Why shouldn't you put metal objects in the microwave? Is it possible to put metal strings on a classical guitar? and dishes in foil.

Is it possible to put metal strings on a classical guitar?

Among acoustic and classical guitars, there is one specific option. It looks like a classical guitar with metal strings. This topic is the subject of controversy, and sometimes very aggressive. Now we will try to explain and tell what kind of beast this is, from our position, we are not talking about the ultimate truth. So, is it possible to put metal strings on a classical guitar?

A little history

Such guitars appeared as a legacy of the Soviet period, because at that time only classical guitars were on sale, with rare exceptions. These were mainly Czechoslovak Cremona and Musima Resonata, Musima Classic - what was brought from Germany.

All these guitars were classical, but it was impossible to get nylon strings; only metal ones were on sale. They put what they had on the guitars, without really thinking about whether it could be done or not. People of that period who bought such instruments and became accustomed to them now want wide necks and metal strings.

Is it possible to put iron on a classic?

The guitar in the video is almost 100% made like a classical one, with the exception of some nuances:

• An anchor with which you can level the bar. It is needed to compensate for the tension of metal strings, which is several times stronger than the tension of nylon strings. If you simply put iron strings on an unprepared classical guitar, the neck is guaranteed to bend, in this case you will absolutely not be able to play, and there is also a chance that the stand on the soundboard will simply fly off.
• Tuners with metal stems, not plastic ones. This was done for the convenience of winding the strings and their reliable fastening. Metal strings do not hold well on plastic rods, and nylon strings do not hold well on iron rods.

The rest of the guitar is absolutely classic: a thin body, a classic stand, a classic spring pattern. What are the dangers of installing metal strings on such an instrument? The only drawback that the manufacturers overlooked is that the stand is not strengthened or modified in any way. “Iron” easily tears off such stands, and they have to be re-glued.

We advise you to pay attention to classical guitars. If you like a louder, brighter sound, try using high or super high tension carbon strings. They are denser, harsher and more sonorous. The sound will not be equivalent to metal, but you will feel a significant difference from nylon.

What are the alternatives?

Typically, people who come to buy a classical guitar with metal strings get the same advice from us: choose standard guitars, either classical or acoustic. Yes, there is a slight difference in sound, but if we are talking now about Soviet instruments, they did not always have at least some sound. We don't see these guitars as actual instruments, it's just about the overall aesthetics. In the video you can hear the difference in the sound of the classic and the hybrid.

Alternatively, you can look at the OM series guitars. These are standard folkies, but with one interesting feature. The OM series guitars have a neck that is not as narrow as all other acoustics: not 43 mm, but 45. This is something between the neck of a classic and an acoustic, a kind of hybrid. You may not notice this visually, but when you pick up the instrument and start playing, the sensations are completely different, unusual and new. Literally after 10 minutes of playing, the guitar becomes like a native, an excellent alternative to the incomprehensible classic “monster”.

Conclusion

Of course, we cannot advise anything, and we will not. We're just saying that there are different options to consider if you're looking for a metal string classical guitar. Chances are, the right acoustic guitar can replace your favorite wide neck. You can also put super heavy nylon or carbon strings on the classics, and the feel of them will be comparable to the feeling of metal ones, it’s up to you.



A traditional microwave oven is a household electrical appliance for home use, which is intended for cooking and heating food, as well as emergency defrosting of food. But very often a microwave oven can fail due to the fault of the owner.

So let's figure out why you can't put metal objects in the microwave?

If you place metal dishes or cutlery in the microwave, it will most likely immediately fail. Moreover, such consequences are not the worst thing. In the worst case, a fairly powerful explosion occurs, which poses a danger to human health. Experienced microwave oven users can confidently confirm the fact that the operating rules for this household appliance do not allow the use of metal objects of various types.

But for the sake of sporting curiosity or by chance, almost each of us had to break this golden rule. What could we get as a result? An explosion, a lot of sparks or a final breakdown of an electrical appliance?

If you put a metal object in a microwave oven and turn it on, you can immediately witness the three options for further developments described above. In the best case, but this happens very rarely, the dishes will start sparking and you will need to stop the operation of the electrical appliance as soon as possible. But if, for certain reasons, you fail to turn off the microwave, a strong explosion may occur. Such consequences will lead to complete equipment failure and may injure a person.

But why does this process happen? Let's try to understand in more detail the basic physical processes that occur during the operation of household equipment of this type.

In a microwave oven, the process of heating food occurs thanks to microwaves. The physical characteristics of these waves do not allow heating food in this container. If you use open cookware, you can still hope for partial heating of food. In a sealed container, you don’t have to try to heat food in this way. Moreover, in this case, the microwaves will be completely repelled from the metal walls. They will have a destructive effect on the functionality of the microwave oven.

