What can not be heated in the microwave: metal, crystal, plastic

Do not want to throw away cracked plates, damaged containers? Then before cooking, find out that you can not heat in the microwave.

The technical characteristics of microwave ovens do not allow the use of any utensils indiscriminately, so you need to be careful before putting them in the chamber. In the article we will consider which dishes are suitable for the microwave, and which is better to put away.

How not to heat food in a microwave oven

If Microwaves are not dangerous for humans., then for some kitchen utensils it is the worst enemy. Without worrying about the “compatibility” of new technology and favorite pots, you can spoil food, set fire to the stove, make an explosion. There are a few materials that should never be placed in a camera, and there are exceptions for others. How to distinguish them?

Plastic

When a plastic container is labeled with a permission sticker, it’s best to ignore (or check) the manufacturer’s permission. By law, he is not required to test his products during production.

When heated, plastic releases special toxic substances that easily penetrate into food. By warming up lunch in a low-quality plastic lunch box for a long time, you will get it melted out of the chamber. Heating with cling film has a similar effect: carcinogens from polymeric materials get inside the food.

Plates with gilding

The “gold-rimmed saucer” may sparkle when placed in the microwave. The immediate danger is fire. Spare the electrical appliance, yourself and your home. Beautiful plates and dishes with gold patterns are not designed to be affected by waves.

Why you can not put gilding in the microwave

The electrical appliance is made of metal, and there is a mesh on the door – have you noticed? There are no exceptions in any model! Design features do not allow microwaves to go beyond the body, the metal serves as protection. Sparking, electric arc, fire will appear inside the microwave, in which, by mistake or for the sake of interest, there was an iron bowl.

But there are also specialized dishes created for the needs of users of microwave ovens. This includes the Samsung Aqua Cook set – the steaming kit has a metal cap that protects products from exposure to microwaves.

Combined ovens

If you got an appliance equipped with a grill or heater, there are loopholes. Often, a heating element or grill can be used independently, without radiation. Then cook in pots, pans, iron trays, salad bowls – the list goes on, but do not forget to turn off the microwave mode.

Porcelain

Porcelain utensils produced in the post-Soviet space contain lead. Heavy metals were mixed into raw materials for durability, excellent performance and elegance of products. Porcelain cups, glasses, bowls, salad bowls, soup bowls with an admixture of lead are very dangerous for microwaves.

Hardware

“Can I put iron utensils in the microwave?” – you ask. “Not!” – experts and manufacturers will answer.

The metal reflects waves that can lead to an explosion – at best, you will throw away the furnace, at worst, you can easily get hurt. Do not collect such a “bomb” with your own hands. Iron, aluminum, enamel and other metal utensils should not be placed in the chamber, because they start to spark. As with gold plating, this is a fire hazard.

On a note! Avoid heating paper boxes, fast food foil or sushi bars. The best material for heating sandwiches and other similar foods is baking parchment paper.

Crystal

If the crystal is not counterfeit, it contains lead, and expensive crystal contains silver. In faceted products, the wall thickness is not the same, so the heating process will not be uniform. Metal impurities lead to a rapid rise in temperature – your favorite salad bowl or vase bursts. If crystal objects are dear to you, do without experiments.

How does the tree react?

We rarely use wooden utensils: the maximum is a cutting board, a hot stand or a container for storing cereals. Few people cook in wooden bowls, but there will always be enthusiasts.

Manufacturers (not all) warn against the use of wooden utensils, otherwise it may overheat, char. But you can try using it on short cycles – when warming up or preparing quick meals. The type of food also matters: avoid fatty and sugary foods.

Remember that wood may contain moisture, it is a living material, and the waves of the device do not affect objects, but water molecules. So products from “fresh” moisture wood are deformed.

paper items

There is no ban on the use of disposable paper or cardboard dishes in a microwave oven. But for long cooking (especially fatty foods), it is not suitable. Packaging containers coated with plastic or wax will definitely “leak” – the products that get the melted coating will deteriorate.

You can use ordinary paper towels for the kitchen, and cover the baking sheets with tracing paper as when baking in the oven. When baking cupcakes, you can use corrugated paper molds. Avoid recycled paper, which can contain toxins and metals.

