Thread: Metal in da' microwave

notbob <[email protected]> wrote:

> Mom put her stainless steel coffee cup in the microwave and nuked it.
> No 4th of July! ?????
>
> They making M/Ws better, now? Special nukeable SS? What's up? I
> thought any metal was death to a M/W. I still stopped it thinking
> that's mebbe what killed the last one in less than a year.
>
> nb



Change your meaningless name from:

notbob
to
nutjob

Andy

On 8/3/2012 6:26 PM, notbob wrote:
> Mom put her stainless steel coffee cup in the microwave and nuked it.
> No 4th of July! ?????
>
> They making M/Ws better, now? Special nukeable SS? What's up? I
> thought any metal was death to a M/W. I still stopped it thinking
> that's mebbe what killed the last one in less than a year.

Many years ago, I read that you could use foil to protect
the corners of a baking pan from burning in a microwave, but the
foil had to be smooth. Perhaps the rounded mug didn't wreak
havoc with the microwaves.

I've seen microwave ovens with metal racks.

nancy

"Nancy Young" wrote in message
news:501c528a$0$8863$[email protected] com...

On 8/3/2012 6:26 PM, notbob wrote:
> Mom put her stainless steel coffee cup in the microwave and nuked it.
> No 4th of July! ?????
>
> They making M/Ws better, now? Special nukeable SS? What's up? I
> thought any metal was death to a M/W. I still stopped it thinking
> that's mebbe what killed the last one in less than a year.

Many years ago, I read that you could use foil to protect
the corners of a baking pan from burning in a microwave, but the
foil had to be smooth. Perhaps the rounded mug didn't wreak
havoc with the microwaves.

I've seen microwave ovens with metal racks.

nancy


I *have* a microwave with a removable metal rack! (They're allegedly
specially coated or something. I honestly couldn't tell you.) I don't use
the rack or anything metal in the m/w. I do remember my mother once put a
bowl in the 1982 m/w that had metal around the rim. Sparks flew! I'm sure
technology has changed since then. (These are the times I miss Boli, who
knew so much about these things.)

Jill

Nancy Young wrote:

> Many years ago, I read that you could use foil to protect
> the corners of a baking pan from burning in a microwave, but the
> foil had to be smooth. Perhaps the rounded mug didn't wreak
> havoc with the microwaves.
>
> I've seen microwave ovens with metal racks.

Thin metal with sharp angles is incompatible with microwaves. Rounded,
thick pieces are OK.

On 8/3/2012 12:26 PM, notbob wrote:
> Mom put her stainless steel coffee cup in the microwave and nuked it.
> No 4th of July! ?????
>
> They making M/Ws better, now? Special nukeable SS? What's up? I
> thought any metal was death to a M/W. I still stopped it thinking
> that's mebbe what killed the last one in less than a year.
>
> nb
>

A steel coffee cup is fine in a microwave. If there's some sort of
metallic film on a ceramic cup, you might get arcing and that might not
look too nice. The microwaves generates a voltage in metals and if you
have two pieces of metal or foil not connected to each other, they may
arc if they're too close. I stick my aluminum rice pot in the MW with
the lid on to warm rice. I thought the metal rim of the glass lid might
arc with the metal pan but it didn't. The metal pan does not allow the
microwaves to pass so most of the energy is coming through the glass
top. I don't know what would happen if the lid were metal. Messed up MW?
Maybe.

On Fri, 03 Aug 2012 18:41:58 -0400, Nancy Young
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On 8/3/2012 6:26 PM, notbob wrote:
>> Mom put her stainless steel coffee cup in the microwave and nuked it.
>> No 4th of July! ?????
>>
>> They making M/Ws better, now? Special nukeable SS? What's up? I
>> thought any metal was death to a M/W. I still stopped it thinking
>> that's mebbe what killed the last one in less than a year.
>
>Many years ago, I read that you could use foil to protect
>the corners of a baking pan from burning in a microwave, but the
>foil had to be smooth. Perhaps the rounded mug didn't wreak
>havoc with the microwaves.
>
>I've seen microwave ovens with metal racks.
>
>nancy

I've heard of a person getting a nasty burn on their lip from a metal
rimmed coffee cup in a microwave! OUCH! :-(

John Kuthe...

On 8/3/2012 4:41 PM, Nancy Young wrote:

>
> I've seen microwave ovens with metal racks.
>
> nancy



Mine had one until the rack slipped off its plastic bracket and, where
it touched the side wall, burned a hole in the plastic liner.

gloria p

notbob <[email protected]> wrote:
> Mom put her stainless steel coffee cup in the microwave and nuked it.
> No 4th of July! ?????
>
> They making M/Ws better, now? Special nukeable SS? What's up? I
> thought any metal was death to a M/W. I still stopped it thinking
> that's mebbe what killed the last one in less than a year.
>
> nb


It all depends on the size and shape of the metal. The wavelength is 5
inches, and other sizes, 2.5, 1.25' inch, will all have their effects. Some
pre sized, pre shaped objects might work. Get the wrong size, then you have
problems. The interior of the oven has these hot spots, and nulls, with the
above dimensions, because its reflecting off the metal walls. That's why
you have a rotating platter. Some microwaves have a rotating wheel in the
outlet of the microwave cavity. This breaks up, and varies the position of
the hot spots instead of rotating platter. You see them mostly on
commercial products. A microwave also does not like an empty cavity.
Elevates voltages and can cause arching and failure. They used to
demonstrate microwaves with a load consisting a lava brick. It would get
warm. Or water. Popcorn is a poor load. adding a separate cup of water in
there too, makes the magnetron tube happy.

