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Very important info when boiling water in microwave oven
A 26-year old person 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 told me 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 instantly 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 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. It is however a much
safer choice to boil the water in a tea kettle.
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 the 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.
If you pass this on ... you could very well save someone from a lot of
pain and suffering.
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