Microwaving plates to heat before dishing up

[markymark2406]

my mother microwaves her plates to heat before serving last night the microwave blew up, the machine is leas than a year old is it right ?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Microwave ovens are not designed to warm plates, they are designed to heat/warm food or sterilisation. If the plates do not contain food, then yes the microwave will very likely be damaged.

But as the appliance is less than 12 month old, I would consider return under warranty and keep schtum, with regards to it's previous use.

 

[Nozzle]

They're designed to heat water really - stick your plates on a vented tub of water. There's a Samusng machine that comes with such a thing, it's at work so I don't know the model number

Nozzle

 

[bernardgreen]

last night the microwave blew up,

Even if there was nothing in the oven to absorb the microwave energy the device should not "blow up". Instead it should detect lack of absorbtion and shut down or reduce power to a safe level. So back under warrantee to the shop that sold it.

 

[cjard]

Microwaves heat food by causing water molecules to vibrate. They cannot be used to heat dry things (plates, ryvita crackers etc)

Tell your mother to put the plates in wet/with a small amount of water dished in them!

 

[cjard]

Even if there was nothing in the oven to absorb the microwave energy the device should not "blow up". Instead it should detect lack of absorbtion and shut down or reduce power to a safe level. So back under warrantee to the shop that sold it.

I'd be amazed if one of those dumb microwaves, the ones with a mechanical timer and a single power knob, had anything so fancy as a device to auto reduce power..

 

[Agile]

I know somebody who tries to heat plates.

Surprising if it works much.

Also if the plates have a metallic gold or silver line that can be burnt off.

Tony

 

[james_help]

If the heating is on, just place them on the radiator for a few minutes before serving!

 

[OwainDIYer]

You can get things in shops for warming plates in microwaves.

 

[Doggit]

Cjards right, run the plates under water front and back, and then microwave them for about 30 seconds for 1 plate, and about a minute for 3; works a treat. You can microwave plates on their own, but it takes about 4 minutes for them to heat up (used to do it when they first came out), so the microwave shouldn't have blown up.

 

[foxhole]

Easier just to run a kettle of boiling water over the plates just before use.

 

[Doggit]

if you've got an grill over the oven, then they happily warm up in there whilst the ovens on, but they never warm up if you put them at the bottom of an oven - unless it's a fan oven of course,

 

[chappers]

Been warming plates dry in the micro wave for years, as has all my family, the microwave my sister has was bought mid 80s and still going strong, ours is a £35 cheapo we bought from Tesco and has been fine for close to 10 years