Think your microwave is only good for heating frozen dinners? Use these microwave hacks to froth milk, soften sugar, whip up French toast, and more.

Peel garlic quickly

Nuke garlic bulbs for 15 seconds and the skin will slide off like magic. The water in the garlic steams and breaks down the bond between the clove and the skin for fast removal.

Rescue stale bread

Oops! If you forgot to completely close your bread or bagel bag, simply wrap the loaf in a moist paper towel and zap it in the microwave for 20-second increments. The moisture from the towel will soak into the bread to make it taste fresh again, but not enough to make it soggy. Note: Not everything belongs in the microwave, especially these 12 things you need to stop putting in the microwave.

Juice fruit with ease

Before juicing an orange or lemon, microwave the uncut fruit for 10 seconds. The microwave will loosen the fibers inside the fruit and make it easier to juice every last drop.

Toast nuts fast

Put a handful of nuts in a microwave-safe bowl, toss with a little oil, and microwave in 60-second increments, stirring after each minute. Overall cooking time varies depending on the type of nut, but expect it to take around five minutes. This trick also works for pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

De-clump brown sugar

When your brown sugar is as hard as a rock, try this. Moisten a paper towel, place it in the sugar bag, then zap in the microwave for 25 seconds. The moisture from the towel will transfer to the sugar and make it easier to scoop. You’ll also want to read up on these other baking tips that may surprise you.

Speed bread making

Itching to make homemade pizza crust or bread? Yeast dough can take hours to rise at room temperature, but your microwave can proof yeast dough in about 15 minutes. Place an 8-ounce cup of water in the back of the microwave. Put the dough in a microwave-safe bowl in the center of the microwave and heat on the lowest power for three minutes. Let it sit in the microwave for three minutes. Heat the dough for three minutes more and then let it rest for six minutes. Your dough has now doubled in size and is ready for baking.

To read the complete article, click here. This article originally appeared on Readers Digest.