I was surprised to see microwave ovens listed by several people in the
'outlandish/useless...kitchen gadget' thread. In the past several
days I used the microwave in the following beneficial ways:

* partially cooked bacon slices -- makes the bacon lie flat in the
pan
* reheated coffee -- better to let it go cold and reheat than to
keep it (insufficiently) warm for hours
* defrosted frozen berries before blending them for a sauce for
ice cream
* cooked frozen peas, cooked fresh broccoli, pre-cooked potatoes
before baking
* reheated a variety of leftovers
* poured chicken stock into a pot for heating, then briefly zapped
the jar to liquefy the gelatinous stock still clinging to the insides -
no wastage
* zapped refrigerated tortillas soft/flexible for making burritos
* zapped a large lime for 10 seconds to maximize squeezing juice
from it
* heated milk/butter mixture before mashing potatoes
* zapped frozen peas to defrost/warm before adding to fried rice
* defrosted various meats for supper -- didn't have to decide
which hours in advance

Could I have accomplished these things without the microwave?
Absolutely. Would the alternatives have been as effective, as fast, as
easy? No way. What else do people do with theirs? -aem