No one would dispute that microwave ovens make cooking a lot faster and easier. Still, there are certain foods you shouldn’t microwave because it can ruin them, make a mess, or even cause harm to people. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Image Credit: nelea33/Shutterstock.
The heat in the microwave can cause the water pressure inside the egg to build up to the point of explosion. This is especially likely if you heat the egg up with the shell still on.
Processed Meats
Image Credit: Afanasieva/Shutterstock.
These include most hot dogs and deli meats. They have preservatives that a microwave can turn harmful, even carcinogenic. It’s better to warm these meats up on a frying pan or in an actual oven.
Chicken
Image Credit: Timolina/Shutterstock.
Cooking raw chicken in a microwave can result in uneven heating, meaning parts will be undercooked and harmful bacteria won’t have been killed off. Reheating cooked chicken in a microwave often causes a rubbery texture and drying out.
Rice
Image Credit: meowwelove/Shutterstock.
When you heat rice in a microwave and then expose it to room temperature, bacteria spores that cause food poisoning can multiply. It’s better to reheat rice in a pot, bringing it close to boiling temperatures in order to kill bacteria resulting from prior exposure.
Hot Peppers
Image Credit: TrotzOlga/Shutterstock.
The radiation in a microwave can cause capsaicin, which is the chemical that gives peppers their hotness, to heat up so much that the pepper can start smoking or even catch fire. Also, opening the door may subject your eyes, nose, and mouth to a chemical pepper blast.
Breast Milk
Image Credit:RaspberryStudio/Shutterstock.
It’s common for nursing mothers to pump breast milk and then store it in plastic bottles in the freeze. Reheating it in a microwave is a bad idea for two big reasons. First, the microwave may release carcinogens from the plastic. Also, uneven heating can create “hot spots” that can burn the infant’s mouth and throat.
Frozen Meat
Image Credit: AngieYeoh/Shutterstock.
Uneven heating can lead to uncooked or undercooked parts. In addition, the microwave can ruin the quality and the texture. Thaw frozen meat and then cook it using an oven, skillet, or grill.
Bread
Image Credit: Pixx Media/Shutterstock.
Heating bread in a microwave can ruin its taste and texture, even totally drying it out if you heat it for too long. An exception is when bread starts to go stale; heating it in a microwave for 10 seconds or so can soften it up.
Grapes
Image Credit: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock.
The heat and pressure in a microwave can cause grapes to explode or ignite. This can damage the microwave or create a hazard, and at the minimum, it makes a nasty mess to clean up.
French Fries
Image Credit: Igor Dutina/Shutterstock.
Microwaving fries to reheat them is almost always a disappointment. It tends to make them limp and rubbery, and they also never seem to taste as good as they did before. Air fryers are the way to go. If you don’t have one, use the oven.
Leftover Steak
Image Credit: Zoya Miller SVG/Shutterstock.
Steak reheated in a microwave, even for a very short time, usually ends up dried out. Many people find cold steak to be delicious, but if you want to reheat it, wrapping it in foil and using an oven works better.
Pizza
Image Credit: Jomapace/Shutterstock.
Reheating pizza in a microwave is really convenient, but it often makes the crust soggy and the cheese rubbery. Plus, there’s the uneven heating that can make one bite scalding and another ice-cold. Try reheating at a low temperature in the oven instead.
Nachos
Image Credit:Andrey Starostin/Shutterstock.
Reheating nachos in a microwave often produces results similar to reheating pizza in a microwave. The chips get soft and the cheese gets rubbery. Again, an oven at a low temperature is better.
Pasta
Image Credit: OlgaBombologna/Shutterstock.
By now, you know that uneven heating is a problem with reheating a lot of foods in a microwave, and that includes pasta. Use a pot on a stove instead, adding a little water so that the pasta doesn’t get dried out and stick to the pot.
Seafood
Image Credit: sweet marshmallow/Shutterstock.
The microwave often dries out fish and other seafood when you reheat it. Also, there’s the powerful smell that can last for hours or even days, making you a persona non grata at the office or in your own home.
10 Beers Americans Can’t Stop Guzzling
Image Credit: Robert Brown Stock/Shutterstock.
Each generation has its favorites when it comes to everything from apps to restaurants. They have clear preferences for certain beers as well. Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millenials each have favorite beers that are their go-to beverage for a night out.
10 Beers Americans Can’t Stop Guzzling
20 Shocking Cooking Facts That Will Change Your Kitchen Forever
Image Credit: True Touch Lifestyle/Shutterstock.
Cooking is a journey filled with surprises; sometimes, the most surprising truths are the hardest to swallow. From debunking culinary myths to rethinking kitchen practices, here are 20 facts that might make you rethink your approach to food and cooking.
20 Shocking Cooking Facts That Will Change Your Kitchen Forever
Leave a Reply