Don’t Heat Water in the Microwave
About Bill FormbyI consider myself a conservative pragmatic progressive liberal, meaning that I think practically liberal, act practically liberal, and I am not going to change in the near future. But, if I do you’ll be the first to hear about it.
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It has often been said that the kitchen is one of the most dangerous places in the home, which, in itself, is one of the places where most accidents happen to people. So, in theory, that makes messing around in the kitchen doubly dangerous, I guess.
We have all heard the old joke about someone being such a bad cook that they can’t even boil water right, well actually that’s not such a big joke. One can actually heat water well beyond the theoretical boiling point (212 degrees Fahrenheit) without it boiling and the results could be a disaster. Read on for further instructions as to how one can maim one’s self trying to boil water incorrectly:
A 26-year old man 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 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 suddenly 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 a 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, (nothing metal).
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 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.
Here is what a local high school science teacher had to say on the matter: ‘Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur any time water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup).
What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapor bubbles can form. If the cup is very new, then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat that has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point.
What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken.
If you pass this on, you could very well save someone from a lot of pain and suffering.
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James Smith
February 21, 2013 at 8:26 am
I have heard this before many times and it is true. It is particularly dangerous as water is usually heated in very smooth ceramic or glass containers. As mentioned the smooth surfaces do not provide a formation point for bubbles to start. Putting a tea bag or wooden stir stick solves the problem very well.
Bill Formby
February 21, 2013 at 4:11 pm
Good point James.
bitcodavid
February 21, 2013 at 8:32 am
Hmmm. Interesting. Nothing like that’s ever happened to me, but it makes perfect sense, suggesting I’ve been lucky! On the other hand, I have had cases where a Pyrex measuring cup actually shattered.
Bill Formby
February 21, 2013 at 4:12 pm
David, that applies to both of us.
Greenlight
February 21, 2013 at 8:40 am
This is timely, as I do use the microwave for heating water for tea, but last night (using a new mug) I did notice that the water…”gurgled?” when I picked it up. Certainly not a scalding-half-my-face incident, but it was interesting to learn some of the science behind it!
Rachael
February 21, 2013 at 8:58 am
I recommend that you use only mugs marked “microwave safe” Greenlight. My daughter gave me a big mug for Christmas and I was always heating my tea in it, until one day I heard a loud POP and my cup had shattered, leaving boiling hot tea all over my microwave.
bitcodavid
February 21, 2013 at 9:53 am
Rachael, that implies that you can trust the Chinese cup manufacturer at his word. Just like I don’t believe that “melty cheese” is indeed cheese, I’m leery of trusting that some bunch of real estate execs and accountants who bought a brand name to have it made by dissident slaves at Foxconn, are going to be telling me the truth vis-a-vis my drinking cups.
See, once we were Citizens. There is nothing so powerful, in a Republic, as Citizens. Then we became customers. Less so, but still powerful – as in, “the customer is always right.” Now, we’re consumers. Consumers are cattle. Sheep. Numbers to be traded. We handed them our power, and now we complain that we’re powerless.
Bill Formby
February 21, 2013 at 4:21 pm
David, I understand what you are saying. Since you are the science type I will share another tip with you. When I get acid indigestion or “heart burn” I don’t reach for the “Tums” or “Rolaids” or any type anti acid. Instead I take a teaspoon of red wine vinegar and within a few minutes its gone. Actually any vinegar will do, but I prefer the red wine vinegar.
bitcodavid
February 21, 2013 at 5:13 pm
Some say coffee works too. Same concept. treating an acid with an acid. I don’t know the mechanism for how this works, other than possibly causing a hormonal change forcing your stomach to stop producing the acid. But nonetheless, some people swear by it.
Bill Formby
February 22, 2013 at 3:27 am
From what I have read it stops the stomach acid from being produced plus their is some type of chemical reaction with one acid neutralizing the other. I pretty much flunked chemistry in junior high and never tried again so I wouldn’t count on my knowledge. But I got that from an old black guy that used to hang out in a bar where I did. I remembered it one night when I needed some relief and all I had was some red wine vinegar. It worked so well that I haven’t bought anti acids since.
Bill Formby
February 21, 2013 at 4:15 pm
Yeah, the problem is that you can’t tell how hot the water really is when you put it the Micro wave.
Mary Beth Elderton
February 21, 2013 at 9:37 am
Wow! I had never heard of this.
Bill Formby
February 21, 2013 at 4:16 pm
Hopefully this will help avoid a crisis in your life Mary Beth.
Jim Moore
February 21, 2013 at 3:18 pm
News to me. Thanks.
As is my wont, I immediately hit Snopes for verification. Here it is.
http://www.snopes.com/science/microwave.asp
I thought I was too old to learn something new every day. Guess not.
Bill Formby
February 21, 2013 at 4:10 pm
Jim, if you want to try it yourself try making minute rice in the micro wave. You heat the water then put the rice in and the you have a mess. Trust me, I have done it and now I know why. I have been lucky I guess that it hasn’t exploded.
Jess
February 21, 2013 at 4:23 pm
Only thing I heat up in the microwave water wise, is with a cut up lemon or two, so I can let it steam in there to make cleaning it easier for me. I don’t take the dish out, leave in there for 4-5 minutes so that the lemons and steam can work their magic, making it way easy to run a cleaning cloth over it. I have a kettle for heating water up for my tea and hubby has his coffee maker.
Bill Formby
February 22, 2013 at 3:30 am
Jess, just be careful with the glass container. I would use one with a wide opening so it can release the energy without exploding.
Jess
February 22, 2013 at 10:47 am
I typically use an 8×8 glass baking dish I have and so far, no issues.