When heating up small amounts of cooked vegetables (i.e. 10-20 peas or
10-20 kernels of corn, small pieces of carrots, broccoli), I almost
always notice "sparking" in the food after about 5 sec. And if I
continue heating, it will actually produce flames usually in 10-13
seconds.


I have an 1100watt Emerson microwave. It seems to do about the same
thing on all 10 power levels (although it may happen quicker on higher
power levels). I have only noticed it with vegetables.


Is this occurring just because there is such a small amount of food
being heated? Is it just getting so hot that it causes fire? When I
take it out, it doesn't feel that hot. Has anyone else seen anything
like this? Could the microwave have something wrong with it?


Thanks,
JBreits

Hi !
Are you sure there is no metal--no bits of aluminum foil in the
vegetables? Or on, or under the turntable? What kind of dish do you
put it in? Is there a tiny gold rim on the dish? (I once had trouble
with the tiny gold rim on a custard cup--it was the brand that has a
decoration of olives, etc. on the side. I really arc-ed with a very
loud bang, and most of the gold came off the custard cup).

Nancree

There is a heavy tube built into the oven that uses electrical current
to produce short wavelength electromagnetic waves (micro-length-waves, i.e.,
"microwaves"), waves that are used to make the water/oil molecules vibrate
(which kind of molecule reacts depends on the oven microwave frequency), so
that that internal vibration inside the item sitting in the cooking chamber
heats the item .
The waves move into the cooking chamber from the tube through a shaped
wave guide or a sized opening, which only lets frequencies near the desired
frequency, or their multiples, get past.

The electromagnetic waves from the (magnetron) tube are
reflected/absorbed by metal: how are reflected/absorbed much depends on the
metal's shape and size.
Waves are absorbed a lot more by metal than by the water/oil. The
presence of most metal in the path of the magnetron's waves also produces
standing waves, which reflect back and rapidly heat up the magnetron tube.

Almost always, you need metal in with the electromagnetic waves to get
those high energy discharges called sparks.

A change in the frequency or a lot of harmonics are very
unlikely -remotely - to cause sparks for a variety of reasons, whereas metal
in the chamber almost always will.

with that as background -

Are you heating the veggies in aluminum foil, or after storing in aluminum
foil, or in a non-microwave dish like leaded glass or cheap Asian ones with
bits of metals in the material or dishes with metal trim?

Do you season the veggies with a " special seasoning" that might have metal
salts?

Or...... is someone trying to poison you with heavy metal salts.... :-) ?


"JBreits" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> When heating up small amounts of cooked vegetables (i.e. 10-20 peas or
> 10-20 kernels of corn, small pieces of carrots, broccoli), I almost
> always notice "sparking" in the food after about 5 sec. And if I
> continue heating, it will actually produce flames usually in 10-13
> seconds.
>
>
> I have an 1100watt Emerson microwave. It seems to do about the same
> thing on all 10 power levels (although it may happen quicker on higher
> power levels). I have only noticed it with vegetables.
>
>
> Is this occurring just because there is such a small amount of food
> being heated? Is it just getting so hot that it causes fire? When I
> take it out, it doesn't feel that hot. Has anyone else seen anything
> like this? Could the microwave have something wrong with it?
>
>
> Thanks,
> JBreits
>

"JBreits" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> When heating up small amounts of cooked vegetables (i.e. 10-20 peas or
> 10-20 kernels of corn, small pieces of carrots, broccoli), I almost
> always notice "sparking" in the food after about 5 sec. And if I
> continue heating, it will actually produce flames usually in 10-13
> seconds.
>
>
> I have an 1100watt Emerson microwave. It seems to do about the same
> thing on all 10 power levels (although it may happen quicker on higher
> power levels). I have only noticed it with vegetables.
>
>
> Is this occurring just because there is such a small amount of food
> being heated? Is it just getting so hot that it causes fire? When I
> take it out, it doesn't feel that hot. Has anyone else seen anything
> like this? Could the microwave have something wrong with it?
>
>
> Thanks,
> JBreits
>============

I had an older MW that did that too with small amounts or vegetables or
butter, etc.. Next time put in a 3/4 cup of water in there at the same time
and your sparking should stop.

Cyndi

Thank you for all the replies. I should clarify a little I guess as
I'm sure people are wondering why I am heating up 20 peas. I
have a one-year old that eats cooked veggies (only the small ones). I
usually cook up enough to last a week and we put them in the fridge.
When it comes time for her to eat we put a little bit in the microwave
just to warm them up. This could be ~20 Kernels of corn and ~20 peas
and a couple pieces of carrots. We don't usually heat up a whole bunch
in case she is feeling like being a picky eater that day.


In response to other messages, the vegetables are being heated only on
plastic microwave safe plates which work fine under other
cimcumstances. There is no metal on the plate. The vegetables
themselves are not in aluminum foil or stored in aluminum foil. I boil
them in tap water (which is slightly hard water) and store in
tupperware. I don't think the hardness of the water is the problem as
I have no problem heating tap water normally. The vegetables are
boiled in a non-stick pan. Could that be a problem? Other things that
I have cooked in the pan microwave fine.


Last night I tried putting a small bowl of water in with the food and
there was no sparking or fire or anything. So perhaps it really is
just the fact that there was a small amount of food.

Does that sound reasonable?

Thanks,
JBreits

Since you seem to have taken care of all the likely reasons, it sounds like
its the "remote" problem.
A lot of power coupled with little mass to absorb the energy and a lot
of harmonics.

next, I would try setting a cup of water in with the veggies: use it to
lower the amount of energy in the cooking chamber available for the veggies,
or use a low power setting (e.g., 30% or defrost) setting, and see if it
happens again.


"JBreits" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Thank you for all the replies. I should clarify a little I guess as
> I'm sure people are wondering why I am heating up 20 peas. I
> have a one-year old that eats cooked veggies (only the small ones). I
> usually cook up enough to last a week and we put them in the fridge.
> When it comes time for her to eat we put a little bit in the microwave
> just to warm them up. This could be ~20 Kernels of corn and ~20 peas
> and a couple pieces of carrots. We don't usually heat up a whole bunch
> in case she is feeling like being a picky eater that day.
>
>
> In response to other messages, the vegetables are being heated only on
> plastic microwave safe plates which work fine under other
> cimcumstances. There is no metal on the plate. The vegetables
> themselves are not in aluminum foil or stored in aluminum foil. I boil
> them in tap water (which is slightly hard water) and store in
> tupperware. I don't think the hardness of the water is the problem as
> I have no problem heating tap water normally. The vegetables are
> boiled in a non-stick pan. Could that be a problem? Other things that
> I have cooked in the pan microwave fine.
>
>
> Last night I tried putting a small bowl of water in with the food and
> there was no sparking or fire or anything. So perhaps it really is
> just the fact that there was a small amount of food.
>
> Does that sound reasonable?
>
> Thanks,
> JBreits
>