How to make poor quality bacon

For years, we made bacon in a frying pan.  Always good, crispy and even had fat to cook other things in.
Recent years, found that the oven is great too.  Parchment paper on a pan that holds eight slices works very well.  Crispy and tasty.
Decided to try a quick shortcut I've read about often.  Microwave.
Put two slices on a paper towel, folded it over to avoid splatter, put the plate in the MW for three minutes.  It was cooked, the ends were crispy but the middle a bit less so.  Flavor?  Seems most of that was missing.  The crispness was not the same either, texture off.
Won't ever try that shortcut again.