needed for my move to Blacksburg, I somehow overlooked a microwave. I assumed the apartment came with one and that it would be right above the stove. It wasn’t. I didn’t realize I didn’t have one until I wanted to reheat something we had had for dinner the night before. It’s a good thing I accidentally forgot it on the table at the restaurant when we were leaving. My life without a microwave began.

At first, I was actively looking for one. I scoured Facebook marketplace hoping to find a used one in good condition for the right price. I almost found the perfect one for $20, but somebody had beaten me to it. The YMCA thrift store had a few options, but they were $35 for 50-year-old microwaves. Most of the time their prices match the used quality of the goods, like my $10 desk, or $8 foot stool, or the two barstools I got for $10, all of which are in pretty good condition, but I couldn’t justify the price to age ratio of the microwaves. I didn’t buy a new one, because I didn’t want to spend more money. I had spent too much buying stuff for my apartment and then buying more stuff that I didn’t know I needed when I arrived to my apartment, that unless I found a microwave for the right price, I would not get it. 

Life without a microwave is like life without alcohol for me, in that as time passes without it, the more I realize I don’t need it. Food, reheated in a pan or a pot, while taking slightly longer, tastes significantly better than if it were warmed up in a microwave. Tasting almost like it does when you make it the first time. I’ve learned that to reheat pasta in a pot, add a half inch of water or less while reheating. And since pasta is the only thing I eat, it’s easy. I’m joking, but generally I cook dishes that are combined, at least in the winter, so like pasta, all you need to do is to add a little of water in the pot or pan. The only time I miss not having a microwave is when I need to reheat rice as a separate entity, and being unable to clean my sponges.

Will I get a microwave? I don’t know. The only space I have to put it is above my refrigerator and that space has been a go to spot for storing groceries. I have little cabinet space, so I’ve had to resort to storing items in the dishwasher. Now, I can’t let my storage spot be taken over by a microwave. I never thought I’d be able to survive without one, but I guess I can.

*I did get a microwave. Also, the following year, the dorms got all new microwaves so the YMCA had hundreds for sale for $15-$20. I was a year too early!