On 5 Feb 2005 07:23:08 -0800, jenandcleo wrote:

Bluesea wrote:
WHOA! Stop right there 'cause you're scaring me. Are you aware that a
microwave oven can super-heat water beyond the 212F boiling point w/o
it ever creating a shimmer much less a bubble? And, if conditions are
right, it'll explode spontaneously and scald you.

Any danger of explosion if I put my plastic IngeniTEA in the microwave?
I typically fill the IngeniTea with cold water and microwave for 4 or
5 minutes. I *usually* get bubbles.

The concern I would have about an IngenuiTEA in a microwave is the
mesh filter. Is it metal?

Other than that, because the bottom of the IngenuiTEA is mesh and has
the plastic supports for the filter, you've got plenty of "non-smooth"
points for promoting nucleation, i.e. the transition from water to
steam.


--
Derek

There is no greater joy than soaring high on the wings of your dreams,
except maybe the joy of watching a dreamer who has nowhere to land but
in the ocean of reality.

Top Spin wrote in
:

And I will probably set up a database to keep track of everything,
most of which I will never refer to ever again.

That's just what I'd do! Well, except for setting up the database in the
first place ;O)

--
fD
I might have been a geek, if I weren't so very, very lazy.

The IngenuiTea is made for use in the microwave. The mesh filter is
plastic. There's an air hole in the cover.

That being said, if you overheat the water and open the cover quickly, you
risk a steam burn...as with any hot water appliance or vessel. If you try
to add the tea quickly before the bubbles dissappear (in the case of
super-heating) the contents might flair up toward the top of the pot and you
might scald yourself. (I've done that.) Do not heat the water with herbs
or tea in it. I tried doing this with rooibos to cut down on the time to
infuse and it boiled over in the microwave before the usual time was up. It
was a huge mess.

Personally, I may heat my water in the microwave for herbal tisanes but I
don't do it for fine tea. I get a better result from a kettle or my
electronic water dispenser (since I know what the temperature of the water
is based on the digital display.)

As far as your original question, can it explode? Whether or not you agree
with the superheated water theory, the cover is on a hinge and the water can
boil over or shoot out the top of the unit. My answer is yes--like anything
placed in the microwave for too long. Can it be used safely in the
microwave? Yes. It was designed to do that.


Renee




"jenandcleo" wrote in message
oups.com...
Bluesea wrote:
WHOA! Stop right there 'cause you're scaring me. Are you aware that a
microwave oven can super-heat water beyond the 212F boiling point w/o
it
ever creating a shimmer much less a bubble? And, if conditions are
right,
it'll explode spontaneously and scald you.

Any danger of explosion if I put my plastic IngeniTEA in the microwave?
I typically fill the IngeniTea with cold water and microwave for 4 or
5 minutes. I *usually* get bubbles.

Thanks,
Jennifer

"Frank & Renee" wrote in message

That being said, if you overheat the water and open the cover quickly, you
risk a steam burn...as with any hot water appliance or vessel.

Well, if so many theories about it have proven the existence of the
phenomenon of "overheating" water without steam, I have to admit it exists.
I also realise we don't have the same usage of microwave around the world,
as I never cover the water.

Kuri

Frank & Renee wrote:
Personally, I may heat my water in the microwave for herbal tisanes
but I
don't do it for fine tea. I get a better result from a kettle or my
electronic water dispenser (since I know what the temperature of the
water
is based on the digital display.)

Thank you Renee. I've been on the verge of buying an electric kettle
anyway (so now I have a good excuse).

Thanks,
Jennifer