Dangers Of Boiling Water In A Microwave Oven

Can I Boil Water In A Microwave? From a technical point of view, a microwave oven is a heating appliance and boiling water in a microwave oven is possible. Water would boil with a temperature of at least 100 degrees centigrade and the microwave can easily generate that heat. However from the point of view of safety, boiling water in a microwave oven could be very dangerous. You might have heard of microwave boiled water 'bursting' on the face and causing serious injury. You would also hear of microwave oven manufacturers trying to brush aside the dangers of using a microwave to boil water. At the same time, doctors treating patients injured by water boiled in a microwave oven keep reminding microwave users that such accidents are not very uncommon. In this report we provide an indepth analysis into the dangers of boiling water in a microwave oven and also explain why the microwave boiled water could burst and cause grave injury.

The Dangers Of Boiling Water In A Microwave Oven We have seen above that, in the process of boiling water in a microwave oven, the water can get overheated without exhibiting the conventional 'bubbling' effect on the surface. This is exactly what makes boiling water in a microwave dangerous. The bubbles if formed, would help release some of the heat in the microwave heated water. The absence of these bubbles means that, the water boiled in the microwave oven retains a high degree of heat. If you take the vessel out of the microwave, the slight jerk or movement of the superheated water causes rapid formation of the vapour bubbles. These bubbles then rush to the surface of the water and cause the 'bursting' effect. The hot water could spray on your face and hands causing harmful injury. A similar thing could happen if you boiled water in the microwave oven, opened the oven door and then put a spoon or tea bag into the vessel. The stillness of the microwave boiled water could be disturbed by even the slightest movement and cause the trapped heat to suddenly escape as numerous bubbles.