Little Malice wrote:
>
> One time on Usenet, "Pete C." > said:
> > JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
> > >
> > > Why would anyone even consider putting a fork or spoon in the microwave?
> >
> > Because it is perfectly safe and often saves the mess of finding a place
> > to rest it between uses stirring something in the microwave that needs
> > frequent stirring. I use stainless bowls in the microwave as well with
> > no issues what so ever. Any recent microwave cookbook or recent
> > microwave oven users manual will tell you how to safely use metal in a
> > microwave. The bit about not using metal in a microwave went out a
> > couple decades ago.
>
> My microwave *is* a couple of decades old, which is probably why
> I'm so hesitant...
>
> --
> Jani in WA

Microwave ovens haven't changed much at all in those years, just better
timers and controls mostly. At it's most basic level, except for the
latest inverter models, a microwave oven is a magnetron tube and a high
voltage power supply.

The earliest of microwave manuals warned against using metal because the
entire technology was new, not well understood and the public was
considered too stupid to use metal in a microwave properly.

My mother has a Sanyo microwave that is at least 20 years old and it
both came with a metal rack for use in the microwave and an instruction
manual with instructions for the use of metal in the microwave. This
microwave is still working perfectly BTW.

So the myth of not being able to use metal in a microwave went out at
least two decades ago per the manufacturers of the microwaves.

Pete C.