Microwave temperatures, Browninig Plate, Harmful???

[mike]

Microwave temperatures, Browning Plate, Harmful???

My microwave died and I got a new 1100W one. Big error. With a minimum on-time of 15 seconds, it cooks the crap out of stuff for some percentage of the time. 1100W for 15 seconds out of a minute is NOT the same as 300W for the whole time. It's a PITA to have to put a cup of water in there to keep food from incinerating.

As part of my quest for a solution, I picked up a browning skillet. Here's my concern.

Temperatures inside a microwave don't get much over 212F. Heat happens by rubbing water molecules together. Water can't get much over 212F before it boils away. Water gone, so is the heat source. It's a self-limiting process.

But the browning plate gets up to 600F in a minute. It has feet that suspend it above the glass carousel plate, but not by much. Then there's the plastic Y-shaped thing that provides the rotating force and the bearings for the glass plate. I'm concerned that the high temperature of the browning plate will crack the glass or systematically destroy the plastic thingie.

Browning plates were made back when microwave power was half what it is today. And before the carousel. And most places quit making the browning plates long ago.

Anybody got any long term experience using a browning plate in a modern microwave oven? Thanks, mike

[Ed Pawlowski]

You don't have power settings? Most have at least four, some have ten.

[Art Todesco]

Power setting on most, if not all, microwave ovens are just a long pulse width modulation of the magnetron. So setting it at 25% "power" for 1 minute will run it for 15 seconds during that 1 minute. As far as the cycling, I've seen much variance.

[trader4]

I have a Panasonic that is a few years old. Nothing special, just a typical $100 counter unit. It has 10 power settings and the power appears constant. It doesn't pulse it on and off at full power periodically, at least not in a noticeable way. They may be pulsing it so fast that you can't tell it's happening. The only way I get the noticeable pulsing action is when I select defrost.

In any case, any of the power management modes would be the answer to excessive heating of the plate.

[Art Todesco]

Actually, learning how to use it properly, IS the answer. We use our microwave for the typical re-heating, etc., but, we do a lot of actual cooking in it, also. By knowing your unit and it power, you can use it without killing your food. It's just like the food processor. I've heard people complain that they won't use it because it liquefies everything. Believe me, you just have to know how to turn it off, actually, pulsing the unit. And, back to the microwave, most units don't actually tell you when it is running or not. The fans keep right on humming. But, in many cases there are subtle indications, i.e. sound or watching the light. On mine I can hear a small change in the fan speed when the magnetron turns off and you can actually see a small change in the light intensity. Apparently, there is a small voltage drop that occurs when the magnetron is drawing large power.

[trader4]

Yes, I see the light dim slightly when it pulses when set to defrost food. But it doesn't do that when I set the power to any of the lower settings.

Agree with knowing how to use stuff. A friend gave me a food processor because they got it as a gift and never use it. I use it regularly for everything from making cauliflower puree to soup. It also depends on how ambitous you are, how much you like to cook, etc.

[hrhofmann]

If you set the power level to 50%, you should be able to see the same sort of pulsing that you see on defrost. If there is a container of water in the uwave, bring it up to boiling by seting the uwave at

100%. Then, restart the uwave at a 50% power, you should be able to see the water reboil, then stop, then reboil, then stop, etc if the power is truly at 50%. If it does not exhibit this behavior, then then uwave is defective or you are not setting it up correctly.

[Roy]

=3D=3D Best advice would be for the OP to READ the instruction manual that comes with every microwave oven. If one is not available then phone/ fax/write or get on the Internet and obtain one from the manufacturer or his/her agent. =3D=3D

[mike]

Well.... I'm the OP. And I have READ the manual. I have experimentally determined how it works. And I ACCURATELY described the workings.

My question was about the effect of an accessory item, the browning plate, on the longevity of the microwave oven. The browning plate is supposed to get HOT and it does. I'm concerned about the long-term effects of the 600F plate in an oven with a plastic carousel mechanism designed for an environment that normally peaks at 212F. Hoping to hear from someone who regularly uses a browning dish/plate/skillet.

