Hi friends,

I’m Aldana Iturri and I’ve spent over 20 years working in professional kitchens. These days, I develop recipes in the Anyday Test Kitchen—and I’ve learned a lot about how to make cooking easier, faster, and way less stressful.

I recently spoke with the folks over at Chowhound about how the microwave can be your secret weapon for getting dinner on the table, even when you're low on time or energy.

Here are 5 of my favorite shortcuts that I shared:

1. Keep your kitchen cool. Summer’s coming! Skip the oven and stovetop and use your microwave instead to keep your kitchen cool. No need to break a sweat if you just want to steam some broccoli or “bake” a potato.
2. Ditch plastic completely. It's so important to NEVER microwave plastic — even plastic that claims to be "microwave safe." Glass Anyday dishes with vented glass lids are a safer, better, nontoxic option for all of your steaming (and reheating) needs.
3. Skip the splatter and mess. Crisping bacon in the microwave with an Anyday dish means fewer grease splatters and 0 stovetop cleanup. Use an Anyday lid to trap the bacon fat, and collect it for another use!
4. Temper and toast like a chef. The microwave gives you more control over delicate tasks. Toasting nuts in short bursts? No burning. Melting chocolate? No seizing. Just smooth, even cooking.
5. Cut down on cleanup. Microwave cooking means you can often make an entire meal in just one dish. No pots, no pans, and no mountain of dishes in the sink after dinner.

These small shortcuts have been game-changers in my kitchen, and I hope they make your life easier too.

Happy cooking,

Aldana

Test Kitchen Lead