As fish cannot live without water, and humans cannot live underwater, restrictions are everywhere. You can tolerate something but another person may not. Machinery is working here in the same way. They have also friends and enemies in the working field.
There are numerous kinds of utensils made of different materials like steel, ceramic, plastic, glass, paper, etc., and they have certain purposes. They need a particular environment to flourish, i.e. you have to keep the glass away from diamond to override confliction.
When the matter comes to the microwave oven, we are bound to follow some restrictions. Otherwise, it will measure in some other ways.
Be sure first whether or not you are putting the right utensils into your oven. If you are not sure, this article is designed for you. Come. Read along.
Generally, there are three types of modes in a microwave oven:
- Micro Mode
- Grill Mode
- Convection Mode
We will be looking at the microwave friendly and unfriendly utensils from these types.
Microwave Friendly Utensils:
Utensils that are suitable for Micro Mode:
- Microwave glass
- Microwave-safe plastic
- Normal ceramic, with gold or silver lining, can be used
Utensils that are suitable for Grill Mode:
- Metal
- Ceramic
- Glass
Utensils that are suitable for Convection Mode:
- Metal
- Ceramic
- Glass
You can use microwavable plastic wrap used for retaining steam; wax paper used as a cover to prevent spattering; paper towels and napkins and paper plates and cups for short-term heating and covering. Remember, only for the short term; otherwise, they will start igniting.
Microwave Unfriendly Utensils:
Utensils that are not suitable for Micro Mode:
- Metal
- Heavy metal
- Having metallic lining/paint
- Ceramic having gold and silver lining
Utensils that are not suitable for Grill Mode:
- Plastic
- Paper
Utensils that are not suitable for Convection Mode:
- Plastic
- Paper
You are prohibited to use thin glass jars and bottles as they will shatter in long-term heat. Never use paper bags, except popcorn bags, and wood because they are fire-friendly.
FAQs on Oven Safe Cookwares
FAQ 1: Can I Cook With Glass Bakeware in a Convection Oven?
Yes, you can do so in a convection oven where heating is done by heater fitted at the top and back of the cavity with a fan. it consists of the heating elements on the ceiling, floor, and back wall of the oven as well as the rear fan. convection works by circulating the air around the food.
As we said earlier thin and regular glass is potentially hazardous, you need to be careful the bakeware is perfect for the convection oven.
You have to be cautious at the time of buying glass bakeware also because some manufacturers produce some specific type of glass bakeware that can easily explode with the touch of excessive heat. They are for other purposes.
So, in this case, you would better purchase some of the glass bakeware produced by Borosilicate and Pyrex which can withstand any kind of thermal shocks. The fight will be mind-blowing.
FAQ 2: Can I Use Silicone Bakeware in a Convection Oven?
Of course, you can. Basically, silicone cookware is being produced in a very multitudinous way only for the growing demand of oven. The very cause is something like that if you put your silicone cookware on the gas stove to cook your favorite cake, what will happen then? Fusing history, right?
So, silicone cookware is only being manufactured for indirect heat, and the heat resistance power of it is undoubtedly higher than many materials.
FAQ 3: Why Do Ceramics Get Hot in Microwave Ovens?
If I ask you to put a plastic cookware in one convection oven and a ceramic cookware into the other one and start them at the same intensity for 5 minutes, what will you find after 5 minutes? On one side, a hot ceramic dish and plastic paste on the other side. What is this? Chemical reaction, right?
Now, all materials have some loss interacting with microwave frequencies and that loss differs from materials to materials as all the materials do not contain the same elements in them.
Some materials can withstand microwaves; some cannot. The more the microwave gets the material hotter, the more the material faces heavy loss, i.e. fused silica has a lower loss and that’s why it doesn’t get hot, and saltwater faces higher loss and gets hot.
In this measurement, ceramics are a complex mixture of lots of materials like alumina, titanites that are more or less lossy. The glaze of ceramics is also responsible for producing excessive heat. Improperly formulated glazes often contain heavy chemicals that are microwave absorptive.
FAQ 4. Can I Put Metal Containers in My Microwave Oven?
Definitely! You can put metal containers in the microwave oven. But never put any empty container to test the heat intensity. The outcome will be zero because an empty container in the microwave is just the same as an empty microwave.
At the same time, never put a sealed container hiving food in it because metal all over the container will protect microwaves to penetrate into it for cooking or heating the inside food. Keep some considerable space for the microwave to get through. If not, you are stroking your energy bill upwards resulting in nothing.
Remember, smaller metals, seemingly smaller, are more dangerous than your imagination. Steel wool, aluminum foil, or glazes catch fire immediately. Never play with those.
FAQ 5. Is It Safe to Use Wooden Utensils in a Microwave Oven?
No way! It would be the wooden utensils’ funeral!
Let’s microwave a cake. The required duration is about 7 minutes. The cake recipe has been put into the microwave oven, and you are just resisting tempted tongue from diving into the cake. The time is up now. When you take the cake out of the oven, you see everything is alright. But you think if the cake had got some more steam, it would have become more delicious.
Then you put it again into the microwave to make it smarter. The countdown timer has been set at 5 minutes. You are just waiting to taste the ambrosial flavor of the cake. Here are 2 minutes left to finish the process.
Now, you can smell something horrible from the oven. The odor keeps swimming faster all around the house. Finding no other ways, you have switched the oven off. Opening the door, what you see is inexpressible! Coal cake is waiting to be ingested. Let’s taste it. What would it be like then?
So, what has just happened here? Dehydration. As soon as all water of the cake had been seared, the microwave didn’t find anything to cook. At last, it has ended up transforming the cake into coal. So, microwave’s task is like that. Without water and fat, it makes everything ashes.
Wooden utensils are the same, they don’t have enough water to secure themselves against decaying nor have they any materials to shield the microwave. You know dry wood flames faster, and for their flammability, we cannot microwave them.
It is highly instructed to purchase the right utensils for your microwave. Otherwise, any occurrence could happen at any time. Never put any dry thing, including dry food, into the microwave. They will catch fire immediately. Be sure if your glass utensils can withstand heavy microwave; or else, they will explode inside the oven.
