Toasters will use much less energy than grilling and flipping. The toaster will definitely pay for itself over a lifetime. Plus save you time!

You can pick up second hand microwaves on Marketplace for £20.

I use mine for reheating leftovers and batch-cooked meals, definitely saving energy and time - and washing up a separate pan instead of just reheating in the dish I'm going to eat out of.

I broke my microwave the week before going on furlough in 2020. Never got a new one because I realised I didnt need it. I can heat anything liquid in a pot, and everything else in the oven/frying pan. I replaced it with the air fryer which I used almost everyday xD

The microwave is actually the most energy efficient way to cook food. You can buy them used for super cheap.

To make porridge, use a wide-mouth thermos/flask, not the microwave. Poor porridge oats into the thermos, top with boiling water from the kettle, screw the lid on the thermos and wait for about 10 minutes. Unscrew lid and eat.

Have never had a microwave ever since moving out 14 years ago. Think the only thing I ever did use it for was to heat up soups or tinned spaghetti, and both of those can use the hob for. Defrosting food I’ll always do in the fridge.

If you don't already have one you can get an air fryer/ microwave combo taking up less space.

We moved to a doer upper and the kitchen is the last place we will be doing up. We don’t have a cooker as the one in the property was unsafe so we’ve been living with a hob, air fryer and microwave for over 2 years (likely another 3) and it’s been fine. It all depends on how much you use equipment but I use my microwave every day.

I haven’t used a microwave for like 7 years I don’t miss it tbf I use pans to heat things and they taste better

Mine broke about 7 years ago, never replaced never missed

I haven’t had one for 18 months now and it’s not too bad. Everything I did in the microwave I can do on the hob or in the air fryer. It does take slightly longer but it’s not the end of the world.

I bought an airfryer instead and use it every day. More often than I ever used the microwave and much easier to keep clean.

Ours died during lockdown. We tried to think what we used it for - occasionally making hot chocolate, or heating milk for coffee. Now we have a small pot with a ceramic glaze that prevents milk burning/ boiling over

If our air fryer was to die, I would instantly get a replacement though

Yes, I havent had one for 15 years, dont like microwaved food.

Wife is chinese so majority of stuff is stir fried/pan fried.

Would probably help for defrosting I guess but otberwise wouldnt use one if I had one

Porridge is better in a pan on the hob imo. Same for custard because custard powder is cheaper and has less ingredients of ready-made pots. Although you can buy it in sachets and mix it with boiling water instead as another option.

Microwave is helpful for jacket potatoes and defrosting stuff though and there isn’t really an alternative device that does it. Jacket potato from scratch in the oven will take AGES.

Your oven / grill is the least efficient.

Microwave , and air fryer are all much more.efficient ..oh and yeah your toaster for the bread.

Well if you are being frugal you definitely need a microwave. If you are not using it to reheat leftovers then I cannot believe you are being frugal. Making large quantities of food and freezing it is where the savings come into play.

I haven't had a microwave in over a year. I occasionally miss it for easy reheating of things, but I have an airfryer which works quite well for lots of things.

I have never owned a microwave and have never missed it either.

We haven't had one for a couple of years. The air fryer works fine for reheating things. Other things can be steamed. There's not a lot that I really miss it for.

I’ve not had a microwave for nearly 5 years. I’ve noticed food tastes better when it’s cooked on a hob or in the oven. It’s more of a convenience appliance than a necessity

I haven't had a microwave since I was at uni 14 years ago. I never bought one cause I found it made me lazy with food and I'm the kind of person that will just eat ready meals given the opportunity. I heat stuff on the hob, only time I wish I had one was when I'm 45mins in, waiting for my jacket potato to soften up.

I've never had a microwave and I don't believe it's ever held me back! 

The microwave is actually one of the most energy efficient and cheap to run appliances in the kitchen.

We haven't owned a microwave for over 5yrs now by choice.

I grew up without even knowing what a microwave is/was and it was completely fine. Do I like to have one? Sure. Is it necessary/needed? Absolutely freaking not.

