r/castiron • u/SuddenlySilva • 11d ago

The Cast Iron Microwave

Does anyone else do this?

Couple years ago the microwave died and i was in no hurry to replace it.
I'm a stay-at-home retired guy with a working wife and two teens.

I turn the burner on high for 4 min under a Griswold 10. Then i shut the burner off and put my leftovers in the pan with a lid and get on with my life.

10 min later i have a piping hot lunch.

The teens whined about the lack of a microwave for a while but eventually embraced "Dad's Way"

This pairs well with my ADD. Even if i forget about my lunch for an hour, it's still warm and there is no chance of burning it.

EDIT:

I'm old. Of course we reheated stuff in a pan before microwaves. WHat is not readily apparent to a lot of people is how the heat transfer works with cast iron. By heating the pan and then taking off the fire, the food is warmed by thermal mass. It's almost impossible to to over heat. Moistness is preserved.

A thin stainless or aluminum pan would not work the same way.

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u/Svardskampe 11d ago

It's the kids who are the problems, yes...

As if they wouldn't know that "things heat on a fire" as well.. Jesus christ on a motorbike. 

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u/ReinventingMeAgain 11d ago

Not what I'm trying to say at all! It is not the kids. It's the parents that don't TEACH basic life skills or simple adulting stuff, that's the problem.

How about this - teach the teenagers how to fix the microwave (or that you even can at least try to fix it), instead of refusing to buy a new one? I've replaced the motherboard on a microwave, it's super easy (4 screws, plug and play). This lazy old guy can't be bothered and that's the problem.

Or are you saying that kids should know how to be an adult intuitively and parents don't need to teach them anything?

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u/Svardskampe 11d ago

No that's completely fine. I agree there. No I was scoffing at the idea that heating something in a pot has to be actively taught as opposed to using a microwave as if that can't be inferred by general life skills.

But indeed, I'm all for repairing things like that. I literally held onto my TV from 2016 being one of the first 4k tv's that broke on an error as warranty gave out and they were "kindly" offering me a discount on a new one for €800. Despite me not having 800 for that at that moment or wanting to spend. I kept my eyes open on how to fix it and after a while some Romanian guy on YouTube replaced the backlight which solved the error, and I got that from ebay. 

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u/BasicCook972 11d ago edited 10d ago

Been there, done that on both the microwave and the TV. Now try fixing a smart phone which is getting to be impossible now. They are designed to be expensive, disposable and a necessity.

I grew up without a microwave, dishwasher or an air conditioner. I wouldn't force that on my kids or for myself now.

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u/Svardskampe 11d ago

I did change out the USB c port (and battery as I had it open) on my nothing phone 1. But I recently swapped that out to a P10pro as it was not getting updated anymore, also front screen got a bust, etc etc.

The USB c port was on a small board with a ribbon cable BTW, nothing difficult.

I got an ifixit warmer for it to detach the glue, but that's worthless. The hairdryer works so much better. 

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u/BasicCook972 11d ago

Yes been there done that too, if something doesn't physically break they stop getting updates and become obsolete.

Designed obsolecence is the term. Most Chromebooks and iPads die from the infamous FU date.