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using aluminium foil in your microwave
It is safe to use aluminium foil in your microwave as long as you follow these safety guidelines.
As with all metals, microwave energy cannot pass through aluminium foil, but provided you keep the
aluminium foil away from the side of the microwave it will not cause sparks and there will not be any
damage to your microwave.
Using aluminium foil is a good way of shielding parts of food that you do not want to cook as quickly
as others – perhaps where the food is narrower and would otherwise overcook.
Place the aluminium foil over the area you want to shield, taking care that the aluminium foil will not
touch the sides of the microwave when the turntable plate rotates. Only use one piece of aluminium
foil at a time so that you do not get sparks between the separate pieces.
Follow these guidelines when using aluminium foil in your microwave:
• Remove aluminium foil lids from containers before using in the microwave. Some lids are made
of card with a aluminium foil covering – these should be removed too. Use a microwave safe
transparent lid if possible.
• Stir food during cooking if the container has a lid or film cover.
• Always use the glass turntable plate.
• Use shallow containers with a large surface area. Do not use containers that are more than
1.25in (3.5cm) deep.
• Use gloves when handling hot aluminium foil containers.
• Do not completely cover food with aluminium foil. The microwave energy cannot pass through
the aluminium foil so the food will not cook.
• Do not let aluminium foil touch the inside of the microwave.
• Do not use more than one piece of aluminium foil in the microwave at the same time.
checking your cooking utensils
Most heat-resistant, non-metallic cooking utensils are safe to use in your microwave. If made of
plastic or glass, utensils will be marked as “microwave safe” or similar.
• Never use equipment made of metal, except aluminium foil in your microwave oven.
• The microwave energy can not pass through the metal so it bounces off and sparks
against the inside of the oven.
• Stop the microwave straight away if any equipment does cause sparks.
• Remember that some crockery has a metal trim around the edge. Even this trim can
cause sparks.
• Never use scratched, cracked or damaged glass in a microwave. Damaged glass can
explode.
If you are not sure and/or there is no microwave-safe marking on the utensil, do NOT use it
in the microwave.
For the types of utensils you can use in the microwave, please see the “Materials That Can Be
Used” section.
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