A modern person buys a microwave oven with the goal of heating food to the required temperature in the shortest possible time, and not for conducting all kinds of experiments that could pose a threat to his life. Therefore, if all instructions and operating requirements are strictly followed, this household electrical appliance will delight its owner for many years with high reliability and a huge number of functions.

Lovers of home cooking often use a microwave oven to prepare various dishes. It is very convenient because you can quickly bake or reheat anything in it. In this case, you need to take into account the specifics of using cookware; the best and safest option is ceramic and heat-resistant glass. Well, if you have to quickly use heating, can you heat it in the microwave in an iron bowl or foil?

What kind of cookware is suitable?

It is strictly forbidden to use iron utensils due to the reflective properties of their surfaces. Microwaves are not able to penetrate metal - this can cause a strong discharge of electricity and the microwave will become unusable or an explosion may occur, because. The magnetron will not withstand heavy load.

Even plates with gold or silver plated rims are also not suitable for a microwave oven; sparking may occur. It is not advisable to start an empty microwave - breakdown of the magnetron is guaranteed. And microwaves, reflected from the inner walls of the oven, will penetrate outside through the glass of the door, this is very unsafe for people.

In order for the microwave oven to serve for a long time and without harm to the health of the owners, iron utensils such as bowls, spoons, forks and knives should not fall into it. Your microwave oven needs to be properly cared for to ensure its service life is as long as possible. To do this, you need to regularly remove contaminated plaque from internal surfaces. When the cleansing process begins, the power cord must be unplugged. Before cleaning the grates, it is advisable to pre-moisten and preheat them. This is done like this: put a tablespoon of soda and the same amount of vinegar or one lemon into a large container of water, and then boil this mixture for 3-5 minutes in the microwave. Then you can begin internal cleaning, just without using abrasive products.

The metal used in the microwave, particularly the grill plate, has a special coating that does not interact with microwaves, unlike regular iron cookware.

The minimum set of pans that you will need to cook or heat food is three containers, from one liter to three liters. They must be made of heat-resistant glass, like the turntable inside the microwave oven, and must have lids.

Foil

Is it possible to heat food in the microwave in foil containers? It would seem that iron utensils and foil containers are very similar to each other in properties and composition. After all, you really want the meat to cook well and have a crispy crust thanks to the foil. However, using foil in the microwave is quite acceptable, but not in large quantities:

• The familiar aluminum foil can be used for baking meat, only to isolate the product from exposure to microwaves. To prevent the meat from burning or drying out in certain areas, for example, the wings or drumsticks of a whole bird cook faster than the whole carcass and can be wrapped in foil at the final stage of frying;
• Metal skewers for threading meat or vegetables are also acceptable in the microwave, due to the small reflective areas of such cutlery;
• Foil containers with frozen food can be heated in the microwave as long as the height of the container does not exceed two centimeters. Since it is not recommended to heat any tightly closed packages in an oven, this container must be opened, the top part removed and placed inside a packaging box or bag.

Which foil is suitable

Now we need to dwell in more detail on the question of whether it is possible to heat food in a microwave oven in foil. The most suitable dishes for use in the oven, in addition to those listed above, are glass, porcelain, special plastic and pressed paper. But what about foil, which is familiar and loved by many housewives?

There is specialized foil for microwaves, here it is in the photo. It has the properties of high heat resistance and high density, and its composition is somewhat different from the usual one. This foil has through holes so that microwaves can easily penetrate into the food and ensure uniform baking.

It is absolutely not recommended to use food-grade aluminum foil instead of special one. Aluminum is a very soft metal, so radiation from microwaves and very high temperatures causes interaction between it and the products. And the content of this metal in food consumed by humans is fraught with diseases of both the nervous system and kidney and liver diseases.

If you don’t have the necessary foil on hand or in the store, you can heat it in a paper bag or in a baking sleeve.

Good day to all visitors to my blog. Today I want to talk about what kind of dishes can be used in the microwave. It turns out that in the wrong container, food takes longer to cook and heats up poorly. And it can also be harmful to health. Yes, yes, it is dishes that can harm our body. And not microwaves, which is what opponents of microwave ovens are so actively trying to prove.

To figure out which containers to use, let’s remember how microwaves work. As you know, dishes in a microwave oven are heated by microwaves. This is electromagnetic radiation that causes dipole food molecules to move. Move quickly and a lot. This creates friction and heats up the food. I have already described this in detail in an article about the principle of operation of a microwave oven.

To heat food, as well as for cooking, containers must be heat-resistant. If you have fireproof cookware, that's even better. Heat-resistant dishes and containers can be heated up to 140˚C. This is enough for a regular microwave. It heats food to the boiling point of water - 100 ˚С. Containers made of fireproof materials can heat up to 300˚C.

Heat-resistant cookware can be:

• glass;
• porcelain;
• ceramic;
• plastic;
• paper;
• silicone;
• made of thin foam.

Heat-resistant containers made of these materials are used in microwave ovens. Mode – microwaves only. Plastic boats must have a corresponding icon.

