It doesn’t take lengthy for the within of a microwave to go from glowing clear to a dirty mess if you happen to don’t cowl your meals whenever you cook dinner it. For many individuals, their technique of selection is putting a paper towel over their meals to stop stains and splattering.
Typically, that is completely secure, so long as you’re following best-practice pointers, together with utilizing microwave-safe paper towels and limiting cooking time. Should you had been unaware that such steering existed, you’re not alone. Right here’s what to find out about microwaving utilizing paper towels, together with the two-minute rule.
Can paper towels catch on fireplace within the microwave?
Anybody who has inadvertently microwaved meals in a metallic container, then noticed sparks fly, or takeout packaging catch on fireplace, in all probability solely made that mistake as soon as. (Sure, technically there are specific methods to safely microwave aluminum foil, however we’re not moving into that right this moment.)
In line with producers like Whirlpool and Basic Electrical, in addition to the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH), it’s attainable for paper towels to ignite within the microwave, too. When this occurs, it’s often brought on by both lengthy cooking instances, utilizing the fallacious sort of paper towel, or each.
Find out how to safely microwave meals with paper towels
There are specific precautions you may take that considerably scale back the chance of fireside when microwaving meals with paper towels. These embody:
Utilizing the two-minute rule
Microwave paper-towel-covered meals at two minute intervals, reasonably coming into an extended cooking time after which strolling away. In line with Whirlpool, this lets you “examine each the meals and the paper extra often” and mitigate the chance of fireside.
Solely utilizing microwave-safe paper towels
Most paper towels are secure to make use of within the microwave, however Basic Electrical recommends studying their packaging earlier than utilizing them, to make certain yours fall into that class.
Typically talking, plain white non-recycled paper towels are usually the most secure. Right here’s why:
- The dyes utilized in printed paper towels could include chemical compounds that would ignite when microwaved, so the U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) recommends choosing ones which can be plain white and microwave-safe.
- Recycled paper towels could include minute metallic flecks. “When a microwave oven is working, the interplay between microwaves and the metallic could cause sparks and even flames,” NIH steering explains.
- Paper towels containing nylon or nylon filaments may additionally ignite, GE notes.
Use paper towels in a single layer
Cowl your meals with a single layer of paper towels: Folding or stacking them can enhance the chance of fireside.
Don’t use different kinds of paper
In line with the USDA , you may’t merely swap one paper product for an additional when utilizing a microwave. This consists of brown paper baggage or wrapping, and newspapers—all of which must be averted.