To summarize: what can not be put in the oven

So, in the microwave for cooking or heating food, you should not put:

• Thin-walled glass cups, wine glasses, shot glasses, etc.
• Products with metal decor (gilding, silver-plated things).
• Crystal.
• Stainless steel, cast iron.
• Aluminium, nickel-plated or enameled items.
• Items and utensils with gold and silver handles/elements.
• Porcelain, faience, ceramic objects with metal decor.
• Wooden and straw items.
• Disposable tableware (for long processing).
• Recycled paper inventory.
• Newspapers, dyed paper.
• Silicone molds on a metal frame.
• Temperature resistant plastic.

How to check that the plate is suitable

The most interesting thing is that most of your kitchen utensils can be safely put in the microwave. To understand if the container is suitable for microwave, check it with a simple test (you will find it in the instructions for the device). If the user manual is lost, follow our recommendations:

• Take a glass, fill it with water.
• Place the beaker in the chamber along with the container to be tested.
• Run the machine at full power, set the timer for 1 minute.
• Check: if after a minute the water from the glass is heated, and not everything else, the test results are excellent. You can use the tested plate. But if the water remains cold, but at the same time the cup you are checking is heated, then radiation is being absorbed. It is better to put such a thing away from the oven.

In the instructions for the technique of some brands, simpler test schemes are also given: it is enough to put the dishes in the chamber for 0,5-1 minute, start the maximum power and, at the end of the work, check the degree of heating. The temperature will remain the same, or rise, or even sparks will fall.

What alternative to use

“What to cook with so many restrictions?” – housewives will ask, sorting through in memory all the pans, baking sheets, pots, ladles, etc. available at home. The most ideal material is glass. Waves pass through it without problems, their effect is not diminished, cleaning and washing does not cause difficulties. In addition to the fact that you can cook in such containers, a nice bonus is that you can immediately serve it on the table without spoiling the serving.

Today, the choice of glass items, including glass ceramics, is so large that there will be no problems with selection: these are pans of various depths, pots with or without lids and handles, baking sheets, dishes, pots, etc. They are made from special heat-resistant glass. Permissible temperatures: from -40 to +1000 degrees Celsius.

For conventional stoves and ovens, in addition to induction, glass and glass-ceramic options are also suitable. Combo modes in the microwave with grill or convection are also well tolerated.

Important! Glass is not resistant to sudden temperature fluctuations. Do not place a hot baking sheet on a wet towel or heat the dish directly from the refrigerator in the microwave – cracks or even complete deformation of the product are guaranteed.

Can you cook in pots

Ceramics, porcelain and faience (different types of clay are used) are in principle suitable for microwaves, but with some caution. To calm down, it is better to conduct a test – today in clay there may be a lot of impurities that do not affect the throughput of materials for the better.

If you notice a crack, a chip, or another defect on the pot, set it aside: the pot may crack due to the boiling of moisture accumulated in them during washing.

In addition to pots, housewives put stewpans, terrines, tagines and other items in the chamber. Serving utensils (after the test) can also be used – it is desirable only that their forms are simple.

Silicone: yes or no

There is no ban on the use of silicone mats or molds. Cupcakes, rolls, casseroles, pies and other goodies can be easily cooked in the microwave using silicone without fear or risk. The only exceptions are options with a sticker prohibiting exposure to radiation.

Special utensils

We have already written about a special set from Samsung. Other brands are not far behind their Korean counterpart – Panasonic, LG, Whirlpool, Teka, Sharp and Rolsen offer their own specialty fry dishes. The material is glass-ceramic with a special coating that can absorb wave energy. Such containers can be supplemented with a non-stick coating. As a result, heating occurs quickly.

For LG ovens, a combination cookware called “Talented Dish” is being created. This is a set for cooking in different modes to fully utilize the functionality. One of the Mulinex models is supplemented with a bread maker, in which you can bake a traditional brick according to your own or proposed recipe from simple ingredients. As in a conventional bread oven, kneading, steeping and baking are automatic.

Dishes are never enough, right? But you need to carefully choose what is suitable for the microwave, and what should not be brought close. Your attentiveness will protect the equipment from breakdowns, and you from other negative consequences.