I burned some sweet potatoes in my new microwave- is the microwave ruined?
I put two small purple sweet potatoes in the microwave for 12 minutes and they burned in my new microwave. My dad claims I destroyed the microwave because I burned something in it just once. Is he right!? If that were the case, I’d think most people would be buying new microwaves every month and that’s not the case.
If the microwave still works, when can I use it again?
Best Answer
I think most people don't realize a microwave oven is just a radio transmitter. The cavity you put your food into is part of a tuned area for this transmitter. Instead of feeding the output of this transmitter into an antenna, the power is contained within the cavity and, thus, warming the food. Note: extremely simplified statements.
Mistuned transmitters can cause a mismatch with their antenna. The same thing happens when there is little to no food inside the microwave cavity. Such issues can cause the magnetron, the microwave's "tube", to overheat and cause damage to itself. However, by not being a solid state device, and by being more of a mechanical device, it can withstand mismatches and overheating for a more extended period of time whereas, a semiconductor device (transistors and integrated circuits), could fail within seconds.
This is why manufacturers warn not to run the microwave without anything in the oven. But you did not do that. For most of the 12 minutes, you had potatoes in there. The quality of this "load" on the microwave element deteriorated over time but it wasn't zero. If you had left it like that for half an hour or more, I could claim there would be a deterioration of the magnetron tubes "quality" but it is not anything I would concern myself with and I don't think it would even be measurable.
Source: me. Electronic engineer but haven't dealt with transmitters in a long time.
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Quick Answer about "I burned some sweet potatoes in my new microwave- is the microwave ruined?"
Mistuned transmitters can cause a mismatch with their antenna. The same thing happens when there is little to no food inside the microwave cavity. Such issues can cause the magnetron, the microwave's "tube", to overheat and cause damage to itself.How do you fix burnt sweet potatoes?
These minerals - which include iron, magnesium, and selenium \u2013 act like tiny pieces of metal and create what is known as an \u201carcing effect\u201d in microwaves. An arcing effect is when sparks occur as a result of electromagnetic waves in a microwave reflecting or bouncing off metal.Why did my sweet potato burn in the microwave?
Assuming only the food itself has been burned, it's perfectly safe to continue using your microwave. If there's any staining on the inside of the appliance, make sure you clean it thoroughly. You'll also want to make sure that any lingering burning smell has vanished before you use the microwave again.Is it safe to use microwave after burning food?
UL-certified microwaves (which is almost all of them) are designed to contain small fires started by common foods (like popcorn or potatoes), so it should be safe to leave a microwave alone while the flames suffocate.Microwave-Baked Sweet Potato Recipe : Delightful Sweet Potato Recipes
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Answer 2
As long as you clean the insides, you should be fine to use it again whenever you want.
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