Washing dishes is such a hassle. No matter how efficient you are, dirty dishes always keep piling up. Don’t they? It seems like you can’t ever be done with dirty dishes. Sometimes being so fed up with doing the dishes, you might want to opt for a paper plate, which is okay since it saves water.
Especially if you have large gatherings, dinners, parties, or in cases when you are hosting some sort of event at your place, the thought of doing a ton of dishes is scary. At such parties, you can use paper plates. But what if the food in your plate is cold. You might wonder can you microwave paper plates?
Can you microwave paper plates?
Yes, you can microwave paper plates if they are plain and white, with no designs, ink work, or plastic layer. You cannot microwave a paper plate if it is colorful, has a design, or has a plastic coating or layer.
Remember, not all paper plates are microwavable. It depends on your paper plate. You might be tempted to just microwave your meal on a paper plate to avoid the hassle of doing the dishes or whatever reason you have. Make sure that you are using the right kind of paper plate in the microwave.
What type of paper plate is microwave-friendly?
There are a couple of things you should keep in mind to make sure that the paper plate you are using is safe to use in a microwave.
Microwave-safe label
Firstly, look at the bottom of the paper plate. It is often written at the bottom whether your paper plate is safe for the microwave or not. However, this is not always the case. In case the bottom of the plate does not say if it is microwave-friendly. There are other signs that you can check to declare the paper plate microwave-friendly.
Patterns on the plate
Check for color on the paper plates, if they have patterns or designs on them, the ink in paper plates can get absorbed in your food when you heat it. This ink is harmful to you and should not be consumed.
Plastic coating on the plate
Look if there is a plastic coating or layer on your paper plate. This hazardous plastic layer will melt in the microwave and completely ruin your meal. Some paper plates have plastic covering because it is good for holding oily food. They are strictly NOT for microwaving!
You should use a plain white paper plate with no patterns or plastic coating to heat food in the microwave.
How to test if your paper plate is microwavable
You cannot be sure if there is a plastic coating on your paper plate because sometimes it is not detectable. Sometimes, the disposable plate is made with materials that are not microwavable, being processed so that they become unsafe for microwave use.
To avoid this confusion and to be sure there is a test you can do to make sure your paper plate is microwave-friendly.
- Take a microwave-friendly bowl and put some water in it.
- Place this bowl of water and the paper plate you want to test in the microwave. You can put the two side-by-side or place the bowl of water on the paper plate if there is not enough space.
- Heat both up for thirty seconds or more.
- Once the timer runs out, check if the paper plate is hot or if the water bowl is hot. Be careful of hot surfaces at this step.
- If the water bowl has heated up and the paper plate has not, it means the paper plate is microwavable. However, if the paper plate is hot and the water bowl is not, that means that the paper plate is not microwave-friendly.
Another thing you can keep a check on is to see if your paper plate is labeled BPA-free. BPA is a chemical known as bisphenol-A. Furthermore, when heated, BPA can seep into your food. It is extremely harmful to your health.
If your paper plate contains BPA or any container that has BPA should not be used in a microwave. Use alternatives such as glass. Plastics and other containers often contain BPA. Since some plastics are microwave-friendly they are BPA-free. However, this is not always marked. You should just check to be sure!
How long can you microwave a paper plate?
Ideally, you can microwave a paper plate for 2 minutes. Although there are no strict rules, you should not microwave paper plates for too long. It depends on the quality of your plate. If it is too thin, it should not be put in the microwave for a long time!
What to keep in mind when using a microwavable paper plate?
Once you are sure that you are using a microwave-friendly paper plate, you should keep in mind a couple of things.
- Avoid using paper plates for runny food that has a lot of liquid content.
- Avoid using paper plates for items that will melt when heated.
- If your food is oily or runny and there is a risk of splatter, stack two or more paper plates in the microwave, it is because the paper absorbs the oil or liquid content of food, which can create a mess in your microwave.
- You should get sturdy and firm paper plates. They are better to use than the flimsy ones.
- Ideally, cover your food when heating in the microwave, especially when using paper plates, to avoid the risk of splatter. However, you can skip this step if you think your food will become soggy or release moisture if you cover it up.
- Only use paper plates for reheating your food. Never use them for cooking or defrosting something because these paper plates cannot withstand such high temperatures, and if heated at such high temperatures, they can catch fire.
Is there a risk of paper burning in the microwave?
Plain white paper plates are not at risk of burning in the microwave. Generally, paper plates are made to be microwave-friendly if they are plain and thus will not catch fire. However, other paper products such as some paper bags, recycled paper that is too thin, or even paper plates with patterns or designs on them or with a plastic coating on them can catch fire and, therefore, should not be used in a microwave.
Although there isn’t much risk of plain white paper plates catching fire, do not put them in the microwave for too long. Thirty seconds to one or two minutes should limit heating food on a paper plate in the microwave.
What other microwave-safe paper products are there?
There are paper products other than plain white paper plates that are safe to use in a microwave. These include some paper bags, paper towels, paper napkins or, some paper cups.
You can also use wax paper and parchment paper in the microwave. These paper products must not have colorful designs or ink on them. You should not use brown paper bags as, according to research, they can catch fire more easily. Similarly, do not use recycled paper.
You should not use newspaper in the microwave either. Some people make paper plates out of them or place them under greasy or oily food. This cannot be put in the microwave because the newspaper’s ink contains harmful chemicals that should not be ingested. When this ink is heated, there is a risk of it leaching into your food.
Can you heat Styrofoam plates in the microwave?
No, you should never use Styrofoam plates to heat food in the microwave. It is extremely dangerous and hazardous to health. Styrofoam plates are one of the most commonly used and available disposable plates.
Styrene, the chemical in it, is a carcinogen for humans and very harmful to the environment. When Styrofoam is heated, the chemicals seep into the food or beverage.
According to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), toxins from Styrofoam packaging, even if not heated, can get absorbed in your food. It affects your immune system. Besides, it is detrimental to the environment and is not biodegradable. Therefore, you should avoid using Styrofoam products altogether and not just for microwave use.
Bottom line on microwaving paper plates!
Using paper plates is very convenient. You do not have to worry about doing the dishes. If you want to heat your meal in the microwave on a paper plate, you can do that safely if you are following the above directions. Just be careful what you put in the microwave. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you cannot confirm if your paper plate is microwavable and doubtful, it is probably not worth the risk.
Moreover, these days sturdy and plain white paper plates are widely available and are usually safe to use in the microwave. Now, if you have a large dinner party at home, you can skip doing the dishes and use microwavable paper plates.
I hope this article proves helpful and informative for you and answers all your queries regarding using paper plates in microwaves. Be safe!
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