The humble microwave is a relatively modern invention, having only been in our kitchens for the last 50 years. The first ever microwave oven was developed from research carried out in the second world war, with the first home-based units costing thousands of pounds.

These days, we think nothing of popping a meal into the microwave to reheat it. But did you know that your microwave can do much more?

Sterilising

If you’ve got young children, you’ll be no stranger to sterilising items in the microwave. Using a special microwave bag, or a sterilising box, you can kill germs on certain baby items by microwaving them with a small amount of clean water. Remember to let items completely cool down before using them, and ensure that there is no hot water inside them before handing them to a baby.

Freshening Up Bread

Ever gone to prepare a slice of toast just before work, only to find that the loaf’s gone stale? Enter the microwave: your one-stop solution for freshening up broad prior to toasting. Just pop the slice between two slightly damp slices of kitchen roll, then put the stale slice in the microwave and zap it on high for no more than 15 seconds. Don’t put too much water on the paper, or you’ll moisten the loaf too much.

Cleaning Sponges

Washing up sponges are notorious for harvesting bacteria, and the last thing you need is a dirty sponge spreading germs all over your ‘clean’ plates. By soaking your sponge in lemon juice and giving it a quick blast in the microwave, you can freshen up your sponge, extend its lifespan, and cut down on waste. The same procedure works with plastic chopping boards too. Just don’t try it with anything metal.

Roasting Garlic

Putting the oven on just to roast some cloves of garlic would be wasteful, but did you know that you can use your microwave instead? It’s simple: just chop the top off to expose all of the cloves, pop it in a microwave safe dish, and add one spoonful of water per clove. Microwave it on low power mode for three minutes and check; if it’s not ready, pop it in for another minute at a time until it’s cooked.

Making Cakes

Yes, you can make a cake in the microwave -- and you can make a single serving for a quick treat. There are recipes all over the internet for this treat, and it takes just a couple of minutes to cook one. We like this one from AllRecipes as a starting point; just watch the cooking time to avoid drying out the mixture.'

Chopping Onions

OK, the title is a bit of a stretch -- the microwave doesn’t chop the onion. But it does make the task a lot easier, because it prevents the onion from releasing the gases that make you cry. Just microwave the onion for 30 seconds before you cut into it. No need to wear goggles or mop your streaming eyes afterwards.