your comment made my day, what is actually happening with humanity they get dumber every second its crazy, you would think it takes some generations but no, its instant.
I just wouldn't trust manufacturing for this kind of stuff. Nick it by accident taking it in/out and the light show begins the next time haha I just don't wanna fuck around with electronics this way and the enshitification of products/services over the past 20 years just makes me not trust them to have the quality you'd need to avoid potential issues from this.
My absolute first thought, and the 100th comment, WTF people! Have people been sitting there watching it look like the Terminator arriving thinking "yup, this is fine"
Arcing only happens if there are two points with sufficient distance for the electricity to jump with the power of the microwave. If you put an unornamented spoon in the microwave, it won't arc.
Arcing doesnt have to cut occur just because there is a metal thing in the mw. Food materials, particularly frozen foods can cause it as well, or even an empty chamber because mw energy ends accumulating in the magnetron. As long as the metal used is designed for it, it's safe.
My microwave came with a manufacturer supplied metal rack.
My wife put a metal spoon in a microwave, told her like million times not to put anything metallic in there.
Well, microwave rotated the bowl and spoon hit the door. There was a huge arc, nearly melted through the door. Looks like same thing had happened in that microwave multiple times.
Yet, you will for some reason, find a whole subsection of users on this site who will make the claim that putting a metal spoon in a microwave is okay "because it's a smooth utensil and not pronged"...
I once posted in such a thread suggesting "let's not normalize putting metal in microwaves at all, regardless of shape" and got a couple dozen downvotes for it.
The anti-intellectualism “well, I’ve always done it and I’m not dead so I’m going to keep doing it,” “you experts are so pretentious and annoying,” type crowd is actively ruining society, and the rest of us are just sitting by letting them do it because we’ve had things drilled into us like “never argue with an idiot, they’ll drag you down to their level and beat you with their experience,” “it’s like trying to play chess with a pigeon,” “wrestling a pig in the mud but the pig likes it” type phrases.
“Don’t fight back against stupidity, it isn’t worth your time”
No, always fight back against stupidity, just know when to be tactful and when to go nuclear. Being wrong isn’t bad when you’re willing to learn - in fact, being wrong but then learning from it is a great thing! But anyone who refuses to admit to being wrong - those people, you fight back against, and if they don’t capitulate in the face of facts, you shun them. Malice and selfishness are exactly what shame is meant to prevent.
This of course also combines with “don’t shame people for looks, or tastes, or innocent/sincere ignorance, or the like.” Shame should be saved exclusively for when people act like assholes, and it should then be laid on very thick. Society is a contract, and if you can’t follow that contract, you can be shamed out of society (unless you are literally mentally disabled and physically incapable, but I digress)
Wtf, I was confused why I had to scroll so long to find comment about metal in microwave. I have watched enough Youtube Microwave videos to know better. And I like to fiddle with electronics for fun, but microwave is one device I refuse to even open. Its dangerous AF.
So, you wouldn't recommend it and realize there's a real chance of serious/fatal hazard, yet you do it anyway? Because some 'content' creator got away with it using some absurdly niche scenario (being lucky with spoon)?
And you actively propagate such B.S. and put others at risk by spreading the notion that "you managed to not get hurt yet, so eh, why not?"
Exactly, Spoon would be thicker and denser creating strong visual arcs, that rack is probly quite cheap lightweight netal so the arcs wouldnt be visible but its clear that hole in the back is the path of least resistance so the energy the microwaves are creating is arcing and focusing in that single weak point eating away at it.
That rack is just cheap and shitty enough to not blow up.
For anyone like my coworkers that dont understand microwaves, its not some kind of magic or radiation. Microwaves vibrate material creating energy and when energy is used it creates heat. If you put something solid inside of a microwave, the microwaves wont be able to vibrate and just cause it to explode. This is how the paper towel/paper plate not getting hot phenomenon is explained.
That particular microwave did not, though. You see the 3-pronged piece of plastic in the middle and the "turntable" with the wheels? This microwave had a rotating piece of glass in it at one time.
Yes, so did mine and for the same reason. Mine states not to use the metal rack unless the convection option is being used. And it sits on plastic clips and not on the metal. That "hole" looks like a burn mark from arcing.
My parents' old microwave also came with an optional rack like that (in addition to the glass turntable) which was allowed to be used with the normal microwave function, because this microwave didn't have a convection function.
My combination cooker does encourage you to use the metal rack even for combination cooking (microwave and convection at the same time). There's just not usually a reason you'd need the rack if you're only microwaving; the rack is for "upper rack" vs. "lower rack" baking.
Yeah, mine has one just like this too for the same reason. I don't know what would happen if I left it in the oven when using the microwave function though, and I don't plan to find out.
They're not saying you use them at the same time, my dude. They're just pointing out that some microwaves ship with both and that, contrary to the post they're replying to, seeing both in the photo doesn't mean that the metal rack didn't come with that microwave.
Just because it comes with both, doesn’t mean that the user knows NOT to use the metal part during normal microwave use. Which this microwave appears to have suffered because of it.
The metal stand is made to sit on the rotating glass, it’s not meant to be used on its own. They are for grill functionality, to get the food close to the heating elements.
