Bathroom

Reply to: I don't have much use for a microwave. Food tastes much better heated up gently in the oven with some water, covered with foil as mentioned above. And like M, i am a huge CSO fan. Miele CSOs are significantly more expensive than microwaves, but oh so worth it. It was my major splurge with my new kitchen. I skimped on the regular ovens and the counters to afford it. I have no regrets. For a speed oven, folks like he higher end GE Advantium. Ask about it on the Cooking forum. Plllog has both a CSO and a Speed Oven. She is a great cook and very thoughtful reviewer.

Q

Reply to: A microwave is a great special-purpose appliance. It heats up drinks in no time and can to that without making any other dishes dirty. It melts butter really nicely. And, God forbid, it you prefer microwave popcorn over kettle corn, it does that too. It also really helps for some limited numbers of recipes (e.g. it helps with making gnocchi from scratch without having to get scared about too much moisture in the potatoes). Other than that, it really isn't all that unique and in fact there frequently are other appliances that are superior. When we didn't have kids, I never had a microwave and never missed it. So, I can absolutely recommend skipping the microwave, it you don't think you need it for one of the above use cases. If you have the space, and you have the budget, I'd strongly recommend getting a combination steam oven instead -- in particular, if you have the option, get a plumbed model. We have a Miele XL model, and we love it. Much more useful than a microwave. And yes, in many cases it can actually substitute for a microwave. It won't do exactly the same, but it will probably make you forget that you never got that microwave. And, if you later discover that you really can't live without a microwave, then get a cheap small countertop model. That's less than $100.

Q