Don't Over-Nuke It: Microwave Cooking Times Slideshow

We often think of the microwave as the cooking appliance for the lazy, but it's actually an effective and useful tool in the kitchen when used properly. If you have ever wanted to re-heat a doughnut to fake that straight-from-the-store taste or quickly steam vegetables, nuking might be your best bet.

Baked potatoes would be the perfect quick and easy light dinner if they didn't take so much time to cook. To speed that process up, you can cook potatoes in the microwave. Wash your potato well and puncture with a fork four or five times. Then place the potato on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for five minutes. Next, flip the potato over and cook for four more minutes. It is important to flip the potato to ensure even cooking.

Actually, the microwave is a great way to melt chocolate. Double boilers risk the introduction of water into your chocolate and the heat from your burner is harder to control. When you melt chocolate in the microwave, always use a microwave-safe container and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. If your chocolate is still not fully melted, heat on high in 15-second intervals, stirring in between each blast.

When you want to recreate that moment when you pull into the doughnut shop and the hot sign is on, the microwave is your best friend. You just need to warm the doughnut enough to soften it, but not so much that it becomes tough. In our experience, eight seconds on high is the key to a perfectly reheated doughnut.

If you are in a pinch, or live in a dorm room, you can make eggs in the microwave. It is best to stick with scrambled eggs since the higher fat content of the yolks causes them to cook faster than the whites. Just grab a microwave-safe bowl or mug, stir the eggs up with a tablespoon of water per egg with a fork, season with salt and pepper, add your favorite toppings (cheese, ham, tomatoes, etc.), and toss the whole thing in the microwave. For one egg scrambled, cook on high for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat in 15-second increments until just set.

Usually, cooking hot dogs in the microwave results in dried-out, shriveled split dogs. To prevent this catastrophe, heat your hot dog on a paper towel — to absorb the fat that releases — on high in 15- to 20-second intervals until cooked through. 

The trick to reheating day-old pizza is recreating that crisped crust, which is not always so easy in a microwave. To prevent a tough, dried-out pizza, fill a mug two-thirds of the way with water, and place the pizza on a plate on top of the mug, then heat on high for 15- to 20-second intervals.

If you want to steam vegetables quickly for dinner, the microwave is your fastest option. Cut your vegetables into one-inch pieces. Then, place in a microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Next, make a couple puncture holes in the plastic wrap. Finally, cook on high in 30- to 45-second intervals until the vegetables are cooked through.