[Roy]

=3D=3D On my Corningware sauce pan it says "Maximum preheat 4 minutes". I have used this for over twenty years and so far have not melted anything. My old microwave oven (648 watt) has no turntable but has a shallow removable pyrex plate covering the entire bottom of the oven. Other than the glass panel in the door the inner box is made of plastic for the most part. Perhaps the browning plate is not needed for the new higher powered microwave ovens. The users manual must say something...if not go to the manufacturers web site and check that out. =3D=3D

[Peter]

Since you can't seem to find the answer on this group, why not contact the manufacturer and ask the customer service rep whether it is safe to use the browning plate in the model you own? Get the name of the rep you spoke to. If they say it is safe and you damage your microwave with it, you've got some specifics to go back to them with. If they say it is not safe at least you are warned, and you know that you will have no recourse with the manufacturer re: warranty enforcement.

[trader4]

It always amazes me how some people think that because they haven't seen something, it can't exist. I just tried your experiment and the water boils continously and violently at 100%. Set to 50% power, it boils continously only more moderately. Also, as I pointed out before, when it's on the DEFROST setting, I can then clearly see that the light dims and the sound of the fan motor decreases slightly each time the microwave heater cycles on. That dimming and sound change does not occur when you just set it to normal heating, but reduced power, ie 30%, 50%, etc.

Is it so hard to believe that some manufacturers have found a better way to design a microwave?

[Roy]

=3D=3D Panasonic has the new system as you describe and it is a far better way than the old on off cycle way. I am tempted to buy one of the new ones but my twenty five year old Toshiba still works. Maybe next year. =3D=3D

[trader4]

quoted text -

Good to see I'm not imagining things. I looked into it more and Panasonic calls it their "inverter technology" and does say it delivers constant power instead of pulsing....

[Art Todesco]

That's really nice, I wish mine had that. I know some manufacturer did this a bunch of years ago, but it then seemed to disappear. I think the technology back then was too expensive and the bean counters probably killed it in favor of the on/off cycling, which is probably free once you have the microprocessor already.

[mike]

When I researched it, a common complaint was, "My old microwave was still working after 20 years...the new Panasonic died after 2 years."

[trader4]

- Hide quoted text -

Interesting point. Mine is about 4 years old now. A few months ago I noticed that it's power output seems to have decreased a bit. Before when I put a mug of coffee in it to warm it up for one minute it came out more than hot enough. Now at 1 min, it's not hot enough, so I have to go to about 80 secs. It's been that way for a few months now and is otherwise working fine. But it may be the first signs of it's decline.... Good thing is at least they don't cost what they did 20 years ago. And I'd suspect all microwaves, like most things, don't last as long today anyway.

[Robert Green]

I can beat that. I have a 27 year old Litton that's still going strong, although I had to repair the door. A super-simple twist timer makes it very easy to operate. Fewer parts mean fewer failures. Made out of metal and not cheapshit plastic. Those were the days.

-- Bobby G.

[Roy]

=3D=3D Bought one of those for my wife once. She didn't like it so I took it back. I believe they cost around $900 at the time. They were top of the line in their day. Man were they built...not like the cheap junk in today's world. =3D=3D

[Robert Green]

== Bought one of those for my wife once. She didn't like it so I took it back. I believe they cost around $900 at the time. They were top of the line in their day. Man were they built...not like the cheap junk in today's world. ==

I can't remember paying that much for it. Not sure I have the original receipt though - just remember being "house poor" at the time and that $900 would have been painful. They are built like tanks - what you would expect from a company that builds military equipment (Litton was bought by Northrop Grumman). I can imagine that it wasn't stylish enough for a woman - it's very military looking, design and paint-wise.

It was about the same time I bought a 25" RCA color TV that was so "basic" it didn't even have a remote. But it ran for over 25 years with heavy use and was still running when I finally ditched it. The set's colors had faded making everything look like a badly colorized movie. But you have to admire how long some of the stuff of that era was made. Compaq PC's, at least in the early years, were built that way. Still have an SLT and other early models that still boot up and run. Pain in the neck to work on, though, since they used Torq screws, non-standard connectors and other BS.

-- Bobby G.