Do You Use Your Microwave?

[blodn1]

This is the little microwave I'm planning to use. It's 600 watts, takes up less than a cubic foot of space, and can heat up a cup of soup or a slice of pizza. Not planning on using it much, but I'll have it for CG use. It'll fit in the microwave recess, along with my Keurig.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by honda03842

We had a microwave in our motorhome and used it more like we used the one at home, to heat leftovers. When we downsized to small trailers, though they all came with a microwave, we removed the microwave. It uses space and is heavy and requires real power. We regressed to heating leftovers on our stove top which works just fine and for many foods heats leftovers even better than a microwave.

On the road for 7 months a year the microwave, for us, is not a justifiable use of space.

Norm

Pretty much my take on it too.

One thing we have learned to do better, which is also healthier, is to make meals of a proper portion for the two of us, leaving no leftovers.

We can also whip up a meal in the time it takes to nuke something. Most foods seem to lose a lot in texture and taste when nuking anyway.

Marina, been there, done that, with not having thawed food for Jasper. A can of sardines, with an egg will tide him over well while his food sits in a bowl of warm water. He does not seem to mind it partially frozen either.

But hey, our camping styles all differ to suit our individual needs, no different than any of the other choices we make in life.

[Huck]

I did a test on my microwave using a Trifield Meter set to the radio/microwave setting.

The 1st picture is from right in front of microwave when it is running. Microwave readings off the chart.



2nd picture is same microwave run, but reading at bed area. It seems the trailers are not big enough to get far enough from the microwave to avoid the generated field.



I did several other tests. On my house microwave, I had to get about 15' away before the field dropped to between 0 - 3.

I've decided to get rid of the microwave, but haven't decided to replace it with something else or use the space for storage.

[floyd]

use it ...love it!

[Randy P.]

From the FDA, Radiation Emitting Products:

Microwave Oven Safety Standard

A Federal standard limits the amount of microwaves that can leak from an oven throughout its lifetime to 5 milliwatts (mW) of microwave radiation per square centimeter at approximately 2 inches from the oven surface. This limit is far below the level known to harm people. Microwave energy also decreases dramatically as you move away from the source of radiation. A measurement made 20 inches from an oven would be approximately one one-hundredth of the value measured at 2 inches.

Checking Ovens For Leakage

There is little cause for concern about excess microwaves leaking from ovens unless the door hinges, latch, or seals are damaged. In FDA's experience, most ovens tested show little or no detectable microwave leakage. If there is some problem and you believe your oven might be leaking excessive microwaves, contact the oven manufacturer, a microwave oven service organization, your state health department, or the nearest FDA office.

A word of caution about the microwave testing devices being sold to consumers: FDA has tested a number of these devices and found them generally inaccurate and unreliable. If used, they should be relied on only for a very approximate reading. The sophisticated testing devices used by public health authorities to measure oven leakage are far more accurate and are periodically tested and calibrated.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Huck

I did a test on my microwave using a Trifield Meter set to the radio/microwave setting.

The 1st picture is from right in front of microwave when it is running. Microwave readings off the chart.



2nd picture is same microwave run, but reading at bed area. It seems the trailers are not big enough to get far enough from the microwave to avoid the generated field.



I did several other tests. On my house microwave, I had to get about 15' away before the field dropped to between 0 - 3.

I've decided to get rid of the microwave, but haven't decided to replace it with something else or use the space for storage.

So what level of intermittent microwave exposure is hazardous? Did you check the door gasket?
Would driving through a speed trap cause mutations... or just paranoia?
It does appear as though cellphones can cause vacuous mental enslavement... is it the microwaves? Of course, in low doses, cellphones only cause a subliminal sense of annoyance!

[David Tilston]

Microwaves are not nearly as dangerous as people are led to believe. They are way below the ionizing frequency required to cause any genetic damage. In fact they are on the wrong side of the visible spectrum for this.

They work by shaking any polarized molecules, (water mostly) to produce heat from friction. If your butt feels warm when you stand near a microwave, mover further away. Microwaves have been in kitchens for decades now. If they were dangerous, the lawyers would have been on it by now.

[Ken in Pa]

We use ours every morning for oatmeal and a side of egg whites.
Ken

[honda03842]

Jim,
We definitely eat a lot less and do cook in smaller portions as well but invariably there's a little left over that becomes tomorrow's lunch. We are particularly fond of soup and usually make enough for two meals.

Right now, since we're celebrating our 50th, we've been eating out more on this trip, enjoying Newfoundland's delights.

To me microwaves are a personal choice, no right or wrong. Fortunately they're not too expensive and the decision is reversible.

