Timeline for Why use a kettle to heat water?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
15 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 26, 2016 at 18:40 | vote | accept | David | ||
| Nov 23, 2016 at 10:45 | comment | added | rackandboneman | Different magnetrons and also different power supply designs for these could differ widely in resilience to fault conditions like this. | |
| Nov 23, 2016 at 8:06 | comment | added | Federico Poloni | @rackandboneman Why do you expect so? The physics behind microwave ovens is essentially the same regardless of make and model. Actually the make and model of the spoon may be a bigger factor (in case they have 'unsafe' decorations -- something with this shape is quite likely to cause sparks). | |
| Nov 21, 2016 at 11:38 | comment | added | MSalters | @Mazura: The link you give only claims it's dangerous when there are arcs (and even that's unsourced). Reflections in a microwave over are entirely normal - that is how the walls and the door work! They're not harmful in themselves. Running empty is dangerous because the waves are not absorbed at all, which means the magnetron source keeps putting more energy in the microwave field without that energy turning into heat. But that's not the question here. | |
| Nov 21, 2016 at 10:50 | comment | added | Josef | In the manual of (at least) my first microwave oven it said should always put a spoon into a cup of liquid to prevent accidents. I always do that for more than 15 years now and never destroyed anything with this. | |
| Nov 21, 2016 at 8:59 | comment | added | rackandboneman | Whether a microwave oven can deal with a metal object at all is at best make and model dependent. It is unlikely to be universally safe. | |
| Nov 21, 2016 at 3:05 | comment | added | Mazura | Whether it arcs or not, it's potentially bad for the magnetron (or the microelectronics), for the same reason you shouldn't run them empty, except in this case they'd be actively reflected instead of just not being absorbed. | |
| Nov 20, 2016 at 18:52 | comment | added | Mathieu Guindon | Also: Is it safe to boil water in a microwave? | |
| Nov 20, 2016 at 17:13 | comment | added | Andrew Morton | @Quentin More learning for you: Is it wise to use an aluminum foil in the microwave? Is there a substitute for the aluminum foil? | |
| Nov 20, 2016 at 16:22 | comment | added | Quentin | @FedericoPoloni alright, well I've learned something, thank you. I have been raised to the "NO metal whatsoever in the microwave rule" and never really questioned it, especially since the time I forgot a spoon and made my own fireworks show inside :p | |
| Nov 20, 2016 at 16:14 | comment | added | Federico Poloni | @Quentin It's not a joke. It is safe to microwave a cup of water with a spoon in, and apparently it prevents it from heating over the boiling point. See for instance physics.stackexchange.com/questions/234042/…, or do some more research yourself if you don't trust it. Metal without anything else to absorb the microwaves is dangerous, and metal objects with different shapes can cause sparks. But water with a spoon is perfectly fine. I have done it many times. | |
| Nov 20, 2016 at 15:35 | comment | added | Quentin | @FedericoPoloni I really hope this is a joke, and that everyone will get it... | |
| Nov 20, 2016 at 12:14 | comment | added | Vladimir Cravero | I would stress the efficiency part. 'quite efficient' is... quite an understatement. | |
| Nov 20, 2016 at 10:50 | comment | added | Federico Poloni | I thought the standard fix for #2 was microwaving the cup with a spoon already in. | |
| Nov 20, 2016 at 7:55 | history | answered | Carmi | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
