How do you tell if a coffee mug (or any other dish, for that matter) is safe to use in the microwave? I buy a lot of mugs at thrift shops and yard sales, so some of them are probably old enough that they might not be safe. I seem to remember something along the lines of filling the mug with water and microwaving on high for a certain length of time and if the handle gets hot, that means it's not safe for the microwave. But I can't remember, like how long is the length of time you're supposed to do it; can anybody help?
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Two minutes. Don't forget that sometimes the water gets so hot that it will "explode" when the mug or other container is jiggled. (Let it rest a few seconds.) This has caused serious burns on people's faces (and other parts, such as hands). Unless one's microwave is of very high wattage, two minutes will be okay, though. I have some of these mugs, too, and have been disappointed that so many of them are not microwave-safe.
Dear Lynn, I only tested this myself a few days ago. Place the dish you want to use in the microwave and place a microwave safe dish beside it with a cup of water in it.
Hi, I recall the method you mentioned. I'd say if your mic is average wattage etc, that if you heat it for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes and the handle gets hot, then don't use it. If not for anything else other than the heat of the handle causing someone to drop the hot liquid.
I recently got a very bad burn on my fingers from a mug I put in the microwave. I had just purchased a couple mugs from WalMart. The bottom said microwave/dishwasher safe. AFTER I got this horrible burn - I turned the mug over and read...the next line..."may get hot in microwave".
JudyR's response will be one more reason I don't shop at WalMart.
The age of the (mug, dish, whatever) won't tell you much. I have a lot of diner dishes my grandmother used in her diner back in the 1930s and they work just fine in a microwave. On the other hand, my mom bought a nice set of dishes about fifteen years ago, and it turned out they were not microwaveable. When you microwave them the glazing cracks.
My wife was just burned by a non-microwave safe coffee mug that was only microwaved for a minute and 45 seconds, so I disagree with the two minutes test.
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