Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with microwave

Need a small over-the-range microwave that fits a 60's kitchen.

Orb2069 — Sat, 11 May 2013 23:00:44 -0800

I have a kitchen with cabinets colored and shaped like these and a layout like this. - I'm looking for a over-the-stove microwave that will work with the decor. I'm very handy with appliances, and willing to sink some money into getting this right, but I've got no idea how to get there from here. Most of what you can walk into the store and buy is either White, Black or Stainless Steel., and 15"x15"x30" in size, or larger.

The open space in the cabinets where the microwave would sit is 12"h x 12"d x30"w. and 60" off the floor.- The height dimension is not critical, but since the stove has it's controls against the backstop, something that didn't obscure them would be helpful.

Why does the microwave heat up my mug before the tea?

dash_slot- — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 03:53:20 -0800

Why does the microwave heat up my mug before the tea? In my understanding the magnetron [if that's what it's called] is situated above the rotating plate, and sends its energy downwards, so the tea's surface area is broader and in more direct line of fire. So why, when I zap my cold tea, does the mug burn my skin but the tea is sometimes still tepid?

I know the microwaves bounce around and give so-called full coverage inside the oven, and I understand that the energy excites hydrogen atoms [or is it water molecules?]. I would have thought there were more of both H & O atoms in the tea than in the ceramic.

Replacing an over-the range microwave without neending new mount

odragul — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:57:59 -0800

I have a Sharp R1500 microwave that was bought in 2001 that just blew up. I'd like to get a new one that can fit into the same slot. Deets below. Can anybody tell me either:

a) What, if any, new Sharp model would be compatible? Ideally, I'd like to just unscrew the old one, slide it out and slide the new one in.

Or

b) Where to find that kind of info? Google searches have not helped.

And, bonus question:

c) Does Sharp make a convection microwave that would be compatible with this slot.?

I have noticed that R15xx microwaved tend to be 1.5 cubic feet, which might mean they are compatible, but I don't know this for sure.

Thank you!

Three ovens enter, two ovens leave?

snickerdoodle — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:01:59 -0800

We're remodeling our kitchen, thanks to a leaking roof and water damage. My husband would love to reduce the number of appliances we have on our counter. We currently have a microwave (used solely for defrosting/reheating), a toaster oven (for baking/roasting of small items; love the faster preheating), and a regular oven (for baking/roasting large things). I've seen conflicting reports about speed ovens, steam ovens, combi ovens, etc. that seem to be able to combine some of these features. Has anyone had experience with those? Can I truly say goodbye to one of my counter top ovens? If so, what's the most useful combination for someone who mostly needs to reheat and roast, with minimal preheating time? Bonus points for specific brand recommendations.

How do I get this sticky residue off my microwave plate?

Enchanting Grasshopper — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:30:03 -0800

There is a sticky residue on the glass plate for my microwave. It's orange and kinda greasy, but the common sense ways of cleaning it (soap, rough sponge, all-purpose cleaner) are not working. Anyone have any ideas on what to use to get it off?

What determines the frequency of arc currents when arcs occur inside a microwave oven?

Juffo-Wup — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 19:42:44 -0800

What determines the frequency of the arc current when an arc occurs inside a microwave oven? Earlier this evening, I put a 6 oz metal, mostly empty, tomato paste can (along with some other items) in my microwave oven as part of an experiment. When I turned the microwave on, an arc formed, seemingly across the diameter of the open top of the can.

Although I quickly shut the oven off once the arcing started, I noticed that the arc made a distinctive sound with a relatively low frequency; I would say well under 100 Hz.

This made me wonder what determines the frequency of the arc currents caused by a microwave. The microwave oven itself emits RF around 2.4 GHz, but the sound I heard was, obviously, well below that. I'm guessing perhaps it has something to do with the conductivity of the metal and the distance involved, but I would like to hear from someone who actually knows or has some sound ideas.

Also, for what it's worth, why did the can start arcing in the first place? I would have expected it not to, given the can's relatively rounded top edge. I would have expected current to be induced to flow throughout the can as opposed to arcing across its top (open) surface. Any explanations of that are welcome as well.

