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When my friends' parents started getting microwave ovens (late seventies, early eighties I suppose) the received wisdom was to leave a cup of cold water in ther
by pedrow 6y ago
When my friends' parents started getting microwave ovens (late seventies, early eighties I suppose) the received wisdom was to leave a cup of cold water in there when the oven wasn't being used. Does anyone else remember this?
- duskwuff 6y agoSomething got lost in translation. Putting a cup of water in the microwave is advisable over running the microwave with an empty chamber -- something to do with the microwaves getting reflected back into the magnetron and causing overheating. But there's no such concern while the appliance isn't running.
- scottlamb 6y agoI think the advice was in case the microwave was started accidentally. My parents used to leave a cup of water in the microwave, and they explained it in that way. I don't think it's gotten any less bad to run an empty microwave, but maybe we've realized starting it accidentally isn't that common, and/or we've gotten complacent.
- duskwuff 6y agoThat, and it's not as if the microwave will explode the instant you turn it on while empty. It'll take a few minutes before the magnetron overheats.
- hrishi 6y agoModern microwaves also have resettable fuses and protection for the magentron overloading. Not suggesting you run it empty, but it's less of an issue now.
- kwhitefoot 6y agoI still do it. Started because the children might turn it on empty. Now they are grown and I am getting older I do it in case I get forgetful!