Why David Chang Defends This Kitchen Appliance Other Chefs Might Call A Lazy Shortcut

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The poor microwave gets no respect. Considering it's a technological shortcut for reheating leftovers or melting butter when you're impatient, we tend to take the microwave for granted or consider it dorm decor. But David Chang, the always-sassy chef and restaurateur behind the Momofuku empire and host of Netflix's "Ugly Delicious" doesn't have time for food snobs. He's become of the most vocal defenders of the microwave, and he wants us all to stop dismissing it as lazy and start seeing it for what it really is: An under-appreciated tool that makes cooking easier. 

Chang's love for the microwave is well-documented, from countless video recipes to his 2021 cookbook called "Cooking at Home: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Recipes (And Love My Microwave)." Somewhere along the way, professional kitchens and home cooks alike decided the microwave was too "low-brow" to be respected. But as Chang points out, it's one of the most efficient, precise, and versatile appliances we own. "The microwave is a machine from the future," he's proclaimed online.

Of course, we don't need another celebrity chef telling us what's cool or what's over. And Chang isn't evangelizing microwaves simply out of the kindness of his own heart. He's also backing a new line of microwave-specific cookware called Anyday, made out of borosilicate glass with vented glass-lids. After all, if you're going to cook entire meals in the microwave, there's many tips every home cook should know, and one of them is never using plastic.

If you're still not convinced, here's a few real-life examples: Microwaving vegetables is actually great. It doesn't just reheat them, it actually steams them in their own moisture, preserving flavor and nutrients better than boiling them into oblivion. A plate of perfectly tender broccoli or green beans takes only minutes — no pot of boiling water required. 

The same goes for fish. Chang has demonstrated how a fillet gently steamed in the microwave stays moist, delicate, and evenly cooked. This is as foolproof as it gets. And then there's rice. Chang swears by microwaving rice, something even the best stovetop cook can struggle with. Pop the dried rice and water in a bowl, press a few buttons, and you'll get fluffy, tender grains in less than 20 minutes. He even embraces microwave tricks like steaming garlic or ginger for sauces, or softening aromatics before finishing them in a pan.

In the end, Chang's microwave advocacy isn't about tearing down tradition; it's about broadening our definition of what counts as real cooking. While other chefs might roll their eyes at the piiiing of a timer, Chang hears possibility. His point is simple: If a tool makes food taste better and life easier, why should we dismiss it? The microwave isn't a lazy shortcut, it's actually a modern alternative to the stovetop that tastes just as good in half the time.