We have not had a microwave since we moved to our new house, and while I am occasionally reminded of the absence of this appliance, most of the time, I don’t miss it. I have an electric tea kettle to heat up water when I need, and can heat up leftover food on the stove top in only a few minutes more time than the microwave would take. Knowing that I was concerned about the potential for microwaving to negatively affecting the food I had been heating in our previous microwave anyway, the extra time does not seem to be a bad tradeoff. While the defrosting of frozen food does require some additional forethought, overall, not having a microwave seems to simplify and de-stress the kitchen environment. Its absence makes me feel good as it reminds me of the presence of different, slower-paced ways of life and the human capacity to adapt and make do.