Microwave poached eggs.....a success.

[PaulSB]

Heating water in a microwave is extremely dangerous unless you're making absolutely sure you're not taking it anywhere near boiling point. If you put water in a microwave and give it enough energy to boil, it superheats without boiling, then boils spontaneously and explosively when it's disturbed. In short, it can explode in your face when you touch the water with anything! Unless you know how to calculate the expected temperature rise, it's a very unwise thing to do.

The same applies to eggs if you put them in a microwave.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superheating#Occurrence_via_microwave_oven


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FcwRYfUBLM

That's very interesting. We have on numerous occasions over 40+ years heated water in the microwave to the point it creates steam. It's a very useful way to clean it.

I've never heard of superheating water, or anything else, but won't be using this trick again.

Can similar thing happen if one accidentally overheats soup? I'm thinking "thin" soups.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

We have on numerous occasions over 40+ years heated water in the microwave to the point it creates steam. It's a very useful way to clean it.

I do the same, but turn the micro off a few seconds after the water has reached the boil.
Then I let the steam do its work, wait till the water cools right down before removing the bowl.
Tbh, I don't remember why I do this, or why I would never poach eggs in the micro: years ago I must have picked up the info that it's dangerous stuff, so I never did it

 

[stephec]

* As advertised on TV by Una Stubbs

You've sold it to me. 😂

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Found the gizmo we used for poached eggs in the microwave...

 

[roubaixtuesday]

In principle, the superheating effect only applies to relatively pure water. Eggs (outside of their shells) aren't going to explode, and the water surrounding an egg isn't going to get superheated.

Of course, principles can be trumped by practice and if anyone has evidence of poached eggs exploding, I'd love to see it.

Nucleation: is the effect where bubbles start to form from a tiny "nucleus", typically some kind of imperfection. Without nucleation, water can get significantly above its boiling point, then when one tiny bubble finally does appear, all the heat above the boiling point is instantaneously converted to steam - whoosh!.

Nucleation also applies to any phase change of solid/liquid/gas. Clouds require nuclei to form, and under certain conditions the atmosphere can be supersaturated with water - which you can observe when contrails expand to form clouds.

 

[numbnuts]

Fry eggs, less faffing around