
Originally Posted by
Old Geezer

Originally Posted by
wuchieh

Originally Posted by
Old Geezer

Originally Posted by
wuchieh
Question for you guys: I heard recently that if one were to cover a dish containing foods with a porcelain bowl and then heating it inside a microwave oven, then the bowl would block the microwave radiation from contacting the food, yet still leave the heating effect of the microwave, thereby heating the food all the same. Is this theory correct or simply a myth? It is my belief that in order for the oven to heat the intended foods, the microwave must actually contact the water particles inside, and if something were to block the microwave (and its radiation effects), then the food would not be heated. Furthermore, can a porcelain bowl actually block microwave?
No, unless it's a porcelain that contains metals as part of it's makeup. There are a few of those types but they are pretty rare today. Another situation is where the bowl (or plate) is completely covered with decorative paint that is metallic based.
But other than those two very unusual conditions, it's just urban legend.
How about the part that says that blocking the microwave will still result in the food being cooked?
If they were completely blocked, no, it wouldn't cook. But keep in mind - even partially blocked microwaves will cause MUCH sparking and arcing inside your oven. You would know it the instant you turned it on. :wink:
Ok, last question, I promise: given the two scenarios, which one is better in terms of microwave radiation exposure to the foods?
1. Partially blocked food (by covering it with porcelain bowl painted or mixed with metals) heated for a longer duration (this part seems natural given that the microwaves are partially blocked)
2. Exposed food cooked at a shorter duration but with full exposure
The more important point is this: will partially blocked food cooked at a longer duration result in MORE radiation exposure or less than compared to the fully exposed food cooked at a shorter duration?