We all know that ceramic is one of the most popular materials used to make plates, mugs and crockeries. Ceramic cookware has found various usage in the modern day kitchen, but that does not mean all ceramic is microwave-proof, especially cold ceramic?
Although many ceramic bowls, dishes and cookware are microwave-safe, using the dish in the wrong way will ruin both your dinner and dinnerware. When cold ceramic is used in a microwave, the dish can crack, break or shatter due to the rapid temperature shift.
In the case of microwaving ceramic, inferior quality containers can fracture or snap in the microwave. No matter the set standard, the real question is whether you can microwave cold ceramic or not?
Can you microwave ceramic?
At first glance, you need to choose microwave-proof ceramic items. Some ceramics are not labeled as microwave-safe, therefore the caution is apparent.
So, if you want to use ceramic dishes in the microwave, then you should select the microwave-safe ceramics. Before buying any dinnerware, you need to check its properties and manufacturer recommended guidelines.
That does not imply that all kinds of ceramic bowls and dishes are perfect for the hot exposure inside a microwave oven. All ceramic dishes are not created and manufactured equally and cannot take the maximum temperature put off inside the microwave.
Ceramic is made with clay at the primary level before heating, hardening and glazing done with the help of high heat fire. Upon further analysis, the glaze on the ceramic items is not always safe and occasionally responds poorly to heat.
The glaze of the ceramic items should be water-proof. Otherwise, the clay beneath the glaze will be unprotected and cannot resist heat, especially directed from a microwave.
If high moisture levels remain inside the hardened surface, then exposure to heat will cause the water to boil, steam and eventually crack the surface of the ceramic.
Similar circumstances occur when cold ceramic is microwaved. The hardened articles are sensitive to rapid changes in temperature, even if the ceramic is labeled as microwave safe.
Is it safe to microwave cold ceramic?
Most of the ceramic items are microwavable, and it is generally safe to use in hot micro-oven. However, microwaving cold ceramic straight out of the fridge or freezer in out of the question.
Ceramic items are made with clay, and the temperature of raw clay is always cold. Even though it is safe to microwave ceramic in most cases, does that mean you can use cold ceramic in the microwave.
Cold ceramic will shatter or break into pieces if not properly transitioned from a cold environment to the hot microwave oven. Bring the cold ceramic to room temperature before utilizing in a microwave, otherwise you risk the ceramic cracking due to extreme stress from the swift transition in temperature.
You can use the cold ceramic in the microwave safely, but you will have to gradually increase the temperature of the chilled dish. Furthermore, verify that your ceramic items are microwave safe and do not have a metal rim, high moisture content or something else that can create a problem at the time of heating.
Does ceramic break in the microwave?
Ceramic cookware and dishes are made with varieties of methods including high fire-protected porcelain and earthenware clays. It depends on the technique to ultimately determine how much moisture is absorbed by the ceramic items.
Also, you need to check the microwave-safe labels provided by the manufacturer. This will tell you whether your ceramic items are microwave-safe or not.
If your ceramic items are not microwave-safe or cold ceramic is placed directly into the microwave, then it will break or crack when heated too quickly.
Apart from this, if you follow the guidelines and buy the microwave proof ceramic then you will not face any kinds of problems.
But if you are unsure about the manufacturing quality of the ceramic items and containers, you can perform a quick test.
Nuke the ceramic dish in microwave for just 20 seconds. If the ceramic is hot to the touch than it is not safe to use in the microwave, however if the dish is cool, then it should be safe to continue heating in the microwave.
You can understand the authenticity of the product if the glaze will crack due to the high heat of the microwave. Not all ceramic items will break, but the potential risk can be mitigated with a quick test.
Tips to Microwave Cold Ceramic:
When using microwave safe dishes and cookware, it’s still important to follow certain precautions. Let’s reduce the risk of damage to your dish or ruining your meal.
Check out the useful tips microwave cold ceramic:
- Cold ceramic must be brought to room temperature otherwise it will break when extreme heat is introduced. At the time of using cold ceramic containers, you will have to gradually increase the temperature of the chilled dish to room temperature before introducing extreme heat.
- If you take out the food from the fridge, then you need to give it some time for coming into the normal room temperature. After that, you can transform it into the ceramic bowls and put it in microwave.
- You can also defrost the cold ceramic bowls including food in microwave-oven on the defrost or low temperature setting.
- Flatten the food and spread it in your ceramic cookware for even and perfect cooking.
- Stop and stir the food after short microwave durations. Stirring promotes even and thorough heating of food.
- You should hold your patience and wait for your food to rest a minute after nuking. This will disperse the heat and promote even doneness.
- You will have to check the power level and should not use too much heat to reheat your food items. It’s recommended to use medium temperature as per the guidelines of the ceramic containers. Select the right reheating power level to avoid damaging your ceramic dish.
- Use the same kinds of food items to keep a similar cooking time. Different foods require varying time, temperature and technique. Altering this will result in off taste and texture.
- Be careful about the fact that ceramic containers should not contain any kinds of metal rim, decorations or high moisture content inside the hardened glaze.
Microwaving Cold Ceramic: Final Thoughts:
Ceramic cookware is one of the preferred materials to use in the microwave. Ceramic is a natural medium that reduces the risk of exposure to chemical compounds found in other types of material.
Now you know the fact that cold ceramic is safe to use in the microwave when certain precautions are taken. You will need to use microwave-safe ceramic containers and also be sure to gradually increase the temperature of the chilled dish.
If you place cold ceramic into the microwave, always start with low power level and slowly increase the heat until the ceramic begins to warm.
Select one the best microwave safe containers so that you choose the perfect item to heat your food or leftovers without any kinds of hazards. It is very much important to choose the right ceramic containers that is microwave-safe ceramic containers if you want to use the dishes in a microwave oven.
So. if you buy the high-quality manufactured ceramic bowls and dinnerware, then you can be able to put those in microwave. It is safe to use cold microwave-safe ceramic containers in the microwave-oven only if you gradually bring the ceramic dish to room temperature so that it does not crack due to extreme temperature differences.