What do I do instead? Cook with the same tools humanity cooked for the 50000 or 400000 years if you believe in the recent discoveries.

Specifically in your case, porridge in a sauce pan and defrost at room temperature overnight 🤷

We haven't had one for 5 years. Don't miss it at all

I grew up without one because my dad was a chef and he wouldn’t have one.

I’ve had one for years but really mostly just to heat up prepped food.

I’ve not waved for 15 years after realising I only used it to heat baked beans, and never missed it🫶

I haven’t had a microwave for 15 years. A lot of things I reheat can be done on the go. Or in the oven. I really only used it for reheating, cooking peas, spaghetti hoops or starting a jacket potato

I couldn't. Use it for jacket potato loads. 10 mins vs 1 hr wait in the oven. Things like warming up cookies or leftover pizza.

I've never bothered with one. Can't bear the counter space they take up. Our rental houses had them when we rented but we rarely used them. I defrost food in the fridge (or in water if i forget) and make porridge on the stove. And food is usually much nicer reheated in the oven than in the microwave.

Mankind "managed" for thousands of years without a microwave if you think about it.
I don't think my mum ever had one.
However, they're a quick and efficient way of heating and defrosting food. Wouldn't be without one now.

I crumbled and bought a microwave 2 years ago on a Black Friday special. I eat porridge every morning for my cholesterol, I was just so, so tired of washing my porridge pot every single day. It’s such an extravagant waste of space but I’m glad every day that I bought it. £30 well spent.

You can often find microwaves on freecycle, as others have said, on the frugal side it's often the cheapest way to cook.

Did definitely manage without one but as someone who eats a lot of leftovers, wasn’t my favourite. I brought a lot of leftovers into work for lunch instead because there is a microwave there so it made sense to eat them there. At home, I’d just reheat things in a pot or on the frying pan. It was fine mostly. 

I lived without a microwave for about 7 years, definitely doable. Most reheating done on the hob, and then later airfryer when we got it. Now we have one I do use it a lot and am very glad to have it, but I could absolutely cope without it if it blew up and we wanted to wait awhile to replace.

We didn’t have one for 10 years. Recently got one to use for subscription meal plan meals (not me). I assumed I’d use it but I tried it once for porridge and didn’t like it. We have an airfryer and a steam oven and thankfully got a very small microwave oven so it doesn’t take up much space. I doubt I will use it again, whereas I use the airfryer and steam oven daily.

I moved to a new place a few months ago, thought about getting one but realised I don’t need one. Ready meals have oven safe packaging on them these days, and I can heat up leftovers or frozen foods in the oven, pan, or overnight in the fridge

I was in a similar situation a few years back, in the end we got a combi microwave, and we use it a lot, it's much quicker than the conventional oven and cooks just as well, the normal oven only comes on when we have to cook a larger amount of food

I use my oven. 

My oven has a defrost option.  If yours doesn’t might work if you leave the oven on until gets warm than turn it off and put what you need in there to defrost. 

Also if you want to defrost something you can just leave it out the freezer for a while/overnight so plan a bit ahead. 

I lived happily without a microwave for some time. Most things can be rebated on the stove or oven.

Some things will reheat differently with conventional heat compared to a microwave, so sometimes you need to revert to more traditional ways to reuse leftovers. For example, instead of reheating a pasta dish in a pan, which I found overcooked the pasta in a soggy, unpleasant way, I would convert it into a pasta bake. Risotto > fried into arancini. Mash and veggies > bubble and squeak.

Never used a microwave, I do have an air fryer, rice cooker, espresso machine and toaster and that’s all I need on the counter.

I just reheat dishes in a non stick pot.

37 and never in my adult life have I needed to use a microwave.

I reheat leftovers on the hob (curry, chilli). To be honest I don’t really make meals that have large amounts of leftovers.

Mainly we cook everything from scratch and I use my air fryer a lot.

Put toaster in the cupboard in January to make space for air fryer and only this week did my boyfriend want to use the toaster.