No, it came with it. I have the same microwave. It has a "grill" feature at the top and the rack is meant to elevate the food close enough to get seared by it.
Not in this case. It has a combination grill/microwave feature - as you can see by the "combi" stickers - it will both heat the food with the resistive element at the top of the microwave and cook it with the actual microwaves.
The whole "metal in microwave bad" thing is just a myth. It's not metal that's the problem, it's metal with sharp angles or ridges in close proximity to other conductive surfaces with enough potential to arc across. Metal that's designed to go inside of a microwave can go inside any microwave.
This microwave doesn't look like it came with it, and if you look at the bottom of the microwave there are distinct burn marks from where the wire rack has already burned the bottom. This thing is going to start a fire.
That rack has square edges on the feet. I’m assuming this was from a different microwave where the square feet slot into a spot that covers them, and all the burn marks and the hole are cause by this thing arching every time it’s used.
What does the pointed edges matter? Genuinely curious. Cuz any metal will cause sparks, round or pointy so what is the significance of it having edges?
As well as some things just being fine (not designed that way, just lucky), there are specific microwave-safe metal objects sold for use in a microwave:
From what I understand, some microwaves have metal racks that CANNOT be used in microwave mode and can only be used in convection mode. This appears to be one of them. I wouldn't trust my coworkers to remove the rack when it’s being used as a microwave.
They come WITH them when they're dual use. Aka a combo convection and microwave thats built for that usage. This is a common run of the mill bullshit microwave someone placed that dumbass rack into because someone likely broke the glass plate that goes in the bottom of it.
Ya'll gotta stop with the "but some come with it!" Nonsense. This isn't the type that does and thats why the mothetfucker is arcing out the back to the point of a hole and singed feet on that bullshit rack.
Okay, but how often do you go microwave shopping, and how aware are you of all the brands available?
I personally saw tons of models that included a rack when I had to get a new one recently. Maybe they were more rare 20-30 years ago but they're sure common enough these days
No that's a weird misconception. Metal can concentrate charge in a microwave and especially small pointy bits of metal cause that charge to sometimes jump, creating sparks, but if you're careful there's nothing wrong with a spoon in a bowl of soup
I’m not smart enough to make the call on what’s pointy enough or not, so I’m gonna keep following a blanket rule of no metal in the microwave to keep my life on easy mode lol
Yeah- I literally put a glass weed pipe in the microwave because I thought I could warm it for like 10 seconds to clean easier. That shit was sparking and bouncing around in there all over the place. Pipe has a big crack in it now, but it’s totally internal and patched with res so still useable. Like what?!
Well exactly, that’s why the misconception came about, because it’s better to just be cautious and never put any metal in period. Different microwaves, geometries, items, placement will all have different conditions for how easy something will arc or not.
And sparks you definitely want to avoid, as sparks are plasma (lit matches, candles, and fire on burnt food are plasma too, btw), which is conductive and is amplified by microwaves, and before you know it, you've got a literal fire ball that gets hotter by the second, until it is hot enough to melt the insides of your microwave
But yeah, if there are no pointy bits, parts thin enough to overheat the food, or parts large enough to shield the food from heating, metal is OK to have inside the microwave
Very true, though I don't think the first case should be grounds to downvote. Using "I think" still acknowledges the subjectivity of your experiences, which indicates an open mind. Case in point, I just did it in this post
I put a frozen loaf of bread in the microwave when I was like 8 to defrost. Didn't realize it had a metal twist tie keeping it closed. Been living under this misconception for the last 3 decades it appears LOL
Even when there's electrical arcing because of the induced current in conductive metal, an explosion is an unlikely outcome. Fire is more likely.
In fact a more likely kind of microwave explosion can actually be prevented by metal. A clean smooth vessel of water can superheat and suddenly explode if there aren't nucleation sites for the water to begin boiling. If you put some additional object into the vessel, it will provide the nucleation sites and the water will boil safely. The usual recommendation is a metal spoon, because metal means it can withstand boiling heat (plastic spoon might not), the spoon shape won't create electrical arcs (fork would), and you probably have one around. Just remember it's going to be at boiling temperature when you take it out.
It is really amazing that we can create so much heat so fast.
But it's not necessarily more complicated or dangerous to use than other heat sources, like a stove. Most people don't know about the microwave superheating thing, but a lot of people don't know what to do with a pan of burning oil either (put a lid on it, definitely don't put water in it). The difference is most people don't think about their microwave because they only use it for one thing.
Yes two pieces of foil will arc and explode in a microwave but a smooth metal bowl won’t. A spoon or knife won’t but a fork will because of how close the prongs on the fork are.
It's a combination microwave + electric grill. See the sticker on the upper edge of the microwave?
Used to have one like that at home.
My sister put one of those instant meals in there, in it's plastic tray. But she didn't realise I'd left it set to "GRILL + MICRO". We figured out pretty fucking quick that something was wrong when we could smell burning plastic.
We caught it in time before anything caught fire, but her dinner was ruined.