An equally important parameter of microwave cookware is the size and shape. It is better to choose a small height for the containers. This will allow you to cook the product faster. If you are going to cook cereals or pasta, there should be plenty of capacity in the container. This is due to the peculiarity of heating liquids by microwaves. When the water boils, its bubbles remain at the bottom for some time. After a certain time, the water may splash out. If you choose a bowl that flares upward, this will not happen. The water won't rise as quickly.

The choice of dishes for the microwave must be approached responsibly, as some materials become unsafe for food when exposed to microwaves. In addition, some products may be damaged or damage equipment.

Microwave-safe containers must be transparent to microwaves, heat-resistant, non-conductive and free of metals.

Rules for choosing dishes for the microwave

You can determine whether a product is suitable for the oven using a test. To do this, take a glass made of thick glass without a pattern. In this case, a faceted glass is perfect. Pour water and put it in a bowl, and then put everything in the microwave.

Heat the water for a minute on the highest power setting. After this, the water should become hot, and the dishes, on the contrary, should not heat up. If the test products become hot, they are not suitable for microwave use.

On modern products you can find symbols that indicate whether you can use a microwave to heat food in these products. You may encounter the following markings:

As a rule, you can heat items made of durable and thick glass, earthenware and porcelain without patterns or gilding, bamboo and parchment in the microwave. It is important that these are intact objects without cracks or chips. Use plastic and foil with caution. Let's take a closer look at what dishes can be used in the microwave.

What kind of cookware can be used

Of the possible options, glassware made from heat-resistant or fire-resistant glass is especially suitable. By the way, such products can also be used in a conventional oven. You can use standard thick-walled glassware.

These are plates, glasses and mugs, salad bowls. Durable thick walls allow microwaves to pass through and do not absorb, do not heat up or deteriorate, and can easily withstand temperatures up to 140 degrees, and fire-resistant glass - up to 300.

It is allowed to heat porcelain and earthenware products without patterns or gilding in the oven. Gold plated designs or edging will cause sparks to form when heated.

Ceramic and earthenware dishes can be placed in the microwave without harm to the material if they are coated with glaze on each side. In addition, products made of ceramics and clay, porcelain and earthenware should not contain chips or cracks.

Parchment paper or linen napkins are suitable for warming small foods, such as a bun or hot dog. Parchment is also used as a lining for food when defrosting. Paper or bamboo dishes are used only for briefly heating food, as such products quickly get wet.

Special dishes are produced for microwave ovens, including glass-ceramic products, special porous bags and films for frying, microwave foil and disposable aluminum containers.

In some cases, aluminum foil may be used. The material covers areas of food that easily burn during defrosting. These are the wings and legs of a bird, the tail of a fish, etc. However, aluminum foil cannot be used for standard heating of food.

Is it possible to put plastic dishes in the microwave?

Not every plastic can be put in a microwave oven. Use plastic containers only with special markings on the bottom. In addition, it is important that the material can withstand heating of 130-140 degrees.

Plastic that is not oven-safe will easily melt and warp when cooking. In addition, low-quality material decomposes and forms harmful elements that dissolve in food. This is dangerous to your health!

For the microwave, high-quality food-grade plastic with appropriate markings is used. These are polyamide and polypropylene materials. It is better not to use plastic products for ovens with a grill function.

In addition, such products are not suitable for preparing dishes using fat and sugar. Due to the heating of such components, the plastic melts and deforms.

What not to use in the microwave

• It is strictly forbidden to use metal and iron utensils or enamel products in the microwave. Microwaves do not pass through these materials, and as a result, the food does not warm up. In addition, they can cause sparks when the oven is operating;
• Items made of porcelain or earthenware with gilding and designs, as they sparkle when heated;
• Porcelain, earthenware and glass products with chips, cracks and other defects. This will cause the material to crack when heated, causing items to fly apart or break inside the oven or when removed;
• Cheap plastic and plastic that is not resistant to high temperatures;
• Plastic utensils made of PVC and polystyrene;
• Cardboard dishes are not microwave safe due to their waxy coating. With prolonged heating, the wax melts and gets into the food;
• Ceramic products without glaze coating on each side;
• Aluminum cookware with high sides, which is used for baking in a standard oven;
• Crystal objects that contain lead, silver and other metals, and also have an uneven surface. When heated in the oven they will break;
• Dishes made of thin glass, as it is not resistant to high temperatures and can shatter into fragments right in the microwave;
• Polyethylene film. Thin material will melt, and thick material will create an unpleasant odor;
• Wooden objects and products with wooden inserts or decorative elements, since wood shrinks and deteriorates when exposed to high temperatures.

Do not place food in a microwave oven that is tightly covered with a lid or film, otherwise an explosion may occur. If necessary, cover the food with film with holes to allow steam to escape. Or use a special microwave lid.