Get in my belly, bacteria filled fishcake.

whalebreath — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:43:51 -0800

Can I eat these fishcakes? My roommate made fishcakes last night (around 7 pm, 23 hours ago), and a tray of them was left in the over overnight. They are made with cod and various vegetables, if it matters.
Normally I would not question this, would just reach for the tartar sauce, but my roommate is convinced that this is not okay.
We don't have a microwave, so though I've looked through the (many) previous related ASkMes, I can't just nuke the crap out of them until the bacteria die.
They were well cooked. Please can I eat them?

How do I eat without cooking?

Wordwoman — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 21:00:49 -0800

I know how to cook from scratch. Help me not do that this summer. I don't want to cook. It's incredibly hot, I don't have air conditioning and I am busy. I want to avoid cooking and I want to avoid messing up the kitchen. What are some good-tasting, relatively healthy brands and varieties of microwavable food? What takeout options should I consider beyond rotisserie chickens, which I'm already growing tired of? Difficulty: I am in the midst of a series of dental procedures and need to avoid heavy chewing, so raw salads and hard fruits are out. There's no Trader Joe's nearby, but I can shop at Whole Foods, the usual supermarkets and Costco. I am not looking for quick cooking-from-scratch recipes. Right now, even making a frittata is too onerous.

Very Minimalist-Microwave Cooking

sandmanwv — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:10:35 -0800

Microwave-only 'real', healthy cooking-- give me tips,resources and recipes. I live in a hotel Monday through Thursday that has a sink, a fridge and a microwave. I love cooking and I'd like to eat healthier--but this is more about the cooking aspect than the eating aspect. What should I cook? Not looking for premade stuff, but something that requires some assembly, at least.

I can bring utensils and some cutting stuff each week, but rather not much more.

Tell me about your favourite microwave popcorn!

sawdustbear — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:05:15 -0800

I really like microwave popcorn. I make it by hand too, and sometimes via this paper bag method, but I sort of really like factory processed microwave popcorn. Especially kettlecorn! I love fresh fairground kettlecorn, but I also really like microwave "kettlecorn," which is a different beast altogether. ...and I'd like your recommendations!

Beef liver fireworks

HotToddy — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 21:15:25 -0800

Why does beef liver spark in the microwave? I make liver treats for my dog by boiling beef liver, dicing it, then keeping it in the freezer and defrosting in the microwave for 15 seconds when I'm going to use it. When it's in the microwave, it sparks in little random bursts, as if there are tiny grains of something bursting into flame. Today I absentmindedly put the liver bits in a sandwich baggie and tossed the whole thing in the microwave, and the sparking melted a bunch of holes in the baggie!

Google has absolutely nothing to say about this phenomenon, at least that I was able to find. Could it be the high iron content in liver causing this? Or what?

Bagged popcorn better than microwave?

agregoli — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:28:48 -0800

I've heard all the cautions about microwave popcorn and bad chemicals - but do companies that make store-bought popcorn in bags also use a noxious process for popping their popcorn? I realized I might be making a "bagged popcorn is healthier" assumption when I have no idea if companies use giant microwaves and bags to pop their corn...

So I get super powers, right?

Nattie — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 02:56:02 -0800

Why does this happen and is it dangerous? When I heat anything in the microwave for about two minutes or longer, the timer/clock display casts a blur on the glass in front of the numbers, i.e. if the display says 2:30, the glass in front of the display will have a very blurred 2:30 on it. From the front it looks like the display itself is blurry, but if you stand at an angle to the side you can see how far back the numbers are from the glass in front of them. The blur will disappear after a few minutes. Should I be concerned?

The continuing saga of "Can I Eat This," microwave division

Sweetie Darling — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:26:26 -0800

Left the metal pop-top on the soup can when I microwaved it for lunch. I think the microwave is ok, but the really important question is: Can I eat the soup? Confession: I went to the bathroom after I hit the Start button so I don't know exactly what went on for that minute or so, but when I came back it was still cooking and not sparking or smoking.

It's a plastic tub with a metal pop-top lid, similar to Campbell's soup-at-hand. I popped the corner of the plastic top to vent it, but didn't notice that it was sealed. I've scanned all the earlier AskMe microwave questions, including When is it ok to microwave metal?, but they all seem to be more concerned with the oven than the food.

