Cooking stinky foods in the microwave at work.

[DisneyBeagle]

I'm trying to be considerate of my coworkers. I know how awful it can be when someone reheats tuna casserole in the office microwave. Please give me some suggestions of things to take for lunch that aren't too "stinky" when reheated. I can only eat so many sandwiches and I am trying not to spend money eating out.

Also, which foods are a BIG no-no to reheat in a community microwave?

 

[daisax]

We have a "no fish!" sign on the office microwave. Everything else seems to be within bounds, though I'm sure some people don't like the smell of curry, etc.

What I REALLY object to is microwaved popcorn. When burnt, it's horrific and drifts through the whole floor, sparing no one, and lasts and lasts. And even when it's perfect...I'm working, I don't want to start drooling over somebody else's hot buttery popcorn!

 

[Jennasis]

Hot pockets and lean pockets do pretty good. Stew, soup. nothing too heavily spiced.

 

[CEDmom]

Soup, Lean Cuisine, pasta, veggie burger.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

No on Mexican. Someone had it for lunch yesterday (while I was in there, too, so I know what it was). It lingered so long that I ended up with blueberry taco-flavoured coffee this morning

 

[Camicar]

Fish.

Ye gods, one of my coworkers heated that up the other day and we all thought we were living on a dock. That wasn't scrubbed down for a century.

Burnt popcorn. IOW -- Don't burn the popcorn bec you are determined to get the very last kernel popped. People, it's not that expensive. Let a few kernels go their grave unpopped.

 

[bumbershoot]

Don't eat 3 day old shrimp at work. Warmed up or not, just don't.

Hubby likes to eat his mom's homemade Korean food at work (when she deigns to give him some), and I object even though I'm not at his work. Kim chee is a bit pervasive, and not everyone likes cabbage.

Microwave popcorn is also a no-no in my book, it smells soooooo nasty. Unless you're doing the *popcorn kernels in a paper bag" thing, then that's fine, but the commercial microwave popcorn is just wrong.

OK all I have are Do Not Do ideas.

 

[Tazicket]

chicken w/ rice or pasta

 

[Mickeyluver37]

We also have a no fish rule in our office- but it's a pretty big office, so if you really want fish, you are allowed to cook it in the big kitchen that is on a floor with no work spaces.

I think that's really the only offensive food. Most other things actually smell good and make me want them! The most common thing in my office is Lean Cuisine type stuff- you usually don't see a lot of leftovers.

 

[DisneyBeagle]

OK all I have are Do Not Do ideas.

I enjoy reading your Do not Do ideas. I had no idea that microwave popcorn was so offensive to people.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

Don't eat 3 day old shrimp at work. Warmed up or not, just don't.

Hubby likes to eat his mom's homemade Korean food at work (when she deigns to give him some), and I object even though I'm not at his work. Kim chee is a bit pervasive, and not everyone likes cabbage.

Microwave popcorn is also a no-no in my book, it smells soooooo nasty. Unless you're doing the *popcorn kernels in a paper bag" thing, then that's fine, but the commercial microwave popcorn is just wrong.

OK all I have are Do Not Do ideas.

I don't mind microwave popcorn- but why does everyone always BURN it? That smell is so nasty and it resonates for hours!!!

 

[jrmasm]

No sauerkraut even if it is Jan 2.

 

[LindaM]

We got the email saying no fish and no fish-by-products (perhaps tuna?) in the microwave, after the controller went to heat up his lunch and there was a whole fish, eyeballs and all staring right back at him

 

[HOGFAN]

One lady we work with opens a tin of sardines EVERY DAY. Yeah, it stinks but we love her so we put up with it. Another gal eats alot of curry laden food. Its not a big deal to us. We are not about to tell folks what they can or cant eat. At least they cover up the smell of my reheated tuna casserole.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

The aroma of cooked broccoli makes me gag.

 

[BabyPiglet]

I personally hate it when someone pops popcorn. You can smell it through the entire floor. How is anyone supposed to work when they smell hot buttery popcorn!?

 

[LadyyRedd]

I can't stand the smell of popcorn that is cooked correctly, much less the burnt kind. People burn it so often that even the mere smell of popcorn cooking makes me sick.

Kimya

 

[enyaj40]

Don't eat 3 day old shrimp at work. Warmed up or not, just don't.

Hubby likes to eat his mom's homemade Korean food at work (when she deigns to give him some), and I object even though I'm not at his work. Kim chee is a bit pervasive, and not everyone likes cabbage.

Microwave popcorn is also a no-no in my book, it smells soooooo nasty. Unless you're doing the *popcorn kernels in a paper bag" thing, then that's fine, but the commercial microwave popcorn is just wrong.

OK all I have are Do Not Do ideas.

my exMIL was from korea and made kimchi, also, for exDH

it was so spicy i couldn't even kiss the man after he'd eaten

and it stunk up the entire frig even when properly sealed

 

[DISUNC]

We have "Fish ONLY" Microwaves at work. ...and Microwaves for everything else.

...and endless supply of Dunkin Donuts Coffee! (just had to throw that in)

 

[ducklite]

I would avoid fish, curry, popcorn unless you plan on standing there to watch it and make sure it doesn't burn, anything with a lot of onions, liverwurst, anything with cabbage in it.

Garlic has a strong aroma, although most people like it.

I usually bring leftovers, but more often than not it's chicken and rice or chicken and mashed potatoes or chicken and cous cous, or cold chiken on a salad.