this sticker on my microwave is telling me to leave the spoon in

    by kittheorchidkid

    25 Comments

    1. Yes.
      They also by law need to write that in the instruction manual. Check the mythbusters episode on why. Never microwave water without it. A friend of mine tried, and the plastic surgery was sucessful, but she still has a lazy eye.

    2. We grew up in the 70s being told to never put metal in a microwave. Hard to unlearn that.

    3. It’s telling you to stir liquids prior to consumption to avoid getting burned. Liquids don’t heat up evenly in a microwave so if you don’t stir you’ll have “bubbles” that can be 20x hotter than the surrounding liquid.

      Please don’t put spoons in your microwave.

    4. SumonaFlorence on

      Technically this is correct, and it’ll help heat the water nicely..

      What it doesn’t say is that some spoons are not a good idea.

      The rule of thumb is if it’s metal AND has points, you cannot put it in the microwave.

      If it’s smooth and round just like a spoon is, unlike knives and forks you can safely microwave it.

      Crinkled foil is the worst offender.

      The reason is electricity looks for a point or apex, and to try leap to another destination.

      .

      # Edit: Because someone asked “So why’s the NO SPOON illegal?”

      There’s a phenomena called ‘Super heating’ where water in a microwave can become hotter than normal, and doesn’t boil like it’s supposed to. This can include other liquids like tea, coffee, etc.

      The water will either reach a certain point, or if you reach in and disturb the water by grabbing whatever you put it in.. the water can immediately start to boil from nowhere and then spill out over onto your hand, or worse, explode everywhere causing high degree burns and potentially blind you.

      Having a spoon in the water acts as a makeshift heating element, and for bubbles to form.

      **Warning:** You want to ensure that the end of the spoon does not reach within a couple inches of the microwave walls and door, or electricity will arc causing damage.

    5. Why?

      My understanding is that when you microwave water there is no turbulence created in the water so a lot of the energy/heat gets trapped inside and then when you take it out and put a spoon or your mouth to take a drink, it breaks the barrier and the water literally explodes from the inside.

      All water has some sort of minerals in it, when you microwave these minerals get excited more in the water and start to move around ever so slightly, allowing the water to start to mix better. Once it starts moving then it has easier time mixing. As bottled/filter water has less minerals then this movement does not occur and the water molecules just get more energy applied to them. They are stuck in a lattice form all excited but no where to go.

      The spoon gives a non uniform space which allows the water molecules to move around and start the mixing process at least?

    6. DistinctSwordfish210 on

      Just 1 spoon though, 2 spoons close together would probably make some plasma sex.

    7. How pure is your water that you need a spoon in the cup?
      This is just to disrupt surface tension to prevent the water from blowing up etc..

    8. I think it’s trying to remind you to stir before drinking, as is necessary.

      But yea, that designer f#cked up.

    9. Kind-Plantain2438 on

      It is telling you that, if you microwave rubbing alcohol and a spoon together, the spoon vanishes into the warp.

    10. I have a spoon (as well as knives and forks) that have wooden handles. The spoon’s shank is pointy and driven into the handles. The end of the handles are covered in wire and staples resembling barbed wire.
      I made these for the Walking Dead season opener spaghetti party. I assume this would be safe to microwave since it is a spoon?

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