When you think about great inventions throughout time, you shouldn’t focus solely on technology like the iPhone or iPad. Before Apple rolled their life-changing devices out to the public, food technology changed the game in how we ate and socialized. Enter, the microwave.
The first microwave was invented long before you realized it. They were built in the late ’40s, shortly after World War II. Oddly enough, they were created by accident. Percy LeBaron Spencer, who worked at Raytheon Corp., had a job testing vacuum tubes known as magnetrons and realized their potential after accidentally melting a chocolate bar in his pocket while working with one. From there, he tried seeing if the reaction would have the same effect on popcorn. Obviously, it did.
This discovery was huge for the food industry, as it cut down on time and waste. But back then, they were still inconvenient. Microwaves were huge, expensive, and brought a fair share of paranoia with them. It was fair for people to be fearful — when it comes to food and temperatures, it’s dangerous to have faith in something so untraditional.
Microwaves were huge in the ’80s and ’90s, but are slowly declining in popularity since people are trying to heat fresh, healthier foods. Still, houses almost come equipped with them, and they’re still used a bunch daily, especially by people who aren’t fond of cooking or don’t have access to a full kitchen. So, microwave fails still happen daily. Here are some of the best.
1. Spaghetti Squash Explosion
This looks like a nightmare to clean up.
Instagram user 05_.anna._ said that she was trying to soften up her spaghetti squash in the microwave before she put it in the open, but the squash had different ideas. This might not be the best way to endorse spaghetti squash, but her heart was in the right place. It’s a great alternative to pasta, if you don’t accidentally blow it up.
2. Tomato Basil Disaster
It’s hard to tell what went wrong here.
Maybe the lid was still on and it exploded? Or, maybe it was in there for too long? When it comes to sauces, it’s usually good to reheat them slowly on a stovetop. But since that takes a lot of time, it makes sense to assume the microwave would do just as good of a job.
3. The Third-Degree Injury
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Spills can be bad, but getting hurt is so much worse.
There are certain things that should never go in a microwave. Metal is a big one. Plastic bags, styrofoam, foil, and Chinese takeout boxes are also on the list. If you’re out of bowls except for a big metal bowl, just consider yourself to be out of luck. It’s not worth the pain and the longterm damage.
4. Burned Noodles
Speaking of styrofoam…
It looks like this college student got burned after cooking his quick lunch the wrong way. This disaster cost him both a package of noodles and an entire microwave. This is a solid reminder to look at the packaging and read the instructions thoroughly to see if a secondary bowl is needed for microwave cooking. When it looks as bad as this, there’s just no coming back.
5. The Jalapeno Nightmare
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And you thought the bad part was just having someone microwave jalapenos.
Don’t let your poor microwave knowledge ruin your work reputation. First, know about the foods that won’t stink up the office. Second, pay attention. If you knew something was supposed to be done in half a minute, stand right next to it until you can properly retrieve it. If the microwave doesn’t beep on time, it’s probably due to user error.
6. Just Add Water
This is more common of a problem than you might assume.
Even if you cook mac and cheese in the microwave all the time, it’s so easy to blank and put the mac in there without being able to properly cook it. Uncooked macaroni and water create a perfect Kraft noodle. Uncooked macaroni and the microwave leads to a kitchen that’ll smell funny all week.
7. The Science Experiment
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Putting an egg in the microwave uncracked will lead to an explosion.
Trying to prevent that explosion will create an even bigger explosion. This is something you don’t want to try at home, unless you want to accidentally step on tiny shards of glass in your kitchen all year. Microwaves might not look all that dangerous, but they can do horrific things.
8. Too-Hot Soup
Like with all things you cook, you should pay close attention to cooking times.
They’re there for a reason. So even if you just don’t think your soup is hot enough, perhaps you’ll want to put it in for an additional 15 or 20 seconds. And not two minutes. Reason being, that spoon illustrates what could have happened to her throat if she accidentally sipped it down too fast.
9. Exploding Oreos
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Ever microwave a cookie before? It’s pretty good.
