A microwave greatly facilitates the life of a modern housewife. At the same time, disputes about how safe its use is are still ongoing. Therefore, many decide to use the oven only to heat food, and not cook. And today we’ll talk about how to boil water in the microwave.
Simple question
At first glance, there is nothing complicated about this. In a microwave oven, water boils perfectly, which is a real salvation when you are in a hurry. Do I need to learn how to boil water in the microwave? Why, after all, it is enough to put a glass or other vessel and set a timer? So most people think. In this case, you can find a large number of descriptions of accidents, which led to ignorance of the process.
What is the danger
No need to be a physicist or to delve deeply into the specifics of heating various liquids in a microwave oven. Before proceeding directly to the question of how to boil water in a microwave, let's talk about the dangers of this process. Unlike heating on a stove, this often happens here without the formation of bubbles. We, by analogy with heating on a stove, stubbornly wait until the liquid begins to gurgle.
Technology violation
That is, we simply do not know how to boil water in the microwave. When the fluid is sufficiently heated, it will not bubble. At the same time, when you pour water into another cup, add a teabag or sugar into it, the liquid will begin to emit bubbles. Usually people do not know this and continue to heat the water until there is visual confirmation that the process is complete. Below we will talk about how it is dangerous to humans.
Basic Rules
In fact, you can boil water in the microwave. You just need to follow a number of rules. It is especially important to tell children about them, since most often it is they who receive burns due to improper handling of the microwave.
- Do not place the vessel with water in the microwave for more than 2 minutes.
- When you hear a signal, do not immediately get a glass. Wait 30 seconds.
- Fill the vessel with water no more than half.
- Pay attention to the material of the vessel. If the mug contains metal inserts, then it is not suitable for microwave ovens.
- In a cup or other shallow dishes, put a wooden spoon.
Cookware Selection
If you do it wrong, you can lose both the dishes and the microwave. Therefore, before boiling water in a microwave in a mug, you need to carefully inspect the vessel. For microwave ovens, glass or ceramic glasses are suitable. Plastic and polystyrene are used only if they are approved for use in the microwave. This is evidenced by special characters that are applied to the product.
Why can’t you use dishes made of other materials? Because it can lead to unpleasant consequences:
- Uneven heating.
- Cracking the walls of the dishes.
- Margarine or yogurt cups will melt and light up.
- Metal utensils disrupt the operation of the furnace.
- If you put a closed container in the oven, then the vapor pressure can break it. A spilled boiling water will ruin the stove.
What happens when overheating
Children rarely think about how to boil water for tea in the microwave. Having put the glass in the oven, they wait until bubbles appear. In this case, heating occurs more rapidly than bubbles form. This is especially true for new dishes, where there are no cracks in which they form. And if gas does not escape, then heat is not released. You get a time bomb. When you remove the cup, a slight vibration from shaking will be enough to cause bubble formation. And boiling water will splash out like it does with sparkling water.
Very sad, but most people are unaware of such a danger. Therefore, they get burns of 1 and 2 degrees and even lose their eyesight. And most often these are children who are easier to boil a glass of water in this way.
What to do
Is it possible to boil water in the microwave? Yes, of course, but if someone from your family uses this method to quickly get boiling water, then you need to protect it as much as possible. Buy thermometer for water. It needs to be fixed on a mug and observed through the glass for indicators. Once the temperature reaches 100 degrees, it's time to turn it off.
Before you take out the mug, you need to wait 30 seconds. After that, open the chamber and stir the liquid with a wooden spoon or stick. If the water does not begin to overflow, then everything is in order. Prepare a convenient potholder or towel next to the stove. Even if the mug is removed on time, it can be quite hot. It is easy to burn yourself and drop it, which will result in severe burns to your legs.
Trying is not torture
Of course, in this way you can make yourself a glass of tea or coffee. Moreover, this will take quite a bit of time. But modern teapots literally boil in a matter of minutes. It is convenient and completely safe. You are guaranteed not to get burns, and the water temperature will be optimal for tea. Of course, it is easy to assume that the kettle is out of order, and no one canceled the tea.
A microwave may well become a replacement for this unit. Especially if you live alone and you only need to prepare one cup. Following all the recommendations, you can easily get a cup of boiling water and you can brew yourself aromatic tea. Safety precautions are not empty words. In this case, ignoring the rules can lead to serious injury, despite the apparent safety of the microwave oven.