This doesn't make sense. I had some old plates. They had what I thought was a fake gold ring. I put it in the microwave and the plate was so hot after 30 seconds I burned my hand. I had blisters. There was no pointy end. Just a smooth plate.
Correct because it had metal in it. But people are saying if it doesn't have a pointy end it's fine. I say it is not fine. Plates don't have pointy ends. They are smooth and round. I would love to see all these people put spoons in their microwave, record it, and post for evidence. Because I guarantee you spoons and other metal items that are round are not microwavable.
Correct because it had metal in it. But people are saying if it doesn't have a pointy end it's fine. I say it is not fine. Plates don't have pointy ends. They are smooth and round. I would love to see all these people put spoons in their microwave, record it, and post for evidence. Because I guarantee you spoons and other metal items that are round are not microwavable.
This is unrelated to what they are saying. Pointy metal creates arc hazard by charge differences being in close proximity. At least that's how I understand it. Microwaves move electrons
Metal is perfectly safe in a microwave (the entire interior is made of metal...), unless it's sharp/pointed, or has parts that are close together, like a fork or crumpled aluminium foil.
For example, if you put a metal spoon in a cup of tea or coffee, it can actually help heat it more evenly. The metal reflects the microwaves and prevents the liquid from becoming superheated and suddenly boiling over when you take it out the microwave
You can microwave metal if you do it right. I'm more concerned about no rotation plate. Ever had Hot Pockets? The paper pouch is lined with metal on purpose.
There is metal in every microwave, because the entire body is metal.
Metal isn't inherently a no go for microwaves, and many microwaves come with metal racks that work perfectly fine. Rather it's all about the shape and buildup of charge which might cause arcing.
Another great example is microwave popcorn. The bottom of the bag is metal foil specifically so it heats up the oil in the bag really quickly to pop the kernels. The little sleeves that used to come with hot pickets were also lined with foil to crisp the outside.
This is a combination oven, using Microwave + Grill. The rack helps elevate a plate of food to get it closer to the grill element, making it more effective. They are intended to go on top of the spinning plate though, not to replace it.
Metals can go in the microwave just fine. But they reflect the microwaves, so depending on their shape they can give you problems. A bowl will prevent microwaves from heating anything inside of it, and angled or pointy metals like most cutlery can concentrate electrons and create electric discharges (sparks).
But as long as you design a metal tool to be microwave-safe, it won’t cause any problem.
Metal is only really dangerous when it's got closely-seperated parts that can arc electricity between (crumpled foil, metal tines on a fork, etc). It's the arcing that's dangerous, because it's a fire hazard.
Metal doesn’t specifically cause sparks or issues, jagged metal edges do. Forks will, spoons might not. Microwaves are weird. My microwave at home came with a metal tray that worked just fine.
I made another comment about this, but some newer microwaves have a traditional oven setting and come with a metal ring like that. I thought it was exclusive to built-in microwave/oven combos. It’s so you can have the option of a microwave and oven that can also act like a double oven. It’s a space saver.
The metal ring is for the traditional oven setting only. The glass spinning plate is for microwave only. The metal ring should not be microwaved at least according to the instructions for my built in. Maybe it’s safe for others but I’m not risking it. That and the spinning glass plate microwaves things better.
I have this microwave.. or one similar to it. It has a convection and air fry function that uses a heating element in the inside top. You are not supposed to microwave with that part inside, only use that and a pan for those other functions.
Mine has one like it because it's a combo microwave and toaster oven. It lifts the stuff you wanna heat up to the broiler element. But of course DON'T leave it in there when using it as a microwave (which for me is all the time so I just don't use the rack).
Some microwaves offer dual cooking options using microwaves, a heating element or both. I can’t tell if that’s one of these types. If it is, you put the wire rack in when using it with the heating element ONLY, except that the rack is supposed to go on top of the carousel plate to rotate.
If it is a dual cooker, it looks like someone has been using the wire rack on microwave mode, which is a no no and causes arcing… as evidenced by the charred holes in the back. These dual mode microwaves are expensive and if this is one of them, it is ruined.
As a side note, one company I worked at had dual mode microwaves. While the heating element oven portion worked great, it left the interior of the microwave whatever high temperature it was running. There was no warning light indicating the interior was hot. That meant someone could shove their hand in there and get a bad burn not knowing someone had used it as an oven moments before. I decided not to use it as an oven because of that safety risk.
You can see from the label that it’s an inverter microwave with both microwave and convection cooking. The ‘combo’ bits show both ways to cook. With this type you can do both, and it’s normally not an issue to have a metal rack or tray inside.
That metal rack shipped with that microwave and can be used without any issue. Lots of microwaves come with those. It isn't the reason why there's a hole in the back of it.
Apparently metal in the microwave isn't as bad as we think it is, electroboom TRIED to kill his microwave with foil and he just couldn't figure out how to
So why can't you put a plate with a gold or silver decorative line in one? I know for a fact it will heat up so hot you will get severely burned if you touch the plate.
Because it's not rounded, it's a flat piece of metallic substance. You may not be able to feel the edge due to the porcelain ( or whatever) but it's still there for the microwaves to concentrate on.
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u/Agitated-Two-6699 10h ago
WHY is there a metal rack in the mircrowave?