When microwave ovens first became popular a few decades ago, cooks tried to make entire meals in them. The results weren't always great, and the process often was so tedious that enthusiasm waned.

Today many of us think of using the device just for reheating foods or as an appliance for students trying to cook in cramped dorm rooms.

Sandra Rose Gluck, food editor of Everyday Food, called the microwave a valuable time saver and said that with the right recipes it can produce "the kinds of meals that we're proud to have in our magazine."

Cookbook author Barbara Kafka said the microwave was touted as "the do-all machine for your kitchen." But what it turned out to be is "the best kitchen assistant that you can have aside from your knife or your food processor."

She said there are things that microwaves do "perfectly" as well as things they do "awfully."

"People don't expect their ovens and stovetops to do everything," she said, "so it stands to reason they shouldn't expect their microwaves to do everything perfectly."

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