To not have known I SHOULD put a metal spoon in the microwave?

[Meme69]

I've owned my microwave for 6 years. Clearly I'm not the most observant person in the world because I've spent my whole life panicking about accidentally putting metal in the microwave. Today I noticed a sticker on mine (inside the door-see picture) that clearly shows I should use a spoon when heating fluids. Couldn't believe it, so I got out the manual. Sure enough, it says I should always put a metal spoon into fluids whwn heating them, but not let it touch the sides of the microwave!!

How did I not know this. I've spent all my life believing if I put something metal in the microwave it will combust into flames!! Am I the only person in the world who didn't know this?

I dont think I would dare risk it!

@LunchWithAGruffalo

Our Bosch has the same sticker, I'm not great at remembering after years and years of avoiding putting any metal in. We always have the metal shelf in and do use metal dishes when using the combi settings.

I've only seen it on the combination microwave ovens, I presume they work in a different way.

It's not a combination microwave, it's a standard one. My mind is blown by this revelation

😱

It's mostly about the shape of the metal. You need to avoid things that will spark - like the tines of a fork or crumpled bits of foil.

blog.lakeland.co.uk/metal-in-the-microwave/

Is it a combi microwave?

Oh. Typed too slow!

I think it depends on whether you are heating the liquid for say a minute in which it's not going to boil over or longer although this probably differs depending on the wattage as well.

You can microwave metal. Just not thin metal like foil, or gilding on a plate, or as pp said the tines of a fork. But you can microwave a spoon, which acts as a parabolic antenna and spreads the charge.

Is it because the image is of a glass with water, rather than say a mug? And the glass might shatter.

This is very outing - hello ex colleagues!

Microwaves have improved technology a lot - metal used to be instant death to the entire street, now its often OK or recommended to use aluminium foil in them to shield bits you don't want nuked to death. However....

I used to work in a food factory - we had a dessert that had gold sparkly dust on it, you know the stuff, it's often on Xmas / valentines desserts.

Well, gold sparkly food dust stuff is made out of iron oxide (rust, yum). Unfortunately the pudding was in a cardboard tray, and the gold colour was a little 'clumpy'... A combination that lead to us destroying about 5 customer's microwaves, in a kind of personalised kitchen lightning storm / fire kind of way.

I'm sure I remember something about this years ago on Watchdog. Why would you heat a mug of liquid anyway?

I'm sure our new microwave says in the instructions that you can use foil in it although I've never tried, we only use ours for melting cheese in pitta breads, and defrosting bread rolls!

@Twobrews
I hear milk for cocoa in the microwave to save washing up.

I always put a metal spoon in a glass before adding boiling water- it stops the glass shattering, is this something similar or am I missing the point?

There's quite an interesting episode of Mythbusters where they did all sorts of stuff with metal in microwaves. Basically they said that it's the impurities in water that makes it bubble when it boils, and if you microwave distilled water it only bubbles (dramatically, at a risk to you) when you add something to it. Spoons don't spark in microwaves because there isn't a gap for the current to jump across.

Having never experienced heating something that boils without bubbling, I feel that adding metal to a microwave is probably more risky because people won't follow the instructions.

Yes, it’s true about the metal spoon when heating drinks, but I didn’t believe it until I had a new microwave with clear instructions in the manual. I have just finished doing this for DD’s hot chocolate! It makes it heat more evenly.

I don’t think you should let other metals (gold rimmed mugs etc) in the microwave though.

It doesn't say use a metal spoon, it says IF you use a metal spoon, keep it away from the walls. So if you're worried, you can use a plastic one.

Last time I put metal in the microwave is was like sodding Star Wars in there.

a foil jam tart case was a bit close to the microwave and caused a reaction.

Mine was sparking like crazy when I put in an ambrosia custard packet but didn’t realise that the inside was foil. I was really scared to press the off button in case I got electrocuted so did it with a wooden spoon 😂😂

I've never put a spoon in the microwave but I have experienced the super heating effect with a liquid.

I put a cup of milk in the microwave for a hot chocolate. It wasn't boiling when I took it out but as soon as I added the first spoonful of chocolate power it went into a ferocious boil and half the milk exploded out of the mug. I was very lucky not to get scolded.

It’s to stop hot spots and people having accidents with the liquid coming out the cup and splashing them.

@Twobrews

I'm sure I remember something about this years ago on Watchdog. Why would you heat a mug of liquid anyway?

I'm sure our new microwave says in the instructions that you can use foil in it although I've never tried, we only use ours for melting cheese in pitta breads, and defrosting bread rolls!

Do you never find one of your 'two brews' sitting on the side, forgotten, cold, and reheat it? I'm forever having to do that 🤷‍♀️🤣

I don’t add a spoon, just watch what doing but there is a few people burnt each year doing this

So has anyone actually been brave enough to actually do it? I noticed this when we got a new microwave about 4 years ago but I’ve been too terrified to try. Please post if you have done it and the world didn’t end!

For a party trick, if you put a lightbulb (filament, not led) floating in a bowl of water into a microwave, it lights up.