Eco-worrier: How green is my microwave?

They've been cluttering our kitchens for more than 40 years, but we still seem to be unsure how acceptable they are - especially when we are being encouraged to embrace slow, proper food

Anna Shepard

Many people, when you spot the familiar appliance crouched on their worktop, will say that they use them only “to defrost things”. However, they could do better than that and turn to the energy-saving defence: microwaves, whatever they might do (or not do) to flavours and food, are superbly energy-efficient.
The average microwave uses a third of the energy used by a conventional electric oven, according to a study by researchers at Brown University, Rhode Island, in the US.
Yes, energy is involved in their production and transportation, and, yes, they are one of the most commonly dumped white goods in landfill, but if you use only a microwave for cooking, you will have a low-energy kitchen.
If you read Richard Ehrlich's column, The Green Kitchen, in The Times Magazine, you will know how often he extols the virtue of an appliance that cooks with a minimal expenditure of energy and water.
Personally, I've always been a resister. The niggling feeling that they are sizzling my brains as well as my porridge puts me off, even though studies have concluded otherwise.
Much like concern about mobile phones, critics argue that longer-term research is needed to make sure that microwaves do not damage our health. Until then, I'd rather not hang out next to one while it is whirring away, or cook my lunch in one every day.
Overall, it depends what you use them for. The main argument against their use is that they encourage an unhealthy approach to food that involves overpackaged ready-meals that can be heated up in three minutes flat.
But if you rely on your microwave to cook lovingly prepared home-made food that has been previously prepared in bulk to save energy and time, before being stored in the freezer, I wish you both a long and happy pinging relationship.
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How Green Are My Wellies? (Eden Project Books, £14), by Anna Shepard, is available at www.amazon.co.uk