Do not want to throw out 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 it in the camera. In the article, we will consider which dishes are suitable for the microwave, and which is better to remove away.
What you can not heat food in the microwave
If a microwave is not dangerous for a person, then for some kitchen utensils it is the worst enemy. Without worrying about the “compatibility” of the new technology and your favorite pots, you can spoil the food, set fire to the stove, or make an explosion. There are several materials that in no case can be put in the camera, but for others there are exceptions. How to distinguish between them?
Plastic
When there is a label with a permit sticker on the plastic container, it is better to ignore (or check) the manufacturer’s permission. According to the law, he is not obliged to test his products in production.
When heated, plastic emits special toxic substances that easily penetrate food. By warming up a dinner for a long time in a poor-quality plastic lunch box, you will take it out of the chamber melted. Heating with food film has a similar effect: carcinogens from polymeric materials enter the products.
Gold Plates
A golden saucer can sparkle if you put it in the microwave. The direct danger is fire. Spare the appliance, yourself and your home. Beautiful plates and dishes with golden patterns are not created for the influence of waves.
Why can not put gilding in the microwave
The 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 enclosure; metal serves as a protection. Sparking, an electric arc, a fire will appear inside the microwave, in which, by mistake or for the sake of interest, there is an iron bowl.
But there is also a specialized cookware created for the needs of users of microwave ovens. It includes the Aqua Cook Samsung kit - the steaming kit has a metal cap that protects products from exposure to microwaves.
Combined Ovens
If you got a device equipped with a grill or heater, there are loopholes. Often TEN 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, released in the former Soviet Union, have lead in their composition. Heavy metals were mixed in raw materials for durability, excellent performance and elegance of products. Porcelain cups, glasses, bowls, salad bowls, tureens with an admixture of lead are very dangerous for microwave ovens.
Hardware
“Can I put iron in the microwave?” - you ask. "Not!" - experts and manufacturers will answer.
Metal reflects waves that can lead to an explosion - at best, you throw the stove out, at worst you can easily get injured. Do not assemble such a “bomb” with your own hands. Iron, aluminum, enameled and other metal utensils cannot be placed in the chamber, because it begins to sparkle. As in the case of gilding, this threatens a fire.
On a note! Avoid heating paper boxes, fast food foil, or sushi bars. The best material for heating sandwiches and other similar foods is parchment paper for baking.
Crystal
If the crystal is not fake, it contains lead, and in the expensive - silver. In faceted products, the wall thickness is not the same, so the heating process will not be uniform. Impurities of metal lead to a rapid increase in temperature - your favorite salad bowl or vase burst. If crystal objects are dear to you, do without experimentation.
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 cook in wooden plates, but enthusiasts will always be found.
Manufacturers (not all) warn against the use of wooden utensils, otherwise it may overheat, char. But you can try to use it in short cycles - when warming up or preparing quick dishes. The type of food also matters: Avoid fatty and sugary foods.
Remember that the tree may contain moisture, it is a living material, and the waves of the device do not affect objects, but water molecules. So products from the "fresh" moisture tree are deformed.
Paper objects
There is no ban on the use of disposable paper or paperboard in a microwave oven. But for long cooking (especially fatty foods), it is not suitable. Packaging containers coated with plastic or wax will surely “leak” - the products, on which the molten coating will fall, will deteriorate.
You can use ordinary paper towels for the kitchen, and cover the baking sheets with tracing paper as if baking in the oven. When baking cupcakes, you can use paper corrugated molds. Avoid paper made from recycled materials - it can contain toxins and metals.
To summarize: what can’t be put in the oven
So, do not put in the microwave for cooking or heating food:
- Thin-walled glass glasses, wine glasses, piles, etc.
- Products with metal decor (gilding, silver-plated items).
- Crystal.
- Stainless steel, cast iron.
- Aluminum, nickel or enamelled items.
- Items and utensils with gold and silver handles / elements.
- Porcelain, earthenware, ceramic objects with metal decor.
- Wooden and straw items.
- Disposable tableware (for long processing).
- Recycled paper inventory.
- Newspapers, stained 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 whether the capacity 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 with water.
- Place the beaker in the chamber along with the test container.
- Run the device at full power, detect 1 minute on the timer.
- Check: if after a minute the water from the glass warms up, and not everything else, the test results are excellent. You can use the tested plate. But if the water remained cold, but at the same time the cup that you are checking has warmed up, it means that radiation is being absorbed. Better to put such a thing away from the stove.
In the instructions for the technology of some brands, simpler test schemes are also given: it is enough to put the dishes for 0.5-1 minutes in the chamber, start the maximum power and at the end of 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?” - the housewives will ask, sorting through all the pans, baking sheets, pans, ladles, etc. that are available at home. The most ideal material is glass. The waves pass through it without problems, their effect is not diminished, cleaning and washing does not cause difficulties. Besides the fact that you can cook in such containers, a nice bonus is that you can immediately serve it on the table without ruining the serving.
Today, the selection of glass objects, including glass ceramics, is so great that there will be no problems with selection: these are pans of various depths, pans with or without lids and handles, baking sheets, dishes, pots, etc. They are made of special heat-resistant glass. Allowed temperature values: from -40 to +1000 degrees Celsius.
For conventional stoves and ovens, in addition to induction, glass and glass-ceramic options are also suitable. The combo modes in microwave with grill or convection are also well tolerated.
Important! Glass is not resistant to sudden temperature jumps. Do not put a hot baking sheet on a wet towel or do not heat the dish directly from the refrigerator to microwave cracks, or even complete deformation of the product is ensured.
Is it possible to cook in pots
Ceramics, porcelain and earthenware (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 there may be a lot of impurities in clay that do not affect the throughput of materials for the better.
If you notice a crack, chip or other defect on the pot, set it aside: the pot may crack due to the boiling moisture accumulated in them during washing.
In addition to the pots, the housewives put stewpan, terrine, tazhin and other items in the chamber. Serving utensils (after the test) can also be used - it is only desirable that its forms are simple.
Silicone: yes or no
There is no prohibition on the use of silicone mats or molds. Muffins, rolls, casseroles, pies and other goodies can be easily prepared in the microwave, using silicone, without fear and risk. The only exceptions are those with a sticker that prohibits exposure to radiation.
Special dishes
We already wrote about a special set from Samsung. Other brands are not far behind their Korean counterparts - Panasonic, LG, Whirlpool, Teka, Sharp and Rolsen offer special cooking dishes of their own design. The material is glass ceramic with a special coating capable of absorbing wave energy. Such containers can be supplemented with non-stick coating. As a result, heating is fast.
For LG furnaces, a combination cookware called “Talented Dish” is being created. This is a cooking set in different modes to fully utilize the functionality. One of the models of the Mulinex company is supplemented with a bread machine, in which you can bake a traditional brick according to your own or the proposed recipe from simple ingredients. As in a conventional bread oven, kneading, brewing and baking occur automatically.
There are few dishes, right? But you need to carefully choose what is suitable for a microwave, and what is not worth bringing close. Your attentiveness will protect the equipment from breakdowns, and you from other negative consequences.