By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. If the water becomes hotenough, a few bubbles will appear, but these quickly rise and burst, and the water isn't cooled much at all. Each of these micro bubbles expands into a 1cm steam bubble, and the result is a huge "explosion" of hot froth. It can "explode" without warning. Here's a simple, HAZARDOUS experiment to try. Coffee water sometimes "explodes" because the microwave heats it to a temperature that's far hotter than the normal boiling point. OK, I don't usually give in to the compulsion to forward random e-mails, but this was such a surreal intersection of mailing-list interests, thought I'd risk it____________________________________________________ From: Jonathan Gilmour Danger: Coffee Explosion You warm up a mug of water for a few minutes in the microwave oven. Fill a clean mug about 1/3 full of clean water (DON'T FILL IT TO THE TOP! Pecan Pie or Pumpkin Pie: Which One Wins Thanksgiving? When this occurs, any tiny disturbance can trigger some violent boiling. Don't try to boil watertwice. There are no "boiling-bubbles" triggered by a hot metal pot. The FDA has received reports of serious skin burns or scalding injuries around people's hands and faces as a result of hot water erupting out of a … Also, don't heat your water for an extended time in the microwave, or the temperature will climb so high above boiling that any small "trigger" can lead to unexpected violent burst of scalding water. |, 9 Baking Mistakes That Ruin Your Cakes, Cookies, Brownies & Bread, The Top Trending Fall Foods & Recipes, According to Google, The Best Places to Buy Baking Ingredients Online, Easy Baking Recipes You Can Make with Pantry Staples, The 20 Best ALDI Finds for November Are All About Cookies & Thanksgiving, 8 Easy Ways to Make Boxed Mac & Cheese Taste Like You Made It from Scratch, The Cookbooks We're Most Excited for This Fall, Ready or Not, Pumpkin Spice Products Are Back Again, 7 Helpful Produce Subscriptions You Should Know About, Meal Prep Containers That Will Get You Excited to Make Lunch, How to Store & Defrost Frozen Bananas for Baking, This Cranberry Pumpkin Sourdough Bread Is Peak Fall Baking, This Easy Pumpkin Snacking Cake Recipe Is a Great Alternative to Pie, This One-Bowl Apple Cake Is Everything You Want in a Fall Dessert, Why You Should Spatchcock Your Turkey & How to Do It, The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Mashed Potatoes. The difference: a stove creates hot spots on the bottom of the pot which are far hotter than 100C, and this continuously triggers a roiling boil which cools the water down to 100C. If the water becomes hotenough, a few bubbles will appear, but these quickly rise and burst, and the water isn't cooled much at all. When this occurs, any tiny disturbance can trigger some violent boiling. There have been reports of people being injured when using a microwave to boil water. The boiling water will burst into froth. newsletter, www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_111.html. It can "explode" without warning. In an average kitchen, water will boils at 100 degrees Celsius if there is a bubble of steam or air present. Whether the e-mail is true or not, the phenomenon has been noticed by more than just a few people who got horrific e-mail warnings. Send questions to Cecil via cecil@straightdope.com. The key is scaling back but... by Jen Wheeler | There are lots of ways to cook your Thanksgiving turkey: smoke it, fry it, spatchcock it. Don't dump any sugar in a mug of superheated water, or the spewing foam *really* gets violent. I received the following by E-mail and almost brushed it off as another "net myth," but then the part at the bottom about the owner's manual gave it a semblance of reality (at least to me). Foosh! © 2020 CHOWHOUND, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. If this is "fairly common" as it states, how come in all the years I've used a microwave it's never happened to me or anyone I know and I've never heard of it happening? Most containers have tiny scratches in their surfaces, and these scratches contain air. Without those bubbles to cool it, the temperature of the water rises far higher than 100C. DON'T BURN YOURSELF! If you move the cup around a bit, or drop a teabag into it, or put your spoon in to stir it, or whatever, you can provide the nucleation site the water has been looking for. Here's a simple, HAZARDOUS experiment to try. Even more dangerous is to boil water TWICE in a microwave oven. This one is one part net-myth, as you said, mixed in with one part truth. Here I’ll take a look at some of these. But a traditional... by Sarah Perry | What kind of turkey should you buy for Thanksgiving? ), then heat it for about three minutes in the microwave oven. But not you, Julie. (DANGER, SUPERHEATED WATER CAN BURSTOUT OF THE MUG AND SCALD YOU!) Sign up for the Always stir liquid several times between reheatings.". In fact, water can only "boil" at places where the water touches a gas. Don't try to boil watertwice. The best of The Straight Dope, delivered to your inbox. But it’s not going to "blow up" and throw all the water into your face, as described in the e-mail message. About five days ago my twenty-six-year old son decided to have a cup of instant coffee. If your luck is bad, the water will superheat to a very high temperature, then explode violently when a single huge steam bubble burstsinto being. However, the air in these tiny bubbles quickly gets replaced by steam. Each of these micro bubbles expands into a 1cm steam bubble, and the result is a