If you are only using your microwave to heat leftover pizza and frozen dinners, you are missing out on some of the amazing feats it can accomplish. Your microwave is actually a mean machine that can tackle some serious kitchen chores. Put your microwave to work and save some time and elbow grease with these brilliant hacks.
Tear-Free Onion Chopping
Onion chopping is one of the most dreaded steps in the cooking process. But don’t let your fear of tears keep you away from the kitchen. Remove the tear-factor from an onion by cutting off each end and microwaving it for about 30 seconds. This will remove most of the gas that irritates your eyes, allowing you to chop happily.
Peel Your Garlic
Peeling garlic can be a pain in the you-know-what, but garlic makes everything so delicious there shouldn’t be any excuse not to use it. There is a better way than peeling the sticky skins by hand. Wrap the bulbs in a wet paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds. Remove the garlic and gently rub the bulbs with the warm paper towel. The garlic will emerge from the skins and you’ll be ready to rock.
Easy Crispy Bacon
Do you love crispy bacon but hate the splattering grease and waiting for it to cook? You’re in luck because crispy bacon is button-push away. Grab a plate and place an upside-down bowl on top of it. Lay the bacon slices on the bowl and microwave for a couple minutes until crisp. The bacon will cook very quickly and the bowl will allow the grease to drip off, leaving you with super-crispy bacon in no time.
Sanitize Your Sponges
There’s nothing quite as nasty as an old kitchen sponge. They sit around your kitchen sopping wet and are breeding grounds for bacteria. You can zap your sponge sterile by heating it in the microwave for a minute, making it much more efficient at cleaning surfaces.
Clean the Microwave
After using your microwave to its fullest potential, you’ll probably need to start cleaning it more often. You can actually put your microwave to work again with this self-cleaning trick. Place some vinegar and sliced lemons in a bowl and heat in the microwave. The essence that is released will help loosen and dissolve the food residue, so all you’ll have to do is give it a quick wipe for a clean interior. You can save the scrubbing for the rest of the kitchen