Haven’t had one in 8 years. Heat up food in a saucepan or air fryer.

I’ve lived without one for at least three years now. I just heat things up or cook on the hob, and accept that I can’t do ready meals unless they can be cooked in the oven

We dont have a microwave or a toaster (just as preferences), and we don’t miss them at all! We can do everything we need with our oven and hob.

I have one (came with the place) and have only used it a handful of times in 9yrs…only ever for defrosting bread.

So entirely possible to live without one!

We didn’t bother replacing ours about 10 years ago.

Don’t miss it apart from those melt in the middle deserts. Everything else is just done in a pan ie porridge, beans, scrambled eggs.

Might take a little longer but the space it saves is well worth it.

Edit- why not let it die don’t replace for a month or so and see if you need to look for a new one.

Never owned a microwave, so it’s definitely manageable.

Yes. I don’t have a microwave and in some ways it has stopped me being lazy and also being more mindful about what I’m eating! It’s a luxury not a necessity IMO

I didnt have a microwave for about 10 years..never bought one and the only reason i had it before that was because the flat came with it.

It was not to save money as it is dirt cheap anyway, and also you end up spending more money. It was entirely because i like to buy and cook fresh (which is more expensive than batchcooking)

I only bought it because we had a child and convenience beats all at that point.

It depends on your lifestyle and your diet. I dont have a microwave and I manage without it fine, I miss it sometime but it is not a big deal

I’ve never owned a microwave. The only time I miss it is on Christmas Day for the Christmas puddings which for some reason either need 2 mins in a microwave or to be steamed for 45 mins. That is the only time I miss not having a microwave

After our microwave broke, we never bothered replacing it because the air fryer pretty much does everything from heating, grilling, frying, baking, you name it. If steaming or heating wet food up just use a pot and stove or the rice cooker if you've one.

I've never had a microwave. Occasionally it would be neat to heat up something quickly but stove or oven work just fine

I railed against it but we ditched ours a year ago and it's been fine.

Learned how to make rice again instead of a pouch.

Can warm stuff up on the hob or oven.

I wouldn't be without a slow cooker though but its not out permanently.

Wife has suggested an air fryer but can't see the point really.

Binned mine a year back for counterspace. Was good for microwave meals but since batch cooking it has no purpose. Hob or air frier has better results overall.

Tho the convenience of making scrambled egg from another room does hurt lol

We didn’t have one from about 2002 to 2023. It was fine. We just didn’t eat frozen peas as often.

When our microwave died many years ago we bought a metal defrosting tray (from Amazon I think). Still got it, although most of the black paint has come off over the years ( I give it a good scrub every so often). It’s basically fully silver coloured now.

https://www.vonhaus.com/vh_en/defrost-tray

I have a microwave but only at my husbands insistence. Personally, I never use it. I heat any left over food up on the hob or in the air fryer. I love popcorn but always prefer to make it on the hob.

There's just something about the texture of almost any food that comes out the microwave that I can't stand.

Basic microwaves are very cheap and do not use much power. I use mine for almost everything (not toast) and do not have a conventional cooker. I have portable halogen hob but rarely use it.

I lived without a microwave for a year as a student. It was fine, but inconvenient at times. Everything is just a bit more effort.

The main thing that bothered me was hot drinks going cold. I never considered how often I used a microwave for reheating cold tea!

I'd say pick up a toaster. You can get small one to save space, or even find somewhere to put it when not in use.

I'd say you can probably live without a microwave. I had personal beef against them for a long time and just did without. It was never a problem not having one for me, everything I would use one for I can get by without. I caved and got one a couple years back but considering doing without again.

No microwave or oven, just air fryer and stove. I do live on my own though so may change if cooking for more people.

I've got a Panasonic 3 in one multi function microwave and I use it all the time - hardly ever use the big oven now. It has an oven, grill and microwave and you can now get 4 in one with an air fryer. It really is the most useful thing in the kitchen.

We managed 5 years without a microwave. We heated our food either on the hob, in the oven or ate it cold.

