Most people will look to warm their food or beverage in the microwave.
What about an empty plate? Why does an empty plate not heat up in the microwave?
An empty plate does not heat up in the microwave because it doesn’t have water. Microwaves work by heating moisture inside and this is difficult to do with an empty plate. As a result, it’s normal for the plate to stay the same as it went going in.
When warming an empty plate in the microwave, you should always be careful to make sure it is a microwavable plate. The wrong type of material can damage the microwave and ruin the plate as well.
This article will look at the reasons to not warm an empty plate in the microwave.
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Reasons Not To Warm Empty Plate In The Microwave
1. Does Nothing
This is the simple answer.
Let’s assume you put an empty plate into the microwave. All the microwave is going to do is spin the turntable and turn it off as soon as the timer runs out. This will do nothing to the plate (if it’s microwave-friendly) and is going to be a waste of electricity.
By running the microwave with an empty plate, you are not going to get anything from it. The plate is going to remain at the same temperature because it doesn’t hold water.
It will feel like the plate was left untouched inside the microwave.
When you place food or a beverage in the microwave, it is the water molecules that get heated. When there are no water molecules to heat, you end up with nothing.
The microwave has nothing to hold onto and heat. This means it continues to run and doesn’t have moisture to go after inside the empty plate.
2. Can Damage the Microwave
This is something you don’t want to forget when testing a microwave.
It is possible the plate will not work well with the microwave and damage one of the components. This is why you don’t want to continue running the microwave in this state as it is possible something will go haywire.
Heating an empty plate in the microwave will do nothing and you are going to expose the appliance to risk as well.
It is a no-win option and something you should be avoiding at all costs.
Remember, the results are always going to be the same and there is nothing to test here. If you place an empty place in the microwave, you will only have downsides to combat.
3. Can Damage the Plate
The plate itself is going to be in danger as soon as it goes into the microwave.
There are situations where the wrong type of material is put inside the microwave. When this happens, it doesn’t matter whether there is water in the plate or not.
The plate is going to end up bursting or melting because it is the wrong type of material and isn’t microwave-friendly. This is why it’s essential to make sure you are reading into the material that goes into the microwave first.
It will save you a lot of trouble later on, especially if the plate is important to you.
4. Waste of Energy
This is another factor that plays a role when placing an empty plate in the microwave.
You are going to have the microwave running at 100% for nothing. This means you are wasting the same amount of electricity, increasing your utility bill, and ruining the internal components of the microwave without reason.
This is why heating an empty plate in the microwave is a bad idea.
It is a waste of time, effort, and electricity. You are going to have a plate that doesn’t heat up and a microwave that will likely see its components depreciate.
Final Thoughts
Why does an empty plate not heat up in the microwave?
A microwave cannot heat an empty place because it doesn’t hold moisture. When there is no water or moisture inside the microwave, it has nothing to warm. This means an empty plate is going to come out the same as it went in.
As a result, it is best to make sure there is something on the plate when it is time to warm it. Otherwise, you are going to be wasting your time.
The worst that is going to happen can include breaking your microwave and/or damaging the plate to the point of no return.
Be smart and don’t place an empty plate in the microwave.
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