Things We Should Never, Ever Put In The Microwave

If you’ve ever been tempted to cook an egg in the microwave but didn’t go through with it, count yourself lucky. After all, it’s very likely that it would have exploded. Yep! When you heat up an egg inside its shell, water pockets form. And when those boil, the pressure can cause the egg to explode, launching its scalding yolk all over the place.

Most people know that you should never put metal of any kind in the microwave, but it's easy to forget that aluminum foil comes into that category, too. Large pieces of metal in the microwave, such as a thick pan, will simply stop your food from getting hot. But smaller pieces or shards of metal could catch fire. 

Just because some unhinged individual out there thought up the idea of a microwave omelet maker and actually had it made, that doesn't mean you should be wasting your precious money on one! A delicious silky omelet has no place being within even an inch of a microwave!

Unlike other foods on the list that become unpalatable when re-heated in the microwave, leafy greens like spinach and kale, along with celery and beets could actually be causing you harm if heated in this way. All of these veggies contain high levels of nitrates. The chemical compound occurs naturally in some vegetables, but it's when they're heated that things an turn toxic.

Takeout containers in general are bad news for the microwave, but styrofoam containers are even worse. That’s because adding high heat can cause the styrofoam to melt, bonding its toxic chemicals to the food you're trying to warm up.

Lesson 101 when it comes to pasta and sauce is to make sure you mix through just enough sauce so that each delicious pasta piece is perfectly coated with the good stuff. Easy enough! The problem comes, however, when you scrape leftover pasta from the dinner plate. Chances are, it's covered in that delicious sauce you so lovingly stirred through.

A glow stick plus a microwave surely equals a recipe for disaster. Yes, that’s one equation we were confident didn’t need testing. Nevertheless, in 2014, one boy tried it anyway, hoping his green stick would glow a little brighter.

Like most things on this list, hot peppers are prone to turning quite literally fiery when nuked. But that’s not the only reason you should keep them far, far away from your microwave.

Microwaving fried chicken is a surefire way to lose all of the crunch from the skin. Not only that, but heading back for seconds on that takeout chicken might leave you feeling unwell if it's not heated evenly.

Plenty of the food you heat up in the microwave contains water, and it's okay to zap a mug of H2O for a few minutes to make tea if you don't have a proper kettle. But don't boil water for too long in the microwave, as "superheating" can result in an explosion.

How do you solve a problem like rock-hard stale loaves? Well, nuking leftover bread in the microwave certainly isn't it! Not only is it guaranteed to make Italian nonnas the world over shake their rolling pins at you, but you'll be left with a loaf even harder than when you started.

Microwaving leftover rice turns it into something that's more like hard kibble than the soft, carb-filled delight you love. Not only that, but rice is renowned for causing particularly nasty bouts of food poisoning. If you're stuck with leftovers, be sure to let them cool completely before adding them to the fridge, but keep the time left sitting at room temperature to a minimum. It's during this time when bad bacteria can multiply.

Perhaps one of the most difficult leftovers to bring back from the dead, microwaved French fries are a one-way ticket to a culinary disaster. But don't despair, simply head to the hob to revive those potatoes.

Literally nothing: That's right—one of the worst things you can do with your microwave oven is to turn it on while leaving it completely empty inside. Without anything to absorb the microwaves themselves, they just bounce around and microwave the microwave!

Everyone makes mistakes — that’s why pencils have erasers. But just because your aluminum foil has been converted into pouch form, that doesn’t make it any more safe for the microwave.

Microwaving sponges can be a great way to sterilize them. After all, they’re one of the most bacteria-ridden items found in most households, carrying all sorts of harmful microorganisms — including E. coli and salmonella.

Have you ever wanted to see your microwave burst into flames? No, we thought not. In that case, it’s probably a good idea to never try putting grapes into it, then.

Who doesn't love a fuss-free lunch made up of last night's leftovers? Stupid question — the answer is everyone. Just be wary of also re-using the containers the food was delivered in.

Microwave cooking porridge is a fine art. Too long and you end with a rock-hard bowl of gruel. Too little and you're left hungry while you wait for the milk to absorb. If you succumbed to eating something else while you wait, there's a trick for re-heating that even Goldilocks would surely approve of!

Unsurprisingly, fine china is best kept out of the microwave. After all, chances are it was created before “microwave safe” was even a necessary term. And let’s be honest, is it really worth risking that vintage, and no doubt expensive, crockery?