Eating it cold was our favourite option!

Then we caved and bought a microwave. Im surprised we lasted that long.

I use airfryer and steamer instead of microwave. They are so bulky sitting on the side!

I have a small kitchen, and no longer have a microwave, the only time I’ve missed it, is when I want to use the microwave rice or those lil pot desserts.

I have a large family and we have never had a microwave until a few months ago. I got it as my son has to do nasal rinses and needs to microwave sterilise the bottle. It gets used by me to make porridge quickly now and again and sometimes to reheat coffee - not used much at all - takeus p a lot of counter space. My adult daughter uses her microwave a lot as he heats up drikns in it, heats up those pouches of ready cooked rice and grains most days, makes mug cake etc. It depends how much you ise it and what for - if you eat a lot of ready meals then it is great comapred to heatingt hem up other ways.

I spent about five years without one but they are handy for reheating leftovers/batch cooking and some ready meals are microwave only.

Cheapest cooking for energy costs are induction hobs because they transfer all the heat to the pan not the surrounding air. The IKEA Tillreada one ring hob is a great example - 72 quid I think now. Ideally you would combine that with a microwave for most flexibility but if I had to chose one it would be the induction hob and a lightweight saucepan with a lid.

My oven died at the start of the year and I haven’t been able to afford to replace it. I’ve been struggling along with a slow cooker and a microwave. The microwave has been a life saver but omg I would love to have a working cooker again.

I haven't replaced mine, I only miss it occasionally when I make porridge 

haven't used a microwave since 2021, can't recall a single time we've needed one. our air frier does most of the heavy lifting.

We managed without it for a couple of years - heating stuff on the hob and in the oven and probably cooking more stuff from scratch. We only replaced it for the dog sitter. Now it's present it does come in handy if we are short on time.

When mine finally goes kaput I don't think I'll replace it. I only seem to use it for heating baked beans up.

We have never had one. Over 10 years living together

OP what region are you in. I have one going spare if you are anywhere close.

We don’t have one. Or a toaster. But we do have an air fryer, so that works to heat up most things.

My response too if anything old starts to be on the way out, except for fridge, just go hey-ho and move on live life a new way without

I don’t have a microwave, dishwasher, or a dryer. To defrost, use cool water in the sink, gradually move it to lukewarm. Cook oats on the stove. Or bake them into breakfast bars or muffins on Sunday.

Was fine until I needed to microwave one of those wheat bags when I injured my shoulder, I wouldn't be without one now

Just go for the smallest cheapest most basic model it won't be expensive

Didn’t have a microwave growing up and we managed fine! We didn’t get one until I was about 15/16!

However now I do have one in my own house 😂

I have a very old microwave and a multi cooker which air fries, steams, pressure cooks and can be used to saute items.

I do not have a cooker. I am considering an induction job but I haven't bought it yet.

I do pasta and boiled veg in the microwave or I can steam the veg in the multi cooker

It's far cheaper for me than running a cooker.

I wonder how people existed for millenia, before 45 years ago.

I dont own a microwave. In my adult life I've only ever owned one. I rarely used it. I get by just fine without one.

I have a £20 microwave grill off amazon.
I've used it 4 times this year.

I haven’t had one for 2.5 years, I have a tiny kitchen and it’s just not worth it

I've not had a microwave in my flat since 2018. I've only missed having one a couple of times. The air fryer, toaster, fan oven and hob covers 95% of uses.

I haven't owned a toaster or a microwave in several years. Went without a kettle for a while too.

I do have a rice cooker though!

I have a tiny studio and don't really have room for a microwave anywhere permanent, always thought I was going to get one but just went without - it's inconvenient on occasions and probably costs me more in electricity regularly using the oven but it works for me better than shifting one around

haven't used one for years except to heat up pads for my pets. totally unnecessary in my opinion.

I don't have a microwave and the *only* time I miss it is when I bake potatoes and can't do that five-minute accellerating zap before they go in the oven 😆 Other than that mild inconvenience, it's fine - everything can go in a pan or in the oven, and I value the space on the worktop

I haven't had a microwave for about 15 years. Never missed it.

