You Won’t Guess What This Is
July 13, 2025
Source: Instructables
Nostalgia sometimes arises from the most unexpected of sources. One morning, I woke up and found a strange plastic circle in my bed. Three little wheels. Beige. Light weight. I had seen it before, and I could not remember where I saw it, or frankly, if I had even seen it at all.
It turned out my girlfriend sleepwalked, and without noticing, it must have come along for the ride. We stared at this small trinket both perplexed and amused. It reminded me of a toy from the 1990s, or a kitchen gadget that went the way of other forgotten relics. After some half-hearted searching and virtually stupid guesses, it hit me:
It was the microwave turntable ring.
You’ve seen it. The simple ring that sits below the glass tray in the microwave. The ring rolls silently while allowing the plate to smoothly spin to heat evenly. When the plate is not properly rotating, reheated leftovers carry the burden of scorching hot on one side and ice-cold on the other.
The Unappreciated Workhorse
The microwave turntable ring has quietly blended into the fabric of how we live in the kitchen for the last few decades. It is nothing to look at. It does not make a sound. But it has done its job, whether that is rotating dinner, reheating snacks evenly or providing a flat bottom to our hated reheated coffee.
It is a staple of most kitchen outings, rarely gets any attention, and when it does, we can’t believe that it is lost. Suddenly, the plate will not rotate, the microwave makes an absurd sound, and our food does not reheat evenly. And it is amazing how something so small can be easily lost, but yet is vital.
A Faint Piece of Nostalgia
The microwave turntable ring being lost or misplaced took on strange sense of nostalgia. It is like seeing an old VHS, or an analog dial on a stove. The microwave turntable ring is nothing but another kitchen part; but it has served an interesting background component in the script of our daily lives.
It has been part of after-school snacks, midnight meals and rapid reheats. The microwave turntable ring has not asked for the spotlight, and it is more than possible that the subjective nature of the spotlight is entirely unnecessary.
A Curious Prompt
Through an awe-struck sleepwalking episode, the microwave turntable ring finally was out of anonymity. It begrudgingly provided us with a laugh and reminded us that small things, which are easy to overlook, play an steady role in our daily lives.
The next time you open the microwave door and the little plastic ring is there, consider giving a slight acknowledgment. It has rolled along, whirled around, unobtrusively performed its role, and without any thanks—for years.