In the event you're stuck with a ton of leftover quiche, don't be tempted to pop your egg pie into the microwave. Sure — you'll get something hot to eat in a matter of minutes. But will it be a delicious slice of quiche? Absolutely not.

No matter how much you love this stacked-and-stuffed pasta dish, it's almost impossible not to end up with a bit left over. Who can eat a family-sized platter solo, after all? Instead of microwaving those leftovers — which will end with a meaty mush — turn on the oven instead.

Sure, you probably don’t go around putting light bulbs in microwaves very often. But just in case the thought has ever crossed your mind — you know, just to see what would happen — then you should be aware of the consequences.

Unless you're already a card-carrying member of "Club For Monsters Who Like Well-Done Steaks," microwaving beef-based leftovers is a surefire way to straight-up ruin your meat. Step away from the microwave! Instead, keep your steak juicy by placing thin slices of it in an oiled pan and sautéing them until they're warmed through.

Avoid being that guy at the office who chucks his fish into the microwave and inevitably stinks up the whole joint. In fact, leftover fish is probably best left far, far away from the microwave altogether.

Ever wanted to throw the rule book out of the window and turn your microwave into a science experiment? Well, microwaving toothpicks is a surefire way to do just that! However, heating the handy picks is actually quite dangerous.

Heating breastmilk kills any harmful bacteria that could be ingested by the baby, but warming bottled breast milk in a microwave is basically an all-round bad idea. Typically, parents carefully sterilize the milk by placing the bottles in warm water in the sink — but never in the microwave.

Want to avoid reheated potatoes that get all crusty? Similar to the way you might melt chocolate for a cake, simmer water in a pan, and then put a bowl of your mashed 'taters over the hot, steaming water.

Not only does microwave heated pasta rarely hold it's texture, if this dish gets too hot, you'll have one mighty big mess on your hands — in other words, a leftovers disaster.

Yes, it’s more metal in the microwave and should probably be obvious. But because a travel mug is intended to deal with high temperatures, some of us might not think twice about chucking it in the microwave for a blast.

Here's the ultimate reheat challenge: restoring not one, but two different foods to their former selves. We've already covered what not to do to french fries, and the same goes for this traditional British dish. But what about the fish?

Are you a meal-prepper who makes a massive pot of noodles to start the week? If you answered yes, then please don't microwave them! Similar to pasta, noodles tend to dry out when left in the refrigerator. And yep, you know the drill by now — the microwave will only make that dryness even worse.

Both casserole and chicken pot pie are undisputed comfort foods. However, both have the ability to go from delicious to disgusting in the blink of an eye. As both are first cooked in the oven, it's back there you should head to restore them to all of their comforting glory.

If you place it in the microwave, a roasted potato would be piping hot, but soggy. Keep leftovers crispy by adding a drizzle of oil and re-roasting them at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

It shouldn’t be news to you by now that plastic and microwaves generally don’t mix, but plastic wrap can be particularly hazardous if it’s touching the food it's covering while being heated.

Let's be honest, microwaved stir-fry might as well be the lining for the bottom of your trash can. No one likes biting into a soggy, oily memory of dinners long gone.

Although it's perfectly safe to reheat eggs, we have to wonder, is it really worth it? We have to be the bearers of bad news here: leftover scrambled eggs will forever taste bad. Still, if you're fresh out of options — and eggs — there is a way to improve on the spongy mess that will come from microwaving them.

Were there to be an eighth wonder of the world, it would be pizza. As good hot as it is cold, it's the ultimate leftover food, but it too should be kept away from the microwave. If you aren't in the mood for a chilled slice straight from the fridge, you have a few options. The easiest option is to drizzle the pizza with a little olive oil before placing it into a preheated oven.

Ahh, Broccoli... The stuff of childhood nightmares gone by. And we can guess why! Those traumatized tots' parents must have been microwaving the life out of those florets. Zapping broccoli not only takes away any satisfying bite that might have been there, but it removes almost all of its nutritional benefits, too.

When you reheat chicken, the proteins within it alter considerably. Combine that with a microwave that doesn’t necessarily reheat foods evenly throughout, and you’re left with all the ingredients for an upset stomach. If you want to avoid digestive problems, then, you’ll want to reheat it in the oven or air fryer, or even on the stove.