WARNING:
HEATING WATER IN MICROWAVE CAN BE DANGEROUS.
There are many people who use microwaves that have never really read the instruction
manual. If you were to take the time to read the instructions you may be surprised
to learn about the danger of heating plain water in it. Here is an example of
one Microwave Operations Instructions manual:
Under the heading "Liquids" it states:
Liquids that have been heated by Microwave can suddenly erupt. This is due to
layers heated to higher temperatures being trapped under the surface. To avoid
this from happening to any liquid, e.g., coffee, custard, gravy, etc.:
1) Stir the liquid thoroughly before heating in the microwave.
2) Stir the liquid at least twice during the heating time.
3) Stir the liquid again at the end. NEVER OVERHEAT LIQUIDS.
4) Always use a suitable sized container, at least one-third larger than the
volume of liquid to be heated. If in doubt use conventional methods,
kettle, etc.
Doctors at hospitals say that it is a common occurrence that
people have been badly burned due to the experience of heating water in the
microwave.
If water is heated in the microwave, something should be placed in the cup to
diffuse the energy such as a wooden stirrer stick/spoon, tea bag, etc. It is
however a much safer choice to boil water in a kettle.