Metropol

Well yes but cdd's microwave is clearly too wrong to induce this situation.

cwathen wrote:

See how long it takes water to start boiling in the microwave at each power rating. Get an adult to help you with this.

ISTR that I read years ago that if you heat plain water in a microwave, it can 'superheat' - that is, it can heat up faster than bubbles can break on the surface, leading to the water appearing not to be boiling but 'exploding' when disturbed.

Or is this all bollocks?

Yes, I've seen this demonstrated on TV (kids don't try this at home) where the water/liquid appears to be below boiling point until a spoon is dropped in to stir it when it suddenly splashes, explosive boiling style, all over the place.

And I agree that the microwave "cycles" through off and on when you tell it to cook on a lower power.

Sput wrote:Well yes but cdd's microwave is clearly too wrong to induce this situation.

For example, it actually offers 0W as a cooking option. It's a digital adjust, so who on earth went to the bother of programming that in?

I think we all enjoy just watching food rotate

cdd wrote:

Sput wrote:Well yes but cdd's microwave is clearly too wrong to induce this situation.

For example, it actually offers 0W as a cooking option. It's a digital adjust, so who on earth went to the bother of programming that in?

Ah well you see - that is actually the microwave's version of a kitchen timer! Program in 0W in my microwave, it doesn't light up or hum and merely counts down the time. Very useful if you're cooking more than one thing at once.

Mythbusters on superheated water:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_OXM4mr_i0