Things We Should Never, Ever Put In The Microwave
From leftovers that should be an effort-free dinner encore to DIY cleaning hacks gone wrong, there's a long list of items — both edible and otherwise — that should, under no circumstances, be making their way into your microwave oven. It's time to re-meet the foods you’ve probably been reheating wrong all your life and learn which kitchen items should stay far, far away from the microwave.
1. Hard-boiled eggs
If you’ve ever been tempted to cook an egg in the microwave but didn’t go through with it, count yourself lucky. After all, it’s very likely that it would have exploded. Yep! When you heat up an egg inside its shell, water pockets form. And when those boil, the pressure can cause the egg to explode, launching its scalding yolk all over the place.
To reheat hard-boiled eggs, send 'em back to their maker. No, not the hen... but a pot of boiling water! In just 40 seconds, your cold, peeled eggs will be warm and ready to eat once more.
2. Aluminum foil
Most people know that you should never put metal of any kind in the microwave, but it's easy to forget that aluminum foil comes into that category, too. Large pieces of metal in the microwave, such as a thick pan, will simply stop your food from getting hot. But smaller pieces or shards of metal could catch fire.
The science behind the potentially flammable material goes a little like this... Microwaves turn the foil into an electrical conductor. And when the current surges through, they heat up and burst into flames. So be sure to remove even the smallest bit of foil if you're re-heating last night's burrito!
3. Omelet
Just because some unhinged individual out there thought up the idea of a microwave omelet maker and actually had it made, that doesn't mean you should be wasting your precious money on one! A delicious silky omelet has no place being within even an inch of a microwave!
And the same goes for omelet leftovers, too. Granted — few have bitten into one without consuming the whole thing, but if you ever have some left over, don't sweat it. Reheat it in a pan and your omelette will be almost as fresh as the moment it was made.
4. Celery, leafy greens, and beets
Unlike other foods on the list that become unpalatable when re-heated in the microwave, leafy greens like spinach and kale, along with celery and beets could actually be causing you harm if heated in this way. All of these veggies contain high levels of nitrates. The chemical compound occurs naturally in some vegetables, but it's when they're heated that things an turn toxic.
After a blast in the microwave, nitrates can turn into nitrites, and then into nitrosamines, some of which have been linked to the ill effects of carcinogens. Keep yourself safe by heating these veggies gently on the hob.