Can you microwave glass? The short answer is YES. But read on to make sure you are taking the proper precautions.
There is no way around it: Microwaves make our lives easier, we can go from a frozen pizza to a freshly cooked dinner in five minutes, we have the power of cooking from chicken to popcorn at the tip of our fingers, but with great power comes great responsibility.
A microwave can make or break how much you enjoy your food.
Tips and Tricks when microwaving glass:
First of all, even though glass is usually ideal for the microwave, it is vulnerable to temperature shocks.
If you plan on microwaving a glass container that has been in the freezer, it’s best to let it come to room temperature before putting it in the microwave.
When passing from freezing to scalding heat, the glass may break violently and explode outwards, even tempered glass.
However, we can’t always avoid putting something to heat directly from the freezer. When thawing any food in the microwave, it’s best to use little power until all food is frost-less, and afterward stir the food before cooking it on full power.
This procedure will help leverage the temperature without going into heat shock.
Glass and ceramic are, by the rule of thumb, healthier than plastic for microwave ovens, a few plastic containers contain an extremely harmful substance called bisphenol A (or BPA) that releases itself from the plastic and latches on to the food when the plastic is heated and may cause cancer.
Even though nowadays BPA is not used in plastic food storage, make sure the box is marked as “BPA Free” before heating.
OK to microwave:
Porcelain and Stoneware behave similar to glass, it is safe to microwave, and they won’t release any harmful contaminants into your body.
A word of caution, low-fired ceramic, may explode, so check with the manufacturer to see if it is microwave safe.
Paper towels, napkins, and plates are safe to microwave (with some exceptions).
Microwave plastic wraps, wax paper, cooking bags, parchment paper, and white microwave-safe paper are safe to microwave. Parchment paper is an ideal choice since it is grease and moisture resistant, so besides being safe, it is also a no mess, no stress solution!
Questionable items to microwave:
Plastic and Styrofoam, even though the FDA states that if they are BPA-Free, they are safe to microwave, there is still debate as to the other chemicals these materials contain, such as phthalates, that could be linked to a decrease in male fertility.
Don’t even think about it!
Aluminum foil and metal or metal containers are a no-no, since it may catch fire in the microwave and even explode when exposed to very low heating temperatures.
Also, do not microwave brown paper bags, plastic grocery bags, or newspapers. Be sure to remove any of these wrappings from food since all of these items are not sanitary and may release harmful particles (as mentioned above with plastic), or catch fire.
Safety First
Be rational when using the microwave oven. Please don’t overdo it and try always to use glass or porcelain containers. After all, safety and health always should come first!
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