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?

My neff microwave oven is like that. I only knew because I queried the fact that it had metal grills inside and how that could possibly work.

i have a NEFF and this sticker, I ignored it, I didn't understand what it meant and couldn't be arsed to read the manual. Oh well.

How would a metal spoon stop the liquid from spilling over?? Surely. Wooden spoon would catch fire I suggest you try it but keep a fire extinguisher handy and a fire blanket just in case and make sure you have house insurance report back please

It doesn't stop it spilling over while you're heating it, somehow it stops the phenomenon of it heating past boiling point in the microwave without bubbling, and spontaneously and then violently bubbling when 'disturbed' by picking it up or putting a spoon in afterwards.

Is this the same thing as putting a wooden spoon in boiling rice to stop it from boiling over (presumably by bursting the bubbles enough to keep it contained?)
Whenever I make porridge or custard in the microwave it always boils over and I always have to clean up a sticky mess

I think the wooden spoon thing is lies I have definitely let loads of things bubble over when there is a wooden spoon in there metal thing interesting...

DH microwaved a muller rice without removing all of the foil packaging and then left the kitchen... Now we need a new microwave I'll look into getting one of those!

I did it today. Not a particular brand of microwave.
No explosion, no problem. I'm not sure it achieved anything- I'll try it again though.

@RonSwan I think you are just cooking it for too long, past the point where the milk boilds.
You need to keep taking it out and stirring and it will be fine
I put the porridge which I make with milk (water and salt is for DH, yuk) in a pyrex measuring jug which is tall and so makes it harder to boil over, and put it in for one min 30 secs.
Take it out, stir, put it back in for another minute. Done.

I wouldn't care what the sticker says, I still wouldn't do that!

Does it possibly mean you should stir fluids at intervals for even heat distribution? I don’t think metal can go in a microwave no matter what make.

I feel like you have misinterpreted this- doesn’t it mean to stir foods that have been microwaved as sometimes you get heat pockets rather than to stick a spoon in the microwave

I once saw someone heat a metal pot of coffee in a microwave. She grabbed it to take it out and her flesh stuck to the handle it was so hot. She almost passed out and was rushed to hospital. I've never dared put metal in since.

@TheGirlWhoLived

I put a little thing of butter in the microwave and it burst into flames (had a metal wrapper) that didn’t touch the sides!

Are you sure you have it right!?

Yes, I've done this. I had no idea the wrapper had metal in it. Thought it was paper.

Me too . Maybe it means a plastic spoon . I thought no metal ever in microwave !!

I ask my fella, he engineer. Hang on

Ok here goes.
You put spoon in liquid so it heats evenly. You can get a hot, cold spot in cup and it can explode, if heated with no spoon.
I have boiled milk, then stirred and it has suddenly bubbled up. To be honest I still wouldn't, I prefer to let stand for a little.

Straight from domestic appliance engineer

Not me my fella

It has to be in liquid

The microwave renda a high power high frequency wave. Metal makes it bouce back to the source and can damage the microwave. Maybe this models can take the reflected wave caused by a small object such a spoon put in the middle of the oven... But the metal rule generally counts

You can wrap eggs in tin foil then put in large bowl of water and boil in microwave. Google

I always thought no metal in the microwave.

But Lakeland says you can put spoons but not forks in.....blog.lakeland.co.uk/metal-in-the-microwave/#:~:text=Metal%20is%20safe%20to%20use%20in%20a%20microwave!&text=The%20use%20of%20flat%20metal,of%20your%20food%20from%20overcooking%3F

@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!

I heat loads of things in a mug like small tins of beans and milk in a jug, which isn’t a mug but the same size and with a spout.