Nuking Soup

[johnnymk]

How do you microwave your soup?

I have tried many ways..putting a paper towel around a ceramic bowl and tucking it under, putting a plate above the bowl. I don't like to use plastic bowls with lids on them. I have read too much bad stuff about the chemicals that are released when microwaving.

I also put the power at 50%. I still get lots of explosions. And if something lets go, I get a mess in the entire oven.

[cheapie]

Really? :heh:

[johnnymk]

Thanks for the help, cheapie. I have a jar of Peter Pan peanut butter, almost full (may have salmonella). Are you interested in it?

[cheapie]

no problem! glad to help. :hihi:

[DarkFury]

Umm... why not just warm soup up on the stove top in a pot?

It doesn't really take that long (unless you are trying to have soup for lunch at work where there is no stove. :D )

[johnnymk]

Yes, that's probably the best solution, DF

[oblongmelon]

have you tried covering the bowl with saran wrap??? and putting in a small hole for a steam vent?

[johnnymk]

have you tried covering the bowl with saran wrap??? and putting in a small hole for a steam vent?

Will try...thanks

[Markel]

have you tried covering the bowl with saran wrap??? and putting in a small hole for a steam vent?
I've heard that saran wrap (and it's generic cousins) can have the "plastic" issue that johnny referred to at the top. Wax paper is supposed to be preferable.

[Maarchk]

How powerful is your microwave? I run mine at high for like 90 seconds, to a good stirring and then another minute and i usually have bubbling soup that has not exploded. or do you have large chunks of meat and potatoes that go boom?
Also, maybe if it was in the fridge its because of the rapid temperature change and maybe if you let it "thaw" out for a few minutes in advance it wouldn't be so bad? I haven't really heard of that happening to much. Protection like seran wrap sounds like the way to go.

[mcs328]

My microwave has a reheat soup option.

[renovation]

i heat my soup in a pyrex glass bowl with a glass lid. 2 mins on high hot and good. word of advice when cooking in the micro. place the food off to the side not in the middle. i have heard the waves will cook the stuff better that way.

[oblongmelon]

I've heard that saran wrap (and it's generic cousins) can have the "plastic" issue that johnny referred to at the top. Wax paper is supposed to be preferable.

eh..never seemed to hurt me..saran wrap doesn't melt or ooze like some of those plastic lids/containers do..hell you can even put it in the oven and it doesn't melt!

[InfiniteNothing]

Here's the trick for plastic safety: check the box and make sure it says microwave safe.
That usually implies it'll do better with higher temperatures. Soup should do pretty well anyways since theres no direct contact. The only downside is usually the microwave safe stuff is less clingy.

Lastly, for the exploding, I've noticed some microwaves do that more than others. I'm not really sure there's much you can do about it except protecting your microwave from splatters (hense the cling wrap) or maybe stir more often.

[Nija]

I always put a wet paper towel over my soup.

[Jeffbx]

You guys know that whole plastic in the microwave thing is an urban legend, right?

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cookplastic.asp

[InfiniteNothing]

That's not exactly what that article says

From one of the cited references
http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/fs-mwave.html


Containers and Wraps
Only use cookware that is specially manufactured for use in the microwave oven. Glass, ceramic containers, and all plastics should be labeled for microwave oven use.
Plastic storage containers such as margarine tubs, take-out containers, whipped topping bowls, and other one-time use containers should not be used in microwave ovens. These containers can warp or melt, possibly causing harmful chemicals to migrate into the food.
Microwave plastic wraps, wax paper, cooking bags, parchment paper, and white microwave-safe paper towels should be safe to use. Do not let plastic wrap touch foods during microwaving.
Never use thin plastic storage bags, brown paper or plastic grocery bags, newspapers, or aluminum foil in the microwave oven.

[Markel]

Also, from http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/2002/602_plastic.html:

One chemical called diethylhexyl adipate (DEHA) has received a lot of media attention. DEHA is a plasticizer, a substance added to some plastics to make them flexible. DEHA exposure may occur when eating certain foods wrapped in plastics, especially fatty foods such as meat and cheese. But the levels are very low. The levels of the plasticizer that might be consumed as a result of plastic film use are well below the levels showing no toxic effect in animal studies.
I'm not comfortable with the "levels...well below..." stuff.

[lindysd]

My microwave has a reheat soup option.

I just open the can and eat up. No need to nuke or stove top it!
Sounds gross.....I know. But when i was little my parents were poor and did not want to waste energy or gas to heat soup up.....sometimes the gas was shut off, so we could not heat it even if we wanted to. Same with hot dogs. i just got used to eating them that way.:munch:

[DarkFury]

I just open the can and eat up. No need to nuke or stove top it!
Sounds gross.....I know. But when i was little my parents were poor and did not want to waste energy or gas to heat soup up.....sometimes the gas was shut off, so we could not heat it even if we wanted to. Same with hot dogs. i just got used to eating them that way.:munch:
Give it to Mikey... he'll eat anything.



HE LIKES IT!!!! HEY MIKEY!!!! :heh:

[johnnymk]

I always put a wet paper towel over my soup.

I just tried the wet paper towel thing and it worked great. Thanks

[InfiniteNothing]

I just open the can and eat up. No need to nuke or stove top it!
Sounds gross.....I know. But when i was little my parents were poor and did not want to waste energy or gas to heat soup up.....sometimes the gas was shut off, so we could not heat it even if we wanted to. Same with hot dogs. i just got used to eating them that way.:munch:

I realize that it's irrelevant now but FYI. If your energy was $0.10/kWH and your microwave was 1.5 kW and if it takes 2 minutes to nuke a bowl of soup, it costs $0.005 to heat a bowl of soup

[lindysd]

I realize that it's irrelevant now but FYI. If your energy was $0.10/kWH and your microwave was 1.5 kW and if it takes 2 minutes to nuke a bowl of soup, it costs $0.005 to heat a bowl of soup

I really dont know how much energy was when I was little. And we did not have a microwave until I was older. In fact I dont remember having microwave until just before I started high school - '91(?)

Also you cannot determine the cost that way as people do not plug in the microwave, nuke something, then unplug it again.

[gwilks98]

What kinds of soups are you nuking? Creamy soups will tend to explode more than watery soups.

If it's creamy soups, microwaving them to reheat them is generally bad, because it pulls the badly needed water right out of the milky mixture. That's really what you're seeing there. The water quickly heats and forcefully boils out, the rest just burns. Go with shorter 30 second bursts at 60-70% power, and stir each time.

[Yossarian]

i just make my own, then will just leave the leftovers in the same pot, covered in the fridge, and ladle some into a smaller pot over the next few days

[oblongmelon]

i just make my own, then will just leave the leftovers in the same pot, covered in the fridge, and ladle some into a smaller pot over the next few days

I do the same thing!...HEY!

[Yossarian]

and i'll make it EARLY on the weekend, then just eat it all day, it stays nice and wamr in the pot as long as you keep it covered on the stove