I thought I could live without a microwave but I need it to warm up my microwave heat pack for period pain 😂 (I prefer it over hot water bottle)

I got a really basic Russell Hobbs one and it's been great! I would also say it's useful to have a microwave when you're ill and can reheat simple things like soup quickly, in the bowl, and don't need to wash up saucepan. I do think that food tastes better and is cooked more evenly in pans/the oven.

Last time I had a microwave was years ago in a flat I rented ans I only really used it to reheat things occasionally or for the most part as a make shift breadbin 😅 I have never thought of buying one again

We got rid of ours to save some space and never looked back. Most things are done better in the pan, we do have an air fryer though so that might be cheating.

We haven't had a microwave for the last 6 years. I can honestly say we haven't missed it. We only ever used it to make popcorn. I just buy bags of popcorn now 😆

I’ve not had a microwave for about 8 years. There’s honestly never a moment where I wish I had one…

We had a microwave with a broken catch for a number of years. It was a small cupboard space or an enormous clock/kitchen timer, depending on how you look at it :) Then my Dad mended it with a dentist's drill and a pin, and we got back into using it to heat milk, reheat stuff, melt chocolate and re-pep stale bread.

I've been with and without microwaves since, and they're not a dealbreaker, but I find it a handy thing. If I could wall mount it, I would, to save counter space.

I don’t have a microwave and don’t miss it. We just reheat food on the hob if we need to and never have a need for one for any other purpose.

Look up the locations of your nearest small appliance recycling bin, and check on it every so often. People dump microwaves in the one near me all the time.

Have a look on Facebook marketplace place, my city has multiple ‘free and cheap’ ones. People will likely get rid of some after Christmas if they get new ones as gifts and can’t be bothered with the hassle of selling them (I literally did this last year with a kettle and toaster!)

Think it’s worth having one as they are relatively cheap to run, and it broadens your options for eating frugally. Today for example, I grabbed a reduced ready meal for £1 as I was in a rush and bulked it out with some leftovers, if I didn’t have a microwave I would have had to heat up the whole oven to eat it.

I've managed without a microwave for years after I moved into a flat and didn't have space in the kitchen. The oven, hob, and toaster cover all my needs.

Not had a microwave now for over 30 years. Honestly dunno what I would use one for

I didn't have one for about 18m, really didn't miss it, I used the hob or oven to reheat things.

Haven’t had one in years. I have an oven and an air fryer. When it comes to reheating things just do it using those or on the hob.

A new microwave can be bought from supermarkets like Asda from £30 new. They are very economical and can be bought in many colours and designs to suit your decor

When our microwave died we actually bought a very small oven instead. Turns out the only thing we used the microwave for was defrosting and with a little more preparation we have that covered

The smaller oven saves us money when we're not cooking enough to warrant using the large one

I use ours perhaps once a month to part cook baked potatoes or defrost something. I wouldn't miss it at all and would prefer to have the counter space.

My wife uses it almost every day and wouldn't be without it. She heats up soups etc that I use a pan for and somehow thinks it's a good way to cook scrambled egg.

You could potentially get a combination microscove-oven-grill.

I could manage without it, I use it mainly for reheating leftovers. Would never get rid of it because it’s so quick to make steamed puddings from scratch, or reheat shop ones- in either case Xmas pudding without a house full of steam!

I don't know where you're based but Facebook marketplace usually has toasters and microwaves for very cheap or free.

I couldn’t manage without the microwave, used one everyday since 1984, so useful, for instance use it to par cook chips or roast potatoes before air frying , easy to make a quick sponge pudding saves hours, so versatile

You could even keep an eye out for a microwave that someone is getting rid of as they have a new one. My brother has a microwave that he picked up where someone had put it outside for someone to take. His works fine. When mine fails, I've already got a replacement ready, as a neighbour was getting rid of hers because she'd bought a new one, and she gave it to me.

I’ve not had a microwave in over 5 years and I don’t ever notice not having one.

