Microwaves have a contentious history, but with the myth that they cause radiation exposure busted, the best microwaves have returned to pride of place in many kitchens. Most commonly, the microwave is used to reheat cooked food, but what about using it to cook in the first place?
David Chang, founder and owner of Momofuko, is a documented microwave believer. Not only did he co-write a cookbook about it, but he also created Anyday dishes for that singular purpose: how to love cooking in your microwave. As an avid cook and baker, I was skeptical that my microwave could do more than melt butter and reheat leftovers. I decided to spend an entire day ignoring my stove, cooking only with Anyday dishes and my microwave.
Design and construction Specs
The bowls are borosilicate glass, which can withstand rapid changes in temperature. The lids have microwave-safe stainless steel rims wrapped in silicone that provide a tight seal around the bowl. Each lid has a silicone knob that can be lifted up to provide a steam vent while cooking.
Preparing meat
The chicken, orzo, and feta recipe is the best example of what Anyday dishes offer. One grain, one protein, and one vegetable make a filling meal that only requires one dish and one cook time. I kept the chicken in big enough chunks that I could stick a meat thermometer in and the chicken still came out perfectly cooked.
My one qualm was that when I swapped orzo for pearled barley, it was just on the wrong side of chewy.
Microwaving grains
The shrimp and polenta dish was the most labor-intensive of the recipes I tried. Polenta is time-consuming on the stovetop, so the Anyday magic here is making it in 20 minutes in the microwave with minimal stirring. With any new recipe or piece of cookware, there is a learning curve. Depending on your microwave wattage and the grind of polenta, you may need to adjust the water to grain ratio, even midway through cooking.
In general, I found that grains cooked in the Anyday dishes were on the thick and chewy side. The polenta was far thicker than it should have been, holding together instead of mixing with the other ingredients. I think the water evaporates quicker in the microwave than when you simmer it on the stovetop, so the grains absorb less of it.
Cons to consider
While cooking, the bowls get very hot to the touch. A pair of oven mitts or a dish towel is enough to protect your hands, but I ran into another problem. With an over-the-range microwave, transporting full dishes in and out is tricky enough — without handles, it was precarious to move the steaming hot Anyday dishes.
I also wasn't impressed by the pancake recipe. The texture was spongy and dense, and they didn't take on any color, so they looked unappetizing. In this case, I don't think the cooking method saved cooking time. Even though I could fit two small Anyday dishes in my microwave, it took multiple rounds of portioning the batter, cooking for a minute and a half, removing the pancakes, and repeating.
The bottom line
The tight-fitting lids and steam vents set the Anyday dishes apart from other microwave-safe bowls. You can purchase dishes individually or in a few different sets. I recommend the Everyday Set, which includes deep and shallow large and medium dishes. For most people and most Anyday recipes, that's all you need.
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