Do you have a microwave and use it much?

It’s conflicting lately ….I find it convenient but only use to reheat stuff, not cook anything.
And I certainly don’t use plastic containers to heat food up in…only glass or stoneware etc

I saw a naturopath recently and she said she hasn’t got a microwave anymore, and explained how it changes the molecular structure of food … how some experiment was done with water …
2 identical plants
One is watered with normal water, the other with water used in a microwave, then cooled down.
The plant with the microwaved water ended up dying.

What do you think, microwave good, bad, or so-so?

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I have one, Mum’s old one, somehow sent all the way here.

Never used it.

Sophia wrote on Sep 29^th, 2025 at 8:28pm:

Do you have a microwave and use it much? It’s conflicting lately ….I find it convenient but only use to reheat stuff, not cook anything. And I certainly don’t use plastic containers to heat food up in…only glass or stoneware etc I saw a naturopath recently and she said

Ignore everything a naturopath says. They believe in voodoo.

Gordon wrote on Sep 30^th, 2025 at 6:19am:

Sophia wrote on Sep 29th, 2025 at 8:28pm: Do you have a microwave and use it much? It’s conflicting lately ….I find it convenient but only use to reheat stuff, not cook anything. And I certainly don’t use plastic containers to heat food up in…only glass or stoneware etc I saw a naturopath recently and she said Ignore everything a naturopath says. They believe in voodoo.

Iwas in a mainly hippy protest camp years ago and naturopathy was all the rage.
I was the only qualified First Aider and some of the mothers asked me to treat their children for rashes, fungal infections etc.
A good mate was a chemist and he got me some real stuff that was out of date, result was I gained a reputation as a wizard for my ‘’home remedies’’.

I wouldn't be without our Tucker Phukker  ;D

So many quick and easy things you can cook ...

but mainly its 's used as a reheating YMCA meals.

Y esterdays M uck C ooked A gain.

If it supposedly alters the molecular structure of food it heats ....

what does it do to liquids i.e. water, tea, coffee or soup?

Sophia wrote on Sep 29^th, 2025 at 8:28pm:

I saw a naturopath recently and she said she hasn’t got a microwave anymore, and explained how it changes the molecular structure of food …

All forms of cooking do that, not just microwave ovens.

Sophia wrote on Sep 29^th, 2025 at 8:28pm:

Do you have a microwave and use it much? It’s conflicting lately ….I find it convenient but only use to reheat stuff, not cook anything. And I certainly don’t use plastic containers to heat food up in…only glass or stoneware etc I saw a naturopath recently and she said she hasn’t got a microwave anymore, and explained how it changes the molecular structure of food … how some experiment was done with water … 2 identical plants One is watered with normal water, the other with water used in a microwave, then cooled down. The plant with the microwaved water ended up dying. What do you think, microwave good, bad, or so-so?

Not a very good example, firstly was the other normal water boiled conventionally to exclude the actual effect of boiled water, was it the boiling of the water or was it the water.

Were only two plants used in the whole experiment because if it was then how did they come to that conclusion from just one single result.

Does heating food by any heat source change the molecular structure or only when heated by microwave.

I'm not a microwave advocate and very rarely use one to cook food, I prefer to heat my food in an oven so I have more control over the temperature.

Leroy wrote on Oct 4^th, 2025 at 1:27pm:

Does heating food by any heat source change the molecular structure ...

Yes.

AI Overview
No, microwaving water does not make it harmful to plants; it just heats the water. The idea that microwaved water kills plants is a myth that originated from a 2006 science fair project and has spread online, according to some YouTube videos and discussions on GardenDrum. Microwaves heat water by agitating its molecules, and they stop working as soon as the oven is turned off, says Quora.
What Actually Happens When You Microwave Water

    Heating:
    Microwaves vibrate water molecules, which generates heat, says the Office for Science and Society.

No Lasting Change:
Once the microwave is off, the water is simply hot water. The energy that made it hot is converted into thermal energy, not radiation that alters the water's structure in a harmful way.
No New Compounds:
Microwaving does not create harmful "radiolytic compounds" or change the water's chemical makeup for the worse, according to Reddit users.

