Wooden products aren’t fragile like ceramic, glass, or clay products, easily washable, and the list of advantages goes on. Then easily a question arises, can you microwave wood?
You ask this question because you are confused about microwaves any wooden utensils, or kitchen accessories.
A small amount of wet wood or a single bowl with a lot of moisture and humidity is fine with putting it into the oven and drying for a certain amount of time. But any kind of wood products that are already dry will create smoke and kitchen fire if you microwave it.
What Happens if you Put Wood in Microwave?
As we know, drying anything made of wood is a test of deliberation, but drying wood in the microwave isn’t the best option either.
There are two types of wood. Natural wet wood can be microwaved for a certain amount of time until it’s completely dry. However, it’s better to dry a natural wet wood with a lot of moisture in the microwave and measure the humidity while drying. On the other hand, a dry piece of wood should never be in a microwave.
Let me explain why in 3 steps.
- At first, little cracks will appear on the surface with about fifty seconds of microwaving.
- If it continues, the wood will start to shrink as water will be vaporized.
- The wood will burn because there is no moisture and water in it, with a possibility of fire.
Also Know: Can You Put a Wooden Cutting Board in the Oven
Is Wooden Utensils Microwave Safe?
Wooden utensils within a bit of time of 10 or 20 seconds in the microwave is fine. But putting a bowl or spoon or any wooden item over this time that is already dry is dangerous.
There are two types of wood, raw or natural wet wood and processed wood like kitchen utensils, flower vases, showpieces, etc. which are dry
The main factor determining everything is how much moisture the wood (raw and processed) contains. If the moisture is above 25%, you can microwave it until it’s dry. But a wooden utensil shouldn’t be thrown into the microwave cause it hasn’t the humidity in it to stop the burn and consume the heat the microwave will produce.
Related Article: Is Teak Wood Good for Cooking Utensils
Can you Microwave Bamboo Bowls?
Any kind of natural fiber-based products, like bamboo, paper-made utensils, should never be in the microwave cause they are made of cellulose which is a long chain of carbons; microwaving bamboo will destroy the chain.
Why you shouldn’t do it are following;
- It’ll become brittle and stretched out
- It’ll lose its natural brightness and be full of dark spots on it.
- In extreme cases, it will get burnt.
Can you Microwave Wooden Bento Boxes?
It actually varies on companies and qualities. For example, many companies make wooden bento boxes that are microwavable. In that case, you should ensure it by checking the manual before buying.
Final Verdict:
A method that can be used for almost all bento boxes is putting the box over a heated pan. The foods kept in it will be heated easily and without damaging the box. But in general, you shouldn’t put a bento box in the microwave if it isn’t written in the manual.