(Please note, and I say this with love, my question is "Can I safely eat this?", not "Would you eat it?" because I've been here a while and a lot of MeFis will eat just about anything.)

Thanks for your quick responses. I'm starving!

It's cute but it doesn't cook.

lunasol — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:34:43 -0800

I'm considering renting a small apartment with a super-tiny kitchen. So tiny that it doesn't have an oven! Would a convection/microwave oven suit my needs? Also, do you have experience with induction cooktops? The kitchen has burners set into the counter but no oven. I was thinking about getting a large toaster oven and a microwave, but my initial research leads me to think that a convection/microwave oven combo might be a good way to go. However, I've never known anyone with a convection oven and I'm a bit skeptical.

I am not a huge baker, but I do like to roast things (veggies, salmon, the occasional small chicken) and occasionally I do like to bake. I also make casseroles sometimes. I pretty much just use a microwave to heat up leftovers.

Also, something I haven't been able to determine - do these ovens work as toasters? ie, could I make toast with them?

Bonus question: the "range" is two induction cooktops on the counter. Have you used cooktops like this? How well did they work for things like sauteeing and stifrying?

I've seen this thread but it was pretty old and didn't have many replies.

Asparagus making sparks in the microwave?

mr frosted — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 10:30:55 -0800

I tried to microwave some asparagus and it started sparking. What is going on? I put some Trader Joe's asparagus in the microwave this morning and it started making sparks (I turned it off right away). It looked like the sparks were coming from the spiky tips on the sides of the stalks.

Any idea what would cause this?

Is it dangerous to heat water in the microwave?

JMB1138 — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:23:00 -0800

MythFilter: I get these chain emails every once in a while about how dangerous it is to heat water in the microwave. I can't seem to get a straight answer from anybody! Is microwaving water really that dangerous? Here's the text of the latest email I got in my inbox this morning:

I know this to be true...when I worked at UL the engineers warned us of this phenomena.

---
Microwaving Water!

A 26-year old man 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 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 suddenly 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 buildup 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 a 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...(nothing metal).

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.

Here is what our local science teacher had to say on the matter: 'Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup).

What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapour bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat has built up, the liquid does not boil and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point.

What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken.'

If you pass this on you could very well save someone from a lot of pain and suffering.

Is microwaving OJ bad?

jyorraku — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:09:35 -0800

I like to nuke my orange juice, grapefruit juice, etc. Vitamin C is easily destroyed by heat. Am I drinking less Vitamin C when I nuke my OJ? My Google-fu indicates that the scale of vitamin C after heat would be something like:

No heat > Microwave heat > Stove heat

Is that correct? Am I destroying the other beneficial nutrients as well?

home science filter: Why is my water is singing!

chocolatemilkshakes — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:45:57 -0800

I just microwaved a mug of water. And after about a minute it started making a loud humming noise, like what happens when you run a wet finger around a champagne glass. It sounded like there were aliens landing in my microwave. What happened? I microwaved the cup of water for about two minutes, dumped it out because there was something in it, refilled it and microwaved it for about a minute and a half when it started humming. I don't know if the cup being hot to start might be a clue. The noise was pretty loud and lasted for several seconds. Do you know why it would do this? My microwave has never made this sound before, I don't think it was a machine noise.

What Power a Paper Towel Holds in the Microwave!

curiositykilledthelemur — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:02:37 -0800

Why does the addition of a layer of paper towel make such a big difference when microwaving certain foods? Try to microwave a naked hot dog on a plate, and you'll not be satisfied with the result. Wrap a hot dog in a paper towel and voila! Perfectly nuked dog.

I bought frozen sausage biscuits and the instructions said to wrap in paper towel, which I did, with perfect results. I tried without paper towel much to my disappointment.

This is not me imagining things as I'd much rather not waste paper towel, and so I ask ye brilliant hive mind: what is the science behind said paper towel?

My lunch is nuking Sirius

Gungho — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 09:45:10 -0800

Why would a microwave oven in the next room ( approx 15 ft from the antennae) kill my Sirius reception? Whenever I nuke something my Sirius home reception drops out for the duration of the cooking. The home antennae points nortwest out a window 15 ft or so from the microwave oven. The oven is behind a wall separating it from the room the antennae is in.

