When it comes to microwave ovens, they have become pretty essential for every kitchen, but people have to choose microwave-safe plastics and dishes. However, there are people who need wooden containers and bowls to contain their food. For this reason, many people ask if wood can be used in the microwave oven. In case you had the same issue, we are sharing the details.
Can You Put Wood In The Microwave?
No, you cannot put wood in your microwave oven because it is not a microwave-safe material. Even if you put it in the microwave oven, you cannot push it to more than ten seconds to fifteen seconds. This is because the time is extended beyond fifteen seconds, which will result in various damages, which is why you should avoid using wooden bowls, dishes, and other utensils in the microwave oven.
When it comes down to the dangers of microwaving wooden utensils and other products, it basically roots from moisture or water content. This results in quick heating of the wooden products. For this reason, the wood could warm up to the point that it would crack from an immediate rise in the heating temperature. Keep in mind that it won’t burst into flames, but the thin wooden bowls will burn.
As far as wooden logs are concerned, the thick logs can also end up in flame if the flame temperature is high enough, and the microwave ovens have the capacity of reaching high temperatures in the minimal time possible. Truth be told, many people have claimed that they were able to warm up food in the wooden bowls without any problem, but it could have been luck.
This is because the damage is meant to happen to your wooden bowls when they are put in the microwave oven. It’s like how you wouldn’t think about putting the wooden bowl in a convection oven or conventional oven. However, we do want to say that microwaving the wood is actually the worst because it heats up pretty quickly, resulting in severe damage.
With microwaving, the wooden bowls and utensils can warp, set on fire, and crack if they are microwaved for enough time. That’s because the wooden bowls’ moisture heats up, which heats up the wood to the highest levels. All in all, wood is known as a good insulator, which means it can heat up and break down in the oven, causing severe damage.
Reasons Behind Not Using Wood In The Microwave
Wooden bowls can be used with hot food items, such as soup, stew, curries, and porridge which is why people are confused why they cannot use wood in the microwave. Keep in mind that wooden products with thick wood might put up with microwaving but only to a certain point. Even though wood is a well-known natural insulator for keeping food warm, it cannot survive microwaving.
As far as hot food is concerned, it exudes conductive heat, but it’s different from the microwave radiations, which is why the wooden bowls can be used for keeping hot food but cannot be used in the microwave oven.
The second reason for not using wood in the microwave oven is that the glue could come out. This is because not every wooden bowl and utensils are made from the same wood. Rather, some of the wooden bowls are sawed off in different sections and are glued together to create the utensil. Having said that, the glue joints are likely to fall apart when exposed to heat.
The hot temperature of the microwave oven is highly likely to re-liquify the glue, which results in loss of bonding power and stickiness. The glue might not fail, but it will become liquid, which results in the release of the bond. In addition, the silver or other metals in the wooden containers cannot be put in the microwave either because it can lead to fire hazards. Moreover, plastic and aluminum foil stuck on the wood can also spark flames.
The Bottom Line
To summarize, you cannot use put anything made from wood in your microwave oven. It’s true that some wooden pieces are more resilient and durable as compared to other ones. For this reason, it’s better to test the heating limits on the glue and adhesives used in the wooden containers.