Micro waved water - one MUST read
A 26-year old guy 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 teakettle.
General Electric's (GE) response:
Thanks for contacting us. I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that
you received is correct. Micro waved 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 teabag 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.
