# Things You Should Not Microwave: A Cautionary Tale **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 21, 2007, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318 "2007-11-21T13:52:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/81 "2008-12-22T02:43:28Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > Things you should not microwave: > > _Brains!_ _Riiight_. You gotta saute them gently in butter, then add a couple eggs. Nuking makes them tough. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/82 "2008-12-22T02:52:58Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > If it makes you feel any better (not really, but hey misery loves company), I recently retired my old clamshell phone for a Samsung Instinct and my first bluetooth headset. A month later I dropped the headset in the driveway on the way out to work and ran over it. I have not replaced it because I figure I’m not worthy of owning small electronics. ☹ Oh, pish-posh, doe eyes! I washed my 1st iPhone with my laundry. I got another before the 1st was really dry. One deserves what one _decides_ one deserves. Go for it. Life’s too short for common sense. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/83 "2008-12-22T03:20:16Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Oh, pish-posh, doe eyes! I washed my 1st iPhone with my laundry. I got another before the 1st was really dry. One deserves what one _decides_ one deserves. > Go for it. Life’s too short for common sense. > Peace, > mangeorge Heh. Thanks. Actually, I was going to wait until after the holidays to replace it seeing as how I’m spending all our money on hubby and kiddo. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/84 "2008-12-22T03:25:12Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > Heh. Thanks. Actually, I was going to wait until after the holidays to replace it seeing as how I’m spending all our money on hubby and kiddo. That’s easy! Buy hubby a really nice bluetooth headset. 😉 Or, get a matching pair. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/85 "2008-12-22T05:10:07Z")
Can we add “zombie threads” to the list of things we _should_ put in the microwave? ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/86 "2008-12-22T05:27:48Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > That’s easy! Buy hubby a really nice bluetooth headset. 😉 Or, get a matching pair. We had a matching pair, only now mine has a big crack in it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/87 "2008-12-22T05:30:08Z")
> [@Olentzero](#): > > Can we add “zombie threads” to the list of things we _should_ put in the microwave? Oh wow! I hadn’t noticed that. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/88 "2008-12-22T06:11:09Z")
> [@lalenin](#): > > On the other hand, sliced grapes, cut side up and with the edges touching you should definitely put in a microwave for 30 seconds. I’m not kidding, it’s beautiful. A nice variation of this is realized with an eighth-inch slice of raw celery. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/89 "2008-12-22T06:37:09Z")
If you’re going to put this thread in the microwave, do it _before_ it’s locked or it’ll explode. Then we’ll have bits of it all over MPSIMS and it’ll take forever to clean up. Oh, and just to get one in before that happens, y’all will be happy to note that I have not allowed a piece of electronics near the microwave since, and I don’t put anything on the coffee trays that can’t stand a bit of cooking. (Well, technically that’s not true. I did it to a pair of sunglasses earlier this year. The rubber bits on the folded arms did kinda fuse together a bit. I’ve since replaced them…) I said _electronics_. Apparently I need to go through this with a variety of different objects before I get it. ---
**Author:** ![Across](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Across](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Across)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/90 "2008-12-22T06:38:56Z")
> [@brewha](#): > > \ I found out the hard way that you can _NOT_ hardboil an egg in the microwave. \ Of course you can. Prick a hole in the blunt end of an egg, just as you would if you were going to boil it normally. Wrap egg in tinfoil. Place in a coffee cup and cover with water. Nuke for a few minutes. In my oven it’s about 6 minutes, but YWMV (Your Wattage May Vary). The water is VERY hot when this is done, so I usually leave it to cool and finish cooking for 2-3 minutes after the microwave is done. If you want to cook more than one egg, increase the size of the container, the amount of water and the length of cooking time accordingly. I’ve done this multiple times in different ovens and never had a problem. But I haven’t experimented with shiny side in or out. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/91 "2008-12-22T06:57:30Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Gah! That wasn’t smoke, it was steam. Probably just vapor, drying out. Go get it and try it out. It might be that, and if it is I don’t recommend doing that right away. Wait for it to COMPLETELY dry out. You could dunk many electronics in water as long as they’re not on and no shorts will happen. Just gotta put them by a fan and a somewhat warm spot for a _long_ time to dry out completely. ---
**Author:** ![Jaglavak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jaglavak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaglavak)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/92 "2008-12-22T07:18:52Z")
Um, you might not want to nuke a CD or DVD in a microwave you ever plan to cook food in again. That pretty light show is the thin aluminum layer getting blown away. I’m pretty sure it ends up all over the inside of the oven. That can’t be good for you. And as long as you’ve got a microwave just for play, you could try [smelting steel with it.](http://home.c2i.net/metaphor/mvpage.html) I’d go with a real long extension cord on that unit. Be sure to post pictures and/or medical report if you try it. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2008, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318/93 "2008-12-22T12:22:18Z")
Closing zombie thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-should-not-microwave-a-cautionary-tale/427318.md?page=4)