Metal also reflects microwaves, causing more problems.

I used to put hoho's with the metalized foil in the microwave. Neat show.

Greg

notbob <[email protected]> wrote:
> Mom put her stainless steel coffee cup in the microwave and nuked it.
> No 4th of July! ?????
>
> They making M/Ws better, now? Special nukeable SS? What's up? I
> thought any metal was death to a M/W. I still stopped it thinking
> that's mebbe what killed the last one in less than a year.
>
> nb


Stainless is also a poor conductor of electricity compared to aluminum.
It's not going to react as bad.

Greg

gregz <[email protected]> wrote:
> notbob <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Mom put her stainless steel coffee cup in the microwave and nuked it.
>> No 4th of July! ?????
>>
>> They making M/Ws better, now? Special nukeable SS? What's up? I
>> thought any metal was death to a M/W. I still stopped it thinking
>> that's mebbe what killed the last one in less than a year.
>>
>> nb
>
>
> Stainless is also a poor conductor of electricity compared to aluminum.
> It's not going to react as bad.
>
> Greg

I'll throw in one more interesting point. On the door, the contact area, or
distance is 1.25 inch wide. This acts as a 1/4 wavelength line, stopping
most of the leakage out the cracks. They still leak some though. Keep the
metal there, clean.

Greg

On 3 Aug 2012 22:26:06 GMT, notbob <[email protected]> wrote:

>Mom put her stainless steel coffee cup in the microwave and nuked it.
>No 4th of July! ?????
>
>They making M/Ws better, now? Special nukeable SS? What's up? I
>thought any metal was death to a M/W. I still stopped it thinking
>that's mebbe what killed the last one in less than a year.
>
>nb


Think of how a lightning rod works. You've seen photos of a strike
from the sky to the tip of a rod, top of a pointed building, and the
like. Put a spoon in the cup (no matter the material of the cup) and
you will get arcing from the spoon to the inner lining. Put flat
metal, sheets of foil and usually nothing happens since you don't have
that small pointed jumping off spot.

Metal blocks the wave though, so cooking times will be longer.

Perhaps we have an EE here that can explain it better.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> Perhaps we have an EE here that can explain it better.

Ask in sci.physics.electromag.


--

Reply in group, but if emailing add one more
zero, and remove the last word.

On 3 Aug 2012 22:26:06 GMT, notbob <[email protected]> wrote:

>Mom put her stainless steel coffee cup in the microwave and nuked it.
>No 4th of July! ?????
>
>They making M/Ws better, now? Special nukeable SS? What's up? I
>thought any metal was death to a M/W. I still stopped it thinking
>that's mebbe what killed the last one in less than a year.
>
>nb

When I make candy I melt large amounts of chocolate in a large metal
mixing bowl. Just make sure the metal doesn't touch the sides of the
microwave.

koko

--
Food is our common ground, a universal experience
James Beard

www.kokoscornerblog.com

Natural Watkins Spices
www.apinchofspices.com

My daughter used Vim spray to clean the microwave. It's not flammable
but the result was like lightning, popping sounds and accompanying
flashes of light. Needless to say she no longer wants to help her
father clean the kitchen.

Mike Lalonde
Sudbury, Ontario - jumlers.com food catering

On 8/3/2012 6:41 PM, Nancy Young wrote:
> On 8/3/2012 6:26 PM, notbob wrote:
>> Mom put her stainless steel coffee cup in the microwave and nuked it.
>> No 4th of July! ?????
>>
>> They making M/Ws better, now? Special nukeable SS? What's up? I
>> thought any metal was death to a M/W. I still stopped it thinking
>> that's mebbe what killed the last one in less than a year.
>
> Many years ago, I read that you could use foil to protect
> the corners of a baking pan from burning in a microwave, but the
> foil had to be smooth. Perhaps the rounded mug didn't wreak
> havoc with the microwaves.
>
> I've seen microwave ovens with metal racks.
>

Those metal racks always confused me in MW ovens.

Cheryl wrote:

> Those metal racks always confused me in MW ovens.

Confused? Poor thing. Take two bouillon cubes and have a lie-down.

On 8/5/2012 4:58 PM, George M. Middius wrote:
> Cheryl wrote:
>
>> Those metal racks always confused me in MW ovens.
>
> Confused? Poor thing. Take two bouillon cubes and have a lie-down.
>
>

On 8/5/2012 4:23 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> On 8/3/2012 6:41 PM, Nancy Young wrote:

>> Many years ago, I read that you could use foil to protect
>> the corners of a baking pan from burning in a microwave, but the
>> foil had to be smooth.

>> I've seen microwave ovens with metal racks.
>>
>
> Those metal racks always confused me in MW ovens.

It was drilled into us, no metal in the microwave, and I saw
firsthand the consequences when my former mil put a Melitta
carafe with the metal band in to heat some coffee.

So it was surprising to me when I read it. At some point,
however the subject came up, I mentioned it to a couple of
coworkers. The dumb one who knew everything about everything
(and was always wrong) gave me her patented No you can't head shake.

Of course, I never tried the foil thing, I am one of those
who doesn't cook in the microwave, just heats.

nancy

On 8/5/2012 7:00 AM, Michael Lalonde wrote:
> My daughter used Vim spray to clean the microwave. It's not flammable
> but the result was like lightning, popping sounds and accompanying
> flashes of light. Needless to say she no longer wants to help her
> father clean the kitchen.

(laugh!) That's a guy trick! Oh, I messed up the laundry,
you'd better do it from now on.

I mean, not any guy I know, I've heard of it, though. Hee.

nancy