As to microwave cooking of eggs, we let our eggs swim in bacon fat before eating.....

[Betty L.]

Many prefer the convenience of one. I'd much prefer the storage.
Microwaving is said to change the nature of the proteins, making them indigestible. Blood tests showed that after eating nuked food, the level of white blood cells rose, as if fighting an infection.
On line there were pics of identical plants watered one with tap water, and another with nuked water. After the a while, the difference in the plants became very apparent. The nuke plant did not look too well.
I do not own a microwave. Got rid of it years ago. Except, there is one in the last Casita I just bought. Thankfully it is not permanently mounted.
Betty L.

[David Tilston]

Betty, Snopes.com call this rumor FALSE:
snopes.com: Microwaved Water - See What It Does to Plants

That being said, I have noticed that water heated in a microwave tends to froth more when I put instant coffee in it, as compared to water boiled in a kettle. I have yet to figure that out. Could be super heated water from the microwave, and the coffee caused the required disturbance to let the water boil. It's a guess.

I googled it. Looks like I was correct:
Boiling water in a microwave (or, Danger: Coffee Explosion) - General Topics - Chowhound

[MarkyVasquez]

That meter is reading the electromagnetic energy coming from the power supply. They use 800 to 1200 watts of energy and all must go through the power supply. If the meter were to be tuned to the magnetron (microwave frequency) frequency then it would have a whole new reading. What you're measuring is the power supply at 60hz which is way below the gigahertz region.
If you really wanted to measure a high magnetic flux measure the air conditioner, especially when it turns on. The alternator on your tow vehicle is usually rated at 120amps! That's about 1500 watts! Try tuning an AM radio next to your alternator, it'll blank it out with electromagnetic noise.
The water on this planet was brought to the earth on comets and was exposed to stronger fields generated by the sun. So the electromagnetic damage has already been done to our water. The only reason we're not exposed to as much radiation from the sun anymore is because we have a shield called the ionosphere around the earth that protects is.
If you like using your microwave use it! We do.
We use our camper not only for camping but as an alternative to a hotel, and don't get me started on that. Happy camping!

[Betty L.]

Hi,
Could be. But does not addresss the other things I have seen about microwaving food.
I prefer to err on the side of caution. I don't really see that much convenience for my part. Plus I really like the additional storage. That far out weighs the convenience of zapping my food.
Seems I did hear something unfavorable about Snopes too at one time.
But, to each their own. It is a personal choice.
Just thought I would share what I had seen.
Betty L.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Betty L.

Many prefer the convenience of one. I'd much prefer the storage.
Microwaving is said to change the nature of the proteins, making them indigestible. Blood tests showed that after eating nuked food, the level of white blood cells rose, as if fighting an infection.
On line there were pics of identical plants watered one with tap water, and another with nuked water. After the a while, the difference in the plants became very apparent. The nuke plant did not look too well.
I do not own a microwave. Got rid of it years ago. Except, there is one in the last Casita I just bought. Thankfully it is not permanently mounted.
Betty L.

I guess you have to be careful what you feed some little pansies...

[Glenn Baglo]

I hope you don't eat apples.
One of the naturally occurring chemicals in apples is acetone. Same stuff that's in nail polish remover.

[David Tilston]

I like this graphic. It shows where microwave ovens fit in the spectrum of radiation. Way below infrared.

[Francesca Knowles]

Time for me to confess that the real reason I don't have a microwave in my trailer is that the first-ever-microwave and gen-you-wine Original Raytheon Radarange I bought at a garage sale simply won't fit.

[MarkyVasquez]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

Time for me to confess that the real reason I don't have a microwave in my trailer is that the first-ever-microwave and gen-you-wine Original Raytheon Radarange I bought at a garage sale simply won't fit.

Let me know if you're selling it. I think it'll fit in my teardrop.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Fiberglass RV mobile app

[accrete]

Cari & I haven't used a microwave regularly in nearly 20 years.
Our full time rig (5th wheel) came with a nice (BIG) convection/conventional/microwave. We use the non-microwave part of it daily. Beyond any possible health benefits from simply warming/cooking in a conventional way, we just like the way food tastes old school.

When we ordered our Parkliner we had Chandler leave out the microwave. It takes about ~1.5 minutes to make tea-temp water on the stove in a 1 qt kettle, and when we cook it is sort of a team-effort-zen time thingy

Thom

[MsRubyLu-Kathy]

If I had a trailer that came with a microwave I would seriously consider removing it and using the space for storage. I don't even have one at home why would I want one while camping. I used to have one and decided it took up too much valuable space in my small house and I know how to use a stove.