# Microwave Fireworks?



## Bangbang (Nov 25, 2004)

Sometimes I will be melting butter in the microwave and it starts sparking and flashin...Whats up with that?


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## Psiguyy (Nov 25, 2004)

You have metal in your butter.


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## Bangbang (Nov 25, 2004)

Psiguyy said:
			
		

> You have metal in your butter.



There is no metal in butter? It is wrapped in paper and I remove that before putting it in the microwave.


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## Barbara L (Nov 25, 2004)

I've heard my butter start to crackle as it melts, but I've never had it arc.  I looked around and couldn't find anything specifically related to that, but at SharpUSA.com it said that food residue can cause arcing.  Possibly your butter splattered and caused this, or there was some other residue that caused it when you melted your butter?

 Barbara


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## Psiguyy (Nov 25, 2004)

Arcing in microwave ovens is caused by metal.  If there is no metal, there is nothing to arc.  

If you see arcing in a food item, there has to be metal in that item.  

Could the container that you're melting the butter in contain some metal?  Gold or silver foil?  Metallic paint?  Could the arcing you're seeing actually be coming from something other than the butter?  

Sputtering is another matter.  Can be caused by pockets of superheated oil, water, etc.


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## marmalady (Nov 26, 2004)

Try melting it at a lower temp setting - like real low!  Takes longer, but your microwave stays clean!


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## scott123 (Nov 26, 2004)

Microwaves don't like very small amounts of food. If you're going to melt a small amount of butter, fill a bowl with water and run it with it. It won't sputter or arc.

Btw, 'low' on a microwave oven doesn't mean less heat/energy.  Microwaves are only an on/off thing.  Low just means that the microwave cycles on for a few seconds and then off for a few seconds.  For those few seconds it is on, the butter can spurt just like on the high setting.


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## Alix (Nov 26, 2004)

Bang, you might have had a teeny piece of the foil left in the butter. I have done that. Scared the beejeebees out of me.


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## Sue Lau (Nov 27, 2004)

I was heating some canned green beans in the microwave once and saw them spark.
I threw them away. 
I called the 800 number on the can and asked why they did that and they had no clue.
*shrug*


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