The microwave is a lifesaver for quick meals, but not everything belongs there!
To save your meal and your microwave, here are 5 food items you should never put in your Microwave.
1. Boiled or Raw Eggs (Whole)
One of the food items you should never put into a microwave is boiled or raw eggs(whole). This is because the rapid heating process involved in microwaving can create a lot of steam inside the egg, which can cause it to explode into an eggy mess. Whether in the shell or peeled, eggs heated in the microwave release steam. The steam cannot escape the whites, so pressure builds. When you cut (or worse, bite) into the egg, the steam is released instantly and the resulting explosion may burn you.
READ ALSO: 10 non-food items you should never put in the microwave
2. Chilli peppers
Chilli peppers, or raw spicy peppers, are another food item you shouldn’t place in your microwave. Unlike eggs, raw peppers won’t explode in the microwave, however, they do contain a compound known as capsaicin which vaporizes at high temperatures. The fumes can be highly dangerous if exposed to your eyes or breathed in.
3. Frozen Proteins
Microwaving frozen proteins can cause them to cook unevenly and even grow and spread dangerous bacteria. This is because microwaves heat unevenly, and can leave cold spots in the food that harbor dangerous bacteria, such as E. coli, salmonella, or listeria. So microwaving anything that includes raw meat, or other proteins whether it’s frozen or melted, can cause problems to your health.
4. Processed Meats
Processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, and sausages should not be cooked in the microwave. Heating these processed meat products leads to the formation of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs). COPs have been linked to coronary heart disease and other health conditions.
READ ALSO: 4 myths about the use of Microwaves
5. Grapes
Another group of food items you should never put in your microwave is grapes. This is because when you cut a grape almost in half, leaving a bit of the skin that connects the two severed sides and then heat it up in the microwave, each piece’s electromagnetic field starts interacting with the other. This interaction creates a ton of electromagnetic energy where the grape’s skin that connects the two halves and the molecules in the area start moving super fast, creating a hotspot that sparks and leads to plasma.
Conclusively, microwaves are a great convenience, but they are not meant for every food item.