But the best way to do it is to remove those cookies from the package first. Otherwise, you’ll have a gooey mess — that is, if you don’t have sparks or fire first. Personally, I’ve found that Chips Ahoy work better than Oreos, but when it comes to warm cookies, you do you.
10.Molten Hot Chocolate
Can you burn hot chocolate in the microwave bc I think I burned my hot chocolate. Also it spilled everywhere and there was a bit of smoke
— Doctor (@Shish_AE) November 19, 2014
Yeah, this sounds like a mistake.
A few things may have gone wrong. Most hot chocolates ask that you mix the powder in after the water or milk has been heated up, and this fan may have put it in too soon. That, or it was just in the microwave for way too long. According to further tweets, they went ahead and drank it anyway.
11. Melty Macaroon
Oh, so THIS is what melted white chocolate looks like... 😅 #oops #microwavefail #macaroonmaking #firsttry #live&learn pic.twitter.com/Xs7LW53DVC
— Cassandra Joy (@CassJoyOfficial) April 5, 2015
Well, this doesn’t look very tasty.
You may assume that a microwave is a great place to melt ingredients. And it can be if you pay very, very close attention to what’s in there. If you’re doing fancy baking, this may be another job for a stovetop. That way, you can also move the ingredient around a bit so that it melts down but doesn’t burn.
12. But How Hot Is It?
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On a list of bad microwave ideas, this is one of the worst.
But to be fair, the OP said he was only six when this happened. At six, this was mere curiosity and not stupidity. And since everyone’s okay, it’s kind of funny. He’s just lucky nobody got hurt. And, hopefully, it wasn’t a mercury thermometer, which were really popular a few decades back.
13. The Dreaded Boil-Over
If you’ve ever cooked oatmeal in the microwave before, you’ve had this happen.
Even though oatmeal is a filling breakfast choice, it becomes less appetizing when half of your bowl hits the microwave. If this keeps happening to you, Cook’s Illustrated suggests either lowering the power of the microwave or taking a break midway through cooking to stir it up a little, breaking up the bubbles that cause an overflow.
14. Melting Kisses
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Who doesn’t like the concept of melted chocolate?
Kisses can be very dense, which may cause a small issue if you’re trying to melt them in the microwave. Another huge mistake is forgetting to take off the foil outer layer. It’s a rookie mistake, but if you’re too busy thinking about the delicious dessert you’re about to make, it’s something that could happen to anyone.
15. Warped Broccoli
Don't eat those! @wgrzmarissa So I guess it's not microwaveable safe... Veggies were still good though. #microwavefail pic.twitter.com/2D2fMQn
— Christie W. Berardi (@Christie_Witt) September 8, 2011
When it comes to microwaving food, you’ll want to keep a close watch on the container.
For one, it shouldn’t be completely sealed. Two, it needs to be microwave safe. Usually, containers have an indicator on the bottom if it’s safe for the microwave and dishwasher. Unless you want rubbery tasting veggies (and the possibility of using a sick day for a lunch fail) you’ll want to check prior to nuking anything up.
16. Exploding Biscuits
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Microwaves are great for saving time.
But when in doubt, use the traditional method. It’ll probably taste better and won’t cause a burning mess when things go wrong. If you’re really looking for fast food, there’s always the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which is very hard, if not straight-up impossible, to screw up.
17. Burned Popcorn
When it comes to microwaveable treats, nothing beats popcorn.
The fact that it was one of the first foods that Spencer tried to microwave during the invention of the product makes it even more apparent that popcorn and microwaves were meant to be. But even if you follow the instructions on the bag, popcorn can lead to massive disappointment. At least some of the kernels seem okay.
18. Microwaved Cake
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When it comes to big projects, you might want to just use an oven.
Sure, this family created a birthday to remember. But that birthday was memorable for all the wrong reasons. If you’re a college student and looking for creative ways to celebrate your roommate’s birthday, just buy them a Fudgie The Whale from Carvel. It’s a lot safer.