The Origin of the Myth

    Child's Project:
    The belief seems to have started with a child's science fair project in 2006.

Confirmation Bias:
The internet has amplified this idea, often due to confirmation bias, where people look for or interpret information in a way that confirms their existing beliefs.
Experimentation:
Experiments, such as those shown in the Mythbusters episode on YouTube, have demonstrated that plants watered with microwaved water can grow just as well or even better than those watered with tap water, notes the video description.

I like the microwave oven, and got my first Toshiba microwave oven 40 years ago, it was huge back then. I’ve had many different ones since. I basically only ever used it for heating up food/drinks, but never liked the idea of this microwave plastics back then, I tended to use glass or stoneware.
But I always get a feeling of unease, so I guess I use it very little.
All these decades I’ve used it and heard conflicting write-ups  but nothing really earth shattering or detrimental to our health.
But that’s not to say there may be evidence next generation about our generation’s use of it and findings.
A bit like smoking…it was deemed okay and everyone smoked including pregnant mums until evidence said otherwise.
One thing I do is stand right away from microwave while it’s on.

Sophia wrote on Oct 5^th, 2025 at 12:50pm:

I like the microwave oven, and got my first Toshiba microwave oven 40 years ago, it was huge back then. I’ve had many different ones since. I basically only ever used it for heating up food/drinks, but never liked the idea of this microwave plastics back then, I tended to use glass or stoneware. But I always get a feeling of unease, so I guess I use it very little. All these decades I’ve used it and heard conflicting write-ups  but nothing really earth shattering or detrimental to our health. But that’s not to say there may be evidence next generation about our generation’s use of it and findings. A bit like smoking…it was deemed okay and everyone smoked including pregnant mums until evidence said otherwise. One thing I do is stand right away from microwave while it’s on.

Yes, that's a good point.

However, one thing we know for sure right now is that all forms of cooking change the molecular structure of food, not just microwave ovens.

I've had this 'Contempo' 700W microwave for over 10 years now.

Still works perfectly. Cost $45 from BigW from memory.

Oh, and I really like the air fryer as well. It's a bit big for my needs but I got it from a neighbour for $50 because when he ordered one from Amazon last year he wanted a dual pan one and they sent him this one by mistake - twice.

After the second time he was sent the right one but the seller told him not to bother sending this one back again.

The neighbour said I could have it for free but I insisted on giving him something for it.

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I had an airfryer but my new electric wall oven has air fryer capability so I sold the airfryer.

Was good—very light so attractive to people towing caravans. No probs selling  :)

Carl D wrote on Oct 5^th, 2025 at 1:48pm:

I've had this 'Contempo' 700W microwave for over 10 years now. Still works perfectly. Cost $45 from BigW from memory. Oh, and I really like the air fryer as well. It's a bit big for my needs but I got it from a neighbour for $50 because when he ordered one from Amazon last year he wanted a dual pan one and they sent him this one by mistake - twice. After the second time he was sent the right one but the seller told him not to bother sending this one back again. The neighbour said I could have it for free but I insisted on giving him something for it.

That’s similar to the air fryer my daughter has and she uses it a lot!
My air fryer I love  is actually called a convection oven and I use it a lot!
Similar to the photo below.
It’s better and faster heating up than a huge oven for not a lot of food.
When I go into big retail stores I see air fryers everywhere! It’s very popular amongst the younger gen.

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Carl D wrote on Oct 5^th, 2025 at 1:48pm:

I've had this 'Contempo' 700W microwave for over 10 years now. Still works perfectly. Cost $45 from BigW from memory. Oh, and I really like the air fryer as well. It's a bit big for my needs but I got it from a neighbour for $50 because when he ordered one from Amazon last year he wanted a dual pan one and they sent him this one by mistake - twice. After the second time he was sent the right one but the seller told him not to bother sending this one back again. The neighbour said I could have it for free but I insisted on giving him something for it.

I had one - cost little and worked great and was smaller than the new one... works better than that 'big one' that TOG got me to give it away for...  Gave it to the salvos and they use it for their lunch!!

Smart she is - wise is she not....