Microwaved food safety question

Frowner — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:19:24 -0800

Microwaved food safety question - help me argue with (or gracefully capitulate to) my hippie friends! I move in hippie/radical circles where it is taken for granted that if you microwave food, the microwaves alter something (the enzymes? the chromosomes?) in the food which both robs it of nutrients and makes it actively hazardous to your health, possibly carcinogenic. I've done some googling and only found a couple of so-so studies, one from the Soviet Union in the seventies which (possibly! unclear whether this actually happened!) led the USSR to ban microwave ovens.

The problem is that I haven't found any pro-microwave information that my friends would view as reliable--ie, I found a useful article but republished by CBS, thus dodgy. (And honestly, I would be more convinced myself by something that originated in Nature, for example, rather than in mainstream US media.

I am looking for material about microwaved food, nutrients and safety that is produced by an NIH-like entity (takes some persuasion to get friends to accept NIH material--from the gubmint!-- but it's possible), an NIH-equivalent from another country, a reputable scientific journal and/or published by a reputable progressive/left magazine or website.
Any scientist-type people on Mefi who could produce a science-y explanation about this would be great too.

(And of course, if there is a wealth of reputable material about microwaves destroying nutrients and creating carcinogens, please link--I'm willing to eat crow to my friends (or eat tofu crow, anyway).

Shazam! Off goes the microwave! But why?

cadge — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 08:10:26 -0800

My power strip has been spontaneously switching itself to off when my microwave's going. Nothing's plugged into it but that microwave. What's going on? Is the microwave safe to use? I have a Panasonic microwave oven, about 10 years old.

It's plugged into a power strip so that I can easily turn it off when not in use. It's the only thing plugged into that strip, and the strip is the only thing plugged into that outlet in my kitchen. I turn it on and off maybe four or five times a day for short-time things like tea and oatmeal.

Just in the past month or so, the microwave has switched off mid-use. I noticed that the button on the power strip is spontaneously resetting to "off". Earlier this week, it happened two times in a row, and I haven't used the microwave since.

What could be happening? Do you think the microwave is safe to use? I can easily swap in another power strip, but I really want to know what's going on and if I need to replace the microwave.

Thanks!

Help me find microwave-friendly foods!

royalsong — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 07:14:02 -0800

Need your lunch suggestions! What can I make the night before that isn't lunch meat or that reheats well in the microwave without becoming rubber in texture and flavor? It's getting way too expensive to buy food from the cafe here at my work place. Unfortunately, I really am not a fan of cold meals (salads) or lunch meat. On top of all of that I hate what microwaves to do the texture and flavor of reheated foods.

All we have is a microwave, refrigerator, and electric water kettle here in the office.

Looking for any suggestions of starches or proteins you have outside of ramen, oatmeal, and canned spaghettiO's. I'm not too much worried about fruits or vegetables. Frozen foods that make it through the microwave and still taste yummy are an awesome plus.

I got a combo microwave/convection/grill oven for Xmas. What/How do I cook in it?

bartleby — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:24:07 -0800

I got a combo microwave/convection/grill oven for Xmas. What/How do I cook in it? I had a microwave (used for reheating leftovers and such) and a toaster oven (for baking small things and, um, making toast), but they both died this autumn. So I put those items on my wish list for Santa this Xmas.

A relative thought they'd kill two birds with one stone and gave me a very nice combination microwave/convection oven with a 'grill' feature: Sanyo EM7686V.

It's very nice, and works great as a microwave. But I have never cooked with a convection oven (I have a regular gas oven), so I don't know what do do with that part. And the manual has directions for several mixed modes of cooking, allowing you to do various combinations of microwave then convection, convection plus 'grill', etc. There's no recipe book or anything included, so I have no idea how to make use of these fancy features as far as what to cook with it. I could just keep using it as a (big) microwave and ignore the rest, but that seems a waste.

Any MeFites out there have one of these combo ovens? What do you use it for? Is there anything that they do especially well at or cook faster/better than a regular oven? Any particular dish you like to make with it because the combo cooking lets you 'set and forget'?