Why should I place food at the edge of the microwave turntable?

[yummy4tummy]

Don't know if this is true or not as I am not a scientist nor a microwave expert but I got this little tidbit of info that I would pass on to you.

Hmmm, learn something new everyday!
Be sure to put the rice cooker at the edge of the turntable, NOT in the center. The microwaves cannot pass through the spider bracket that holds and turns the turntable tray. They just bounce off it, which causes the food above it to remain uncooked. Whether cooking cakes, or rice, or whatever -- items in the microwave should always be placed at the perimeter of the turntable so they travel through the bouncing microwaves as they revolve through the cooking space.

Valky

 

[chefann]

I don't know how valid that argument is scientifically.

But there is another argument for putting your items at the edge of the turntable--

Turntables help reduce the problems with "hot spots" in micrawave ovens, those places in the oven that receive more energy and heat up quicker than other places. Putting your food on the edge of the turntable moves it more because it's moving in a circle rather than just spinning in one place.

 

[chefruthie]

Thanks for the info. This makes sense! The chicken in the microwave was very yummy. I made it last night. My family said it was the best chicken they had ever had!

 

[jenniferknapp]

Again, not sure how true this is...but I got this in an email: 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 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 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). 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 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 vapor 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.

 

[LisaVH]

Again, not sure how true this is...but I got this in an email:

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 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 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).

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

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 vapor 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.

This is absolutely possible. I am an avid MythBusters watcher and have seen this one done. If there are no imperfections in the cup for the water molecules to rub up against, the water will not boil. Once something in introduced (either putting a spoon in the cup or just jostling the cup), the water molecules all erupt at once. It is a very cool thing to watch, but not if you are not ready for it. Very dangerous. Someone recommended just putting a wooden spoon (like a mini PC one) in the cup before placing in the microwave.

 

[KellyTheChef]

I have seen that "super heating" occur before. It happened in a glass Pyrex container that was pretty new and did not have any scratches inside. The bubbles actually form in the small crevices created by scratches. If there are none, the water can actually be at boiling temp or above and not look like it. Then, once you move the cup and the water touches a dry part of the inside, or once you add something to the cup (a spoon, tea bag, etc.) it can boil up all over the place. I learned about that way back in Home Ec in middle school, but haven't really thought about it in a very long time. Like the post above stated, don't heat a cup of water for more than two minutes.

 

[cmdtrgd]

What I do is keep the wooden chopsticks we get whenever we order take out from Chinese and Japanese restaurants. When I'm heating a liquid, I break the chopsticks (a pair of sticks comes together) and put one in the vessle. That gives the bubbles a place to form and keeps the super heating from happening.

 

[raebates]

Good idea, Kate. I have a book, "What Einstein Told His Cook." I love all of the scientific explanations in every-day language. This was explained in my book. I now use my stovetop to heat water.

I never thought about putting things at the edge of my turntable, though. Makes sense.

 

[jentapp]

I wonder if that would work for my inversion microwave. None of my micro cakes turn out in my microwave even though they do GREAT in everyone else's. Maybe I'll go bake a cake while the kids are at Tae Kwon Do this afternoon.

 

[chefann]

Good idea, Kate. I have a book, "What Einstein Told His Cook." I love all of the scientific explanations in every-day language. This was explained in my book. I now use my stovetop to heat water.

I never thought about putting things at the edge of my turntable, though. Makes sense.

I have that book! I also have "How to Read a French Fry" which is about nutrition and fast food.

 

[JackieBozeman]

Don't know if this is true or not as I am not a scientist nor a microwave expert but I got this little tidbit of info that I would pass on to you.



Valky

I have cooked the Warm Hazelnut Chocolate Cake several times in my rice cooker as well as rice. I've found with the cake if I don't put it exactly in the middle of the turntable, the bottom of the cake expands above the lip of the cooker unevenly. Then when it cools down, the cake doesn't sit straight on the plate. I've never had it not cook completely. Microwaves will go through any plastic, but not metal--that's why it sparks.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

I've never been able to make that hazelnut cake come out right, at least in the way it looks, but no matter how lousy it looks, it sure is good!