It is easy to do without a microwave and you'll save tons of money. Food can be heated quite easily and in a similar way by simply using the simmering oven of the AGA

Realistically. If you cook your own meals rather than premade meals, you just dont need one.

When I split with my wife and moved out I had to buy all thats stuff. I got a second hand microwave and in the year ive lived here ive used it thrice.

2 times to make super noodles and once to make a rustlers BBQ "rib" sandwich.

It lives in a cupboard under the counter. I use my slow cooker more (Note, GET A SLOW COOKER) and so THAT lives where the microwave would be.

.I also recently bought an airfryer and its pretty good too. Ive had it about a week or 2 and used it 4 or 5 times. But I could easily see it taking the place of a microwave.

Suffice to say. U less you eat a lot of frozen/premade meals. A microwave really isnt all that necessary.

I reheat in the pan, use a steamer for veg, and find food tastes much better. I do not miss having a microwave at all. Then I also have a teeny tiny kitchen so having a microwave would also just ruin my day.

I never use them As they kill the nutrients. Don’t miss it one bit.

I haven't had one for about a year. Haven't really missed it

Asda has some small sized, cheap microwaves that look a bit different to the usual plain designs.

https://direct.asda.com/george/electricals/kitchen-appliances/microwaves/D59M02G02C06,default,sc.html?srule=prod_g_price_asc

I would get a combination oven microwave. There are some that air fry as well. The combination saves running the big oven.

Yup, never bothered getting one in my flat, not enough counter space. I did perfectly fine with a oven, hob and toaster.

Just make sure you get into the habit of defrosting the night before and have some stuff on hand for when you forget to do that.

I have one again now, but it's mostly exists to reheat meals.

Air fryer ftw

Honestly, ditch it. Haven't had a microwave since my youngest turned 1 and didnt need formula any more, has always been a staple in the household, even growing up as a child myself in the 90s, now not had one in the house for 3 year and doing fine, cooking meals the night before or 1 pot bang in the oven recipes. Also spending and eating a lot healthier too. 👍

I have never had one

Do you need it is not the same as is it frugal to have one. What is your alternative?

Take a look at this

https://www.confusedaboutenergy.co.uk/money-saving-tips-and-myths/cooking/microwave-cooking-vs-conventional-cooking.php

It’s doable 🙌🙌🙌 I’ve stopped using one when my last went. I don’t find microwave able food appealing or cost efficient so I don’t miss it at all 👊🏼 Edit to add: porridge tastes so much better on the stove!!

I use the microwave for lots of shortcuts as we are a busy family. So, I boil water in a fast full kettle first (takes 1min and it was on offer years ago in Currys) for a lot of things as this reduces time in the microwave. I use it to cook rice, pasta, veg etc which I use during the week. I also use it to defrost meat etc. I cook potatoes, squashes etc in them which i can.then use later in the week as wedges or as quick shallow dried roasties or to mash My daughter makes mug cakes. I can poach eggs in them too. 

My MIL gave us their air fryer but it has very small.capacity. I actually slow cook loads of things across all shelves of our oven and then use across the week. So basically, lots of starches in microwave, proteins in main oven and fried things on hob. Toaster is great for waffles and toasties. 

Our.microwave also works like an oven and I have used it for fish but would not try large portions of meat.

In terms of the porridge, I just buy rolled oats (they're slightly flattened) and powdered milk (its not cold so doesn't need warming up) and then pour boiling water from the kettle over it. Pretty much instant porridge, no microwave or hob needed. I'm looking into experimenting with adding powdered coconut milk and rolled buckwheat next for a tropical nutty vibe.

I haven't had a microwave in years. I only miss it when cooking sweet potato. I do have an air fryer I can use but it's really loud so I end up not eating it as much as I'd like. I don't have a proper oven so I'm just left with boiling it otherwise which takes forever.

As a family of four, we do not have one. The only time I regretted this is for jacket potatoes. They take fricking forever in the oven. That's the only downside.

