# Can I microwave wood(kebob question)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2004, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149 "2004-09-26T09:12:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/1 "2004-09-26T09:12:10Z")
I just bought premade lamb kebobs here in China. Do you think I can microwave them? I assume you can, but want to know what you think. Yes, the wood is already inside the meat and their ready to go. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/2 "2004-09-26T09:15:38Z")
Make that “they’re” ready to go. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/3 "2004-09-26T12:51:39Z")
you could but why would you? your not going to get any browning and whats going to come out will resemble dry, boiled lamb on a stick. Either cook it properly or justbuy them pre-cooked. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/4 "2004-09-26T13:30:09Z")
Wood is made up of cellulose, which is chemically the same as starch which is found abundantly in many foods. So, yeah, it is OK to microwave it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/5 "2004-09-26T13:37:42Z")
If it’s raw lamb, I seriously wouldn’t microwave it. Microwaved raw meat tastes awful and its texture becomes weird. Maybe you won’t mind it, but I cannot stand it. If you have any options other than microwaving, use them. Heck, if you can’t grill them or stick 'em in an oven, pan fry them. It’s a much better alternative. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/6 "2004-09-26T15:03:22Z")
I would think that microwaving wood, which typically has a fairly low moisture content is a good way to start a fire. Beyond this if the wood has any resins it is likely they will be polymerized by the microwaving. Ummmm-Umh! ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/7 "2004-09-26T15:12:57Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I would think that microwaving wood, which typically has a fairly low moisture content is a good way to start a fire. Nah. The very lack of water or other polar molecules, like fats and sugars, won’t generally let it get hot enough to catch fire. It’s the water content of foods, along with fats and sugars, that absorb the microwave radiation and produce the heat. Wood isn’t very good at absorbing microwaves, so it doesn’t heat well, either. Placing _burning_ wood in the oven, however, produces spectacular results. It can also do a great deal of damage to the inside of the oven, so don’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/8 "2004-09-26T15:48:57Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Placing _burning_ wood in the oven, however, produces spectacular results. It can also do a great deal of damage to the inside of the oven, so don’t do that. Why would anyone put wood that’s already on fire in the microwave? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/9 "2004-09-26T16:03:59Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Nah. The very lack of water or other polar molecules, like fats and sugars, won’t generally let it get hot enough to catch fire. It’s the water content of foods, along with fats and sugars, that absorb the microwave radiation and produce the heat. Wood is a polysaccharide. I think astro’s point is well taken, wood would probably burn if you left it in there long enough. I’m not sure how long it would take though. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/10 "2004-09-26T16:04:35Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Why would anyone put wood that’s already on fire in the microwave? To observe the aforementioned spectacular effects. It produces a very hot, bright ball of glowing plasma which is similar to ball lightning. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/11 "2004-09-26T16:16:28Z")
> [@Dr. Lao](#): > > I think astro’s point is well taken, wood would probably burn if you left it in there long enough. I’m not sure how long it would take though. You might be right. I put a chopstick (not sure what kind of wood) in mine and let it run for a few minutes, and it did get rather warm. I don’t know how long it would take to reach ignition temperature, but it could, possibly. I think it would only be a problem if the wood is the only think in the oven, since water-bearing food will absorb most of the energy. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/12 "2004-09-26T17:15:58Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Why would anyone put wood that’s already on fire in the microwave? For the same reason that people put light bulbs, steel wool, CDs, twinkies, marshmellows, LEDs, cut grapes, and many other objects in the microwave. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/13 "2004-09-26T17:47:27Z")
I talked to a couple at a wood-carving show about **drying wood** for carving. They said, for a rush job of a dozen eagles, they had resorted to **microwaving.** It took some experiments to find out how long they could cook a block of wood without charring it. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/14 "2004-09-26T22:43:05Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I talked to a couple at a wood-carving show about **drying wood** for carving. They said, for a rush job of a dozen eagles, they had resorted to **microwaving.** It took some experiments to find out how long they could cook a block of wood without charring it. Interesting! I’d been flipping through my husband’s wood and woodworking library to see if I could find mention of something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-microwave-wood-kebob-question/266149/15 "2004-09-26T23:18:45Z")
Yes, microwaving wood is fine. I’ve microwaved plenty of corn dogs with sticks in them.