A popular TikTok video is revealing a microwave hack to ensure more even heating of food. The hack, shared by content creator ‘onlyjayus,’ addresses the common issue of unevenly reheated meals. Instead of placing the food in the center of the microwave plate, the advice is to position it at the edge, allowing it to rotate and cook more evenly.
Content creator ‘onlyjayus’ previously shared a video saying: “You know when you reheat food in the microwave and some parts of it are hot enough to burn your mouth and the other part of it is frozen?”
The TikToker explains: “Well that happens because you shouldn’t actually have your food in the middle of the plate here.”
They then move the bowl to the side of the microwave plate as they continue: “It should be on the edge so it can actually rotate around and cook evenly.”
The TikTok user dramatizes the problem by describing the frustration of having some parts of the reheated food too hot while others remain frozen. The solution, according to the video, is to move the bowl to the side of the microwave plate. This adjustment supposedly takes advantage of the rotating mechanism in modern microwaves, promoting uniform waves that result in more even cooking.
Food scientist Makenzie Bryson Jackson supports this idea, explaining that ‘runaway heating’ contributes to uneven cooking. Placing the food at the edge of the plate helps utilize the microwave’s design for better wave distribution. Jackson acknowledges that the difference may not be drastic but suggests it will slightly improve the overall evenness of heating.
To identify hot spots in a microwave, Jackson suggests a quirky test: layering marshmallows on a plate and microwaving them for 50 seconds. The marshmallows that puff up indicate the microwave’s hot spots, allowing users to place their food strategically for faster and more even heating.
Reactions to the TikTok video were a mix of surprise and regret, with some viewers expressing that they wished they had known about this hack earlier in life. The revelation has sparked conversations about the common practice of centering food in the microwave, and many users are now eager to apply this newfound knowledge to improve their reheating experience.