I didn’t own a microwave until I was 40. I managed fine, you can defrost things in a bowl of hot/warm water and everything else can be heated in the oven or on the hob.

We only have one now as we picked one up to use while our kitchen was being renovated. My wife wanted to keep it (though it lives in the larder cupboard now), I barely use it.

I got rid of mines before, it was actually pretty annoying not being able to heat certain things up fast. Ive got one again.

I never use our microwave. I take stuff out of the freezer ahead of time to defrost then heat it in a pan, oven, air fryer as appropriate.

Microwaves are so passé.

I haven’t had a microwave for almost 14 years, don’t miss it at all!

We don’t have a microwave Anything that would have gone in there can be cooked in the oven or in a pan or steamed

We survived for over 3000 years without them

Our microwave died at the beginning of this year and we've not replaced it, I make porridge in a small saucepan instead now. The only thing I'm thinking may be an issue is cooking a shop bought Christmas pudding, but I'm sure I'll be OK without the microwave.

We don’t have a microwave, haven’t had one since 2020 I just make sure I defrost things overnight if I need to, and I use the hob or oven to heat things up, makes no difference to me at all

I bought a microwave for the first time at age 37. Always hated them, even as a child. Still do. Just needed it to help with a big meal, and helpful to defrost. But absolutely not necessary. We cook from fresh. We reheat on the hob or the oven, tastes much better.

Can get a microwave cheaply enough. Some savings aren't worth the suffering.

I dont have a microwave and manage just fine, very occasionally I may think to myself that X time is when I could do with one (for instance forgetting to get mince out the night before or the kids want porridge) but in all honesty I really dont miss it at all, have had a few comments telling me its weird to not have one and even offers to buy me a new one but I really dont miss it. The last one I had I got rid of 7 years ago because all it was used for was warming up my daughters milk bottles and nothing else. Most ready meals can be done in the oven though do take longer and I do jacket spuds in the airfrier.

Not had a micro in years, just reheat on hob and it takes the same time and tastes better. However I wouldn't be without my air fryer, absolute game changer. Also, toaster gets used at least once a day.

Been without a microwave for 12 months.

Occasionally I miss it for quick rehearsals as would mean not having to dirty something else for oven/stove top but tbh 99% dont even think about it.

We had a fairly expensive 4 slice toaster which died in 6 months of using in. We either grill or use airfryer instead so haven't replaced it either.

We moved and didn't take our old one. The only thing I miss is for it warming wraps, but it really doesn't seem worth getting another just for that

We have not had a microwave in two years and don’t miss it. We have an air fryer and oven/hob.

I haven’t had a microwave in …. Years. Honestly it doesn’t do much for me in terms of everything heats up better in my Convection oven, stove top or air fryer. 

Haven’t owned one since about 2007. Enjoyed the extra worktop space ever since. Unlike, say, a chip fryer or waffle iron, I don’t think there’s a single thing that can only be cooked in a microwave. You’ll be able to find alternative methods for just about anything you want to cook, it’ll just take a bit longer.

I’ve got an air fryer and an oven. Don’t really use the toaster since I moved. Don’t have a microwave. I make do

I prefer cold porridge, well cold readybrek actually

What’s the worst that can happen? It dies and you don’t replace it, get used to life without a microwave and move on like it was never there. Or you miss it and would prefer to have one so go out and get a new one to replace it…

I've never owned a microwave, I don't know what I would use one for quite frankly

I haven’t had a microwave for over a year now, I use the air fryer, the hob, or the oven to reheat food. However it would be much quicker for leftovers if I used a microwave and easier cleaning. I have been thinking about getting one but they’re so big and I don’t want to lose the counter space.

I couldn’t do without a microwave but a lot of friends seem not to have one. I’m in a habit of eating up leftovers for lunches, so I’d really miss not having one. Depends on your habits I guess.

I batch cook so couldn't live without one. In a week I use it at least 4 times.

If you don't heat food I don't see the need for a microwave.

