SAFETY ALERT!!! Water Can EXPLODE in the Microwave!!!

I'd read about water 'superheating' in the microwave but never took it very seriously until now. Please read this and take heed.

Last week my mother put a cup of water in the microwave to shortcut the process of making a cup of tea. She's done this every day for years. But last week the outcome was pretty dramatic. To hear her tell it, she walked to the other side of her kitchen and heard a very loud BOOM! As she turned around the door of the microwave blew open and scalding water came blasting out across the room. Boiling water was all over the floor, stove top and island. The cup was sitting int he microwave, still intact.

Luckily, my mother wasn't standing in front of the microwave, tapping her foot to hurry up the heating process...something I'm known to do. Thankfully, she wasn't burned, nor was the cat who had been eating his kibble just a few feet away.

This same thing happened to a friend of hers last year. On that occasion, the woman did sustain severe burns to her hands and arms when her counter top microwave burst forth with scalding water. It might have been far worse if she'd had the over-the-stove mount that is pretty standard now.

Below is a link to a site called "Steve Spangler Science, Making Science Fun". It describes the process of 'superheating' and cautions not to boil water alone in the microwave. I've stopped doing it and I urge you to do the same.

Yesterday was my folks wedding anniversary. I bought them a new tea kettle.

http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/exploding-water-in-the-microwave