John Myers
Glass in the microwave – what you should consider
In order to understand what things can and cannot go in the microwave, you should first understand how a microwave works.
- A microwave emits microwaves. These waves cause the water molecules to vibrate. The vibration creates friction. This eventually leads to the contents of the microwave heating up. So foods that contain a lot of water heat up better in the microwave than foods that contain little water.
- Glass does not contain water. When it heats up, that’s the heat that the heated food gives off to the glass. The glass can only melt in a microwave if it is heated in the microwave for a very long time and without the turntable. But since that’s never the case, you don’t have to worry about the glass container.
- Don’t forget to remove the lid, which may be plastic, from the glass jar. Plastic can very well melt in the microwave, even if it’s only heated for a few minutes. If you want to avoid your food being covered in plastic, you should definitely remove the lid. Even if it doesn’t melt, the heat releases toxic substances from the plastic.
- Nevertheless, it happens that some glass containers burst or shatter in the microwave. This is because the glass is damaged. If the glass has a small crack or has already been repaired, in no case should you put it in the microwave? You should also not use a glass lid. When food heats up, it expands. This builds up pressure and can cause an explosion.