Yeah you can. If you need to reheat something just use a pan for cooking to reheat your food. We don’t have microwave for 2 weeks and only done that until I get a new one.

Same. My microwave went all screwy, so I chucked it. I also don't have a toaster. It takes a short time under the grill.

I'd say that unless you have kids or eat a lot of ready meals and are too impatient to wait for oven cooked, don't get one. I hate having appliances cluttering up my surfaces (although there is a big pile of paper where the microwave used to be).

Not for any weird or ideological reason, I just don’t like how food heats up or tastes in a microwave. I haven’t owned one for at least 15 years and it’s never been an issue.

I’ve got a toaster for bread, a kettle for boiling water, and decent pans with fire/gas and an oven. Worst case, I wait a few extra minutes which is no biggie.

I use mine for rice and part baking potatoes..!

Check ebay. They're often too big to post so get fewer or no bids. I bought an old Panasonic for £1 4 years ago and use it to reheat batchcooked meals

My friend's don't have a microwave and they manage just fine. Mine is hidden in my larder cupboard, Iprobablywont replaceit when it dies.

. I use my grill for toasting as I don't like stuff on my work surfaces either.

I only use my grill for cheese and ham toasties. I only use the oven for pizzas. I rarely use the toaster. I use the microwave multiple times a day to heat milk for coffee, and to reheat food I make in large batches.

I’m considering replacing my oven/hob, microwave and toaster with a combi microwave oven and an induction hob at some point in the future. I already own an air fryer. 

I used to live in a place with no microwave when I was a student, we all got by fine - we just went old school. If its liquid, reheat in a pan, and if solid then reheat in the oven, or perhaps even steam. There was also no toaster, although the grill we had was an open flame at eye-level so it was super easy to monitor. The appliances have their convenience, but if you don't have them you would naturally just adapt to other ways. Microwave food is always bleh to me anyways. AND you will get your counter space back!

Not had one for 5 years.

Ùse a pan to reheat food

Defrost food quickly in a bowl of water

Ours packed in a couple months ago and I've not bothered to replace it, I use a toaster for toast and anything else gets heated on the hob. Porridge doesn't take long, I heat the milk on medium high, add the oats and simmer until it thickens.

My SO has suggested we get another but tbh I don't see much point and space is an issue in our kitchen as is

I didn't have one for three years or so, not to save money but I just hate things on my surfaces, my family made me get one in the end and I look at it every day and imagine throwing it away.

i only use our microwave for about 3 things

Defrosting meat
cooking rice
warming tortillas

oh and the odd ready meal

could probably live without one tbh, use the air fryer for most things these days, the oven is also as rarely used as the microwave now.

Get a microwave with Grill, more energy efficient and saves space

The only thing I miss a microwave for is baked potato as I do t like doing them fully in the oven given how long they take. I admit I kinda miss a quick microwave meal at times but I can just as easy make some eggs or noodles.

I’m borrowing one over Xmas so I can cook my Christmas pudding without hours of boiling.

When my microwave died I didn’t immediately replace it thinking I could do without. But in the end found I’d used it more than I thought so did get a new one.

I have gone several years at a time without a microwave.

The only thing I miss is being able to use wheat bags for my cramps. But I have a hot water bottle.

Haven’t got a microwave. Never needed one.

When I’ve lived without a microwave I barely missed it. It’s only when you want something in 5 mins vs 30 mins that it’s a pain. Defrosting can mostly be done without it but again takes a bit more time.

i can't remember the last time i used my microwave. air fryers now make it incredibly easy (and also much better) at reheating for me.

I try not to use the microwave where i can because i do worry about the impact of the way it cooks things and whether it causes health issues over time. That's just my own thoughts/feelings and not backed by anything really.

We've not had one for well over a decade and have never missed it once. You can just use the oven.

I have one but I only use it for reheating food or occasionally defrosting stuff. Can definitely do without it

I would see how you manage without it when it breaks and go from there

Mine is on the way out too, and was just discussing the same thing. The one function I can't easily do without is reheating leftovers or batch cooked meals, so I think we will end up getting another.