Ever have Soup Explode in the Microwave?

I was heating up a bowl of clam chowder in the micro, covered with a paper plate, like I've done more times than I can count. Suddenly it goes *POOF* popping off the plate and spewing clam chowder all over the inside of the microwave. After cleaning up the mess I heated what was left in a kettle on the stove. WTF?

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

zonavar68 · 56-60, M

Remember what a microwave does.... It imparts energy into water molecules in food to 'heat' it. It's not *actually* heating the food like with normal cooking. So anywhere that water is trapped (like in bits of fat or other things) the water turns to steam and explodes because steam takes up approx 1700 times the volume of liquid water.

BrewCityBarfly · M

@zonavar68 Very true. My prior thought was that things already cooked would not have the kind of trapped moisture to cause this kind of "explosion". I stand corrected.

zonavar68 · 56-60, M

@BrewCityBarfly My middle older child once tried to cook an egg in a microwave. Very life-ending for the microwave when the contents of the egg attempt to turn to steam at high pressure. ;-)