Do Not Keep These 10 Things in Your Microwave

Microwave, though it’s been around for quite some time now, is still a mystery to many of us. It heats things in a fraction of time, but sometimes it also makes things explode.

There are so many great things a microwave can do. It bakes a potato in minutes. It makes single serving cakes in coffee mugs for when you can’t wait to make a real deal cake. It almost seems like it can do ANYTHING. But guys, the microwave just can’t handle everything. There are some things you put in the microwave oven that make it go out of whack!

So, in order to help you know what is safe and what is not to, here are 10 things that you should not put in your microwave.

1. Eggs

Trying to make a hard-boiled egg in a microwave is not going to end well for you, and you’re likely to end up with a big mess to clean up.

These egg-plosions are caused, because the steam created inside the shell makes the egg heat up too quickly. With nowhere for the steam to escape, the shell explodes.

2. Whole Potatoes

This one is a little tricky. Again, like the egg, the build-up of heat inside will cause an explosion and a mess to clean up.

On the other hand, you can have a pretty good meal in just a few minutes if you use a fork to stab the potato a bunch of times before microwaving it. Try it with a sweet potato too for a quick snack.

3. Anything Metal

Most people are probably already familiar with this advice. For those who aren’t, putting metal in a microwave will make the metal create sparks and smoke. It will also probably ruin your silverware or plate or whatever else you put in it. The microwave itself could get damaged.

4. Whole Hot Peppers

Though you’re probably ok if you have some leftovers with sliced up peppers in them, microwaving a whole pepper is a bad idea.

Like some of the other examples, hot peppers have a bad reaction to the radiation in a microwave. The reaction creates a steam which will be infused with capsaicin, the chemical responsible for the spice and heat in your peppers.

5. Styrofoam

In all seriousness, aside from being bad for the environment, styrofoam is also a very bad idea to microwave (although some kinds may be safe—check for labels). Some possible side effects could be styrene gas which is known to cause cancer, chemicals leeching into your food and problems with your endocrine system.

If you like want to keep your hormones balanced, take the extra time to put your food in a safe container before microwaving it!

6. Paper Bags

Paper bags are liable to catch fire in a microwave which would cause you a big damage. There’s also the chance that any ink printed on the paper could release itself into your food.

Paper plates, on the other hand, are generally pretty safe.

7. Some Plastic Containers

This isn’t a hard and fast rule. Though some containers are definitely microwave-safe, others could be a hazard to you and your food. If you want to avoid poisoning your food with chemicals found in plastic, it’s probably best to avoid it altogether.

8. Grapes

This may seem similar to the egg example, but it has its own interesting twist. Unlike eggs, grapes are small and made of the right material to basically act like tuning forks for the radiation in a microwave.

At the right distance apart, microwaved grapes can actually create plasma. Though it might look cool, it may also cause a literal explosion and will definitely ruin your appliance. (Do Not Try!)

9. Travel Mugs

This one follows pretty naturally from some of the rules listed above. Although you might want that coffee reheated fast, don’t do it in a thermos made of plastic or metal.

10. Nothing

Strangely enough, it’s also a really bad idea to run your microwave when there’s nothing inside. The way a microwave works is by releasing low levels of radiation (called microwaves) to heat up your food. Though these waves are pretty weak generally, though still strong enough to heat your meals, if they have nothing to hold onto they can get stronger.