Is microwave rubbermaid safe? If you want to lessen your impact on the environment, consider replacing your single-use bags and wraps with reusable options like those made by Rubbermaid, Tupperware, and others. By using them cleverly, you can also reduce your food waste. If you want to microwave them, you must take a few precautions.
Microwave Use with Plastic: Some Reservations
One of the advantages of using plastic containers to store and reheat leftovers is that they can be placