Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Water Superheating in Microwave (True)

Be careful when heating water in your microwave oven. To prevent superheated liquid from bubbling up and out of the cup, here are some points to note:

1) Do not heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup.
2) After heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds before moving it or adding anything into it.

I have been told by many of my friends to avoid using microwave oven. Here are some information supporting this advise of caution:

The Hidden Hazards Of Microwave Cooking

The Proven Dangers of Microwaves

If you have decided not to microwave your food, check out new uses for your microwaveable plastic wares.

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A 26-year old person decided to have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of
water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had done
numerous times before). I am not sure how long he set the timer for, but he
told me he wanted to bring the water to a boil. When the timer shut the
oven off, he removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the cup, he
noted that the water was not boiling, but instantly the water in the cup
"blew up" into his face.

The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand but all the water
had flown out into his face due to the build up of energy. His whole
face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face which may
leave scarring. He also may have lost partial sight in his left eye.

While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that this
is fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated
in a microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something should be
placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as: a wooden stir stick, tea
bag, etc. It is however a much safer choice to boil the water in a kettle.

General Electric's response:
Thanks for contacting us. I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that
you received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not always
bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get superheated
and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup
when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it.

To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid
for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the cup stand
in the microwave for thirty seconds before moving it or adding anything
into it. If you pass this on ... you could very well save someone from a
lot of pain and suffering.

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