Prevent sparks from flying and poor texture by using a different appliance to heat certain foods.
5 Foods You Should Never Microwave
Published on Jan. 22, 2025
The modern microwave is nothing short of a miracle kitchen appliance. Not needing to reheat things on the stove or preheat the oven on busy nights is amazing. Plus, you can use the microwave to blanch peppers for a stuffed pepper recipe, cook couscous quickly and steam corn on the cob in minutes. Yet there are some foods you shouldn’t microwave, period. Here’s a handy list so you know when to opt for an alternate heating method.
Grapes
My aunt used to microwave grapes because she had sensitive teeth, but there are dire warnings against this practice all over the internet. Any food with a high water content carries a certain amount of danger in the microwave, since water can quickly come to a boil and scald bare skin—but grapes take it to a whole other level. The heated fruit creates sparks from the excitation of molecules caused by the microwaves. The structure and small size of grapes also create the conditions for molten plasma to form, which, on top of being a dangerous substance in itself, can also ruin your microwave. If you don’t want cold grapes, try them at room temp before wreaking havoc in the kitchen.
Fish
Fish can technically be cooked in the microwave, but you have to take special care. Don’t just plop a fillet on a plate and hope for the best.
Oddly, an easy tutorial for the best method can be found from Stephen King’s social media, where he posted these instructions a few years ago: “Dinner: Get a nice salmon filet at the supermarket, not too big. Put some olive oil and lemon juice on it. Wrap it in damp paper towels. Nuke it in the microwave for 3 minutes or so. Eat it.”
Having followed his instructions, I can attest that the damp paper towels, combined with the olive oil, ensured the cook was just fine—the fish stayed tender from the steamy heat rather than becoming tough and dry.
Chicken Wings or Ribs
Bone-in meat has a distinct advantage over its more easy-to-eat counterparts, and that’s the fact that the bone itself retains heat well. (That’s why chicken wings are such a common takeout and delivery offering.) That advantage also makes them tough to microwave, because the bone will cause microwave heat to distribute unevenly.
If you’re able, slice the protein off the bone and microwave on medium so you don’t dry it out. You still need to make sure the internal temperature is in a safe range, because harmful bacteria can form in any cold spots; use a meat thermometer once it’s out of the microwave.
Kale
Kale can “arc,” or spark, in the microwave. NPR dives into into the physics of this phenomenon, but suffice it to say that kale’s unique structure, and its ability to retain iron from the soil in which it’s grown, can turn it into something like a lightning rod inside your microwave. That, by extension, can cause a power surge in the rest of your home. This can also happen with carrots, peppers and green beans, depending on their iron content and how they’re sliced and arranged in the microwave.
Fried Food
The only foolproof way to enjoy the satisfying, crispy crunch of fried chicken or french fries is to eat them within an hour of their exit from the fryer. If you’ve got leftovers to contend with, use the slower, outward-in heat of the stove, oven or air fryer instead of the microwave. Even the best microwaves can’t keep the fried exterior crispy. Most chefs don’t recommend even attempting to recapture the magic of first-day fried food. Luckily, fried chicken tastes just as good cold.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has a helpful FAQ all about microwave cooking, detailing how to cook certain foods, how to ensure food safety at different wattages and which items don’t belong in a microwave oven.