huge "explosion" of hot froth. This DOESN'T happen when water is boiled in a pot on the stove. And how much turkey do you need per person? You take it out, then you dump in some powdered coffee, tea, sugar, etc... Dooosh! Without nucleation, the water just gets hotter and eventually becomes superheated; that is, it exceeds the normal boiling point for water without actually boiling. The main risk of boiling water in a microwave is that it might become superheated, which can cause boiling water to violently “explode” out of the container. If in doubt use conventional methods, kettle, etc. I got this from this site:http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/weird/mi... ______CrackMonkey: Non-sequitur arguments and ad-hominem personal attackshttp://crackmonkey.org/mailman/listin... by Kristin Donnelly | The best way to cook a stress-free dinner is to think ahead, which is why we've created this comprehensive... by Amanda Balagur | Thanksgiving for one (or two) can be just as festive as any big to-do. So, when you heat water on the stove, the heat triggers bubbles at the bottom of the pot. Pecan Pie or Pumpkin Pie: Which One Wins Thanksgiving? ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The boiling water will burst into froth. Sign up to discover your next favorite restaurant, recipe, or cookbook in the largest community of knowledgeable food enthusiasts. coffee, custard, gravy etc. Coffee water sometimes "explodes" because the microwave heats it to a temperature that's far hotter than the normal boiling point. But a traditional... by Sarah Perry | What kind of turkey should you buy for Thanksgiving? You may unsubscribe at any time. Though boiling water in a microwave is easy and convenient, you should take some precautions. The water gets hot but the container usually does not. Specifically, one Amana microwave warning quoted at the AFU & Urban Legends Archive (www.urbanlegends.com) says: "Liquids heated in certain shaped containers (especially cylindrical-shaped containers) may become overheated. When the timer shut the oven off, he removed the cup from the oven. Now carefully take it out and plunk it firmly onto the tabletop (whack ithard, but not so hard that it breaks.) I wonder what would happen if we put some dishwashing soap in the water... SAFETY WARNING: Treat microwave-boiled water with respect. Another trick: heat up the water, then stick a dry wooden coffee-stirrer or a wooden popcicle stick into the water. It's just like dumping icecream into rootbeer, but the froth can be so violent that the hot water sprays into the air. This is because water heated in a microwave oven can be heated above its normal boiling point (superheated). It can be dangerous to heat pure water in a microwave. Coffee water sometimes "explodes" because the microwave heats it to a temperature that's far hotter than the normal boiling point. Can you check it out? So, when you heat water on the stove, the heat triggers bubbles at the bottom of the pot. This DOESN'T happen when water is boiled in a pot on the stove. Allow "boiling" liquids to cool for several minutes before adding anything to them (or perhaps poke them carefully with a dry stick to force them into normal boiling mode.) Usually this consists of a small flaw in the container or a seam–say, where the sides meet the bottom–but Campbell notes that it could also be turbulence in the water due to convection. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer (11/5/2000), "All microwave manufacturers are now including warnings to stir water before heating it in the microwave because that will stimulate the release of the vapor." The roiling bubbles act to cool the water and keep its temperature at or below 100C/212F degrees. ), then heat it for about three minutes in the microwave oven. The dry wood contributes a layer of air to the water, and theair fills with steam and expands into a mass of hot foam. The roiling bubbles act to cool the water and keep its temperature at or below 100C/212F degrees. So it turns from a superheated liquid to a boiling one–quickly. How to Make Thanksgiving for One (or Two), The Best Turkey to Buy for Thanksgiving and How Much You Need, December 2020 Cookbook of the Month NOMINATIONS, The Best Food & Drink Advent Calendars for 2020, The Best Boozy Advent Calendars to Drink Away 2020, Why You Should Start a Cooking Diary Today & How to Do It. If you turn off the oven and let the water cool, the steam bubbles collapse and vanish. 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. In all containers, for best results, stir the liquid several times before heating. |, 9 Baking Mistakes That Ruin Your Cakes, Cookies, Brownies & Bread, The Top Trending Fall Foods & Recipes, According to Google, The Best Places to Buy Baking Ingredients Online, Easy Baking Recipes You Can Make with Pantry Staples, The 20 Best ALDI Finds for November Are All About Cookies & Thanksgiving, 8 Easy Ways to Make Boxed Mac & Cheese Taste Like You Made It from Scratch, The Cookbooks We're Most Excited for This Fall, Ready or Not, Pumpkin Spice Products Are Back Again, 7 Helpful Produce Subscriptions You Should Know About, Meal Prep Containers That Will Get You Excited to Make Lunch, How to Store & Defrost Frozen Bananas for Baking, This Cranberry Pumpkin Sourdough Bread Is Peak Fall Baking, This Easy Pumpkin Snacking Cake Recipe Is a Great Alternative to Pie, This One-Bowl Apple Cake Is Everything You Want in a Fall Dessert, Why You Should Spatchcock Your Turkey & How to Do It, The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Mashed Potatoes.