8 Things You Didn't Know Your Microwave Could Do (Slideshow)

Will your microwave wipe away your tears and tell you its all going to be OK? No, that's what your friends are for. Your microwave will, however, help make the experiene of cutting onions less emotional. Simply microwave your onion for 30 seconds and you'll see that your peeling and chopping will no longer induce tears. 

How many times have you wanted to cook beans but you can't because you didn't soak them overnight? That's where your microwave saves the day. Again.  You want to allocate 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry beans. Place beans in water in a large microwave-safe dish, cover, and cook on the highest setting until it boils, about 15 minutes. Remove beans from the microwave and let stand for 1 hour. Drain beans, discard water, and then rinse beans with fresh, cool water. Its like you traveled back in time and soaked your beans! 

Yeast dough can take an hour or more to rise at room temperature. Your bakery sous chef, the microwave, can proof yeast dough in about 15 minutes. Place an 8-ounce cup of water in the back of the microwave. You want to place your dough in a plastic-covered bowl in front of the water in the center of the microwave. Heat the dough on the lowest power for 3 minutes. Allow your dough to rest in the microwave for 3 minutes. You're almost there. Heat your dough for 3 minutes longer then let it rest for 6 minutes. Your dough has now doubled. Take a bow, microwave. 

That's right, your microwave sweetens up life with its ability to morph brick-like dark sugar into supple, use-friendly dark sugar. Place your sugar in a microwave safe bowl and cover it with a moist paper towel, and heat for 20 seconds. If it requires further softening, nuke it for an additional 20 seconds. 

Are you spending money on dried herbs or wasting money because you can't go through an entire bunch of fresh herbs? Have no fear, your microwave is here! You don't want to pile up your herbs. Instead, place leaves on a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Cover the plate with a paper towel and microwave on high for 1 minute. Keep heating in increments of 20 seconds until your herbs are dried. 

Honey sometimes has the pesky habit of crystallizing. If your honey comes in a glass jar, simply remove the lid, and heat it in the microwave in 30 to 40 second increments until it returns to its original glory. Just be careful when you're handling a hot jar!

What's the point of having bread if its stale and not edible? Your microwave is around to make sure that travesty never happens. Place your stale bread in a damp towel and then perk it up by nuking it in 10 second imcrements. The same procedure can be used to bring your stale potato chips back to life. 

Hard squashes and root vegetables can be cumbersome to peel. But not with your new BFF the microwave. Depending on the size, place the vegetable in your microwave for 2 to 3 minutes and the exterior skin should be more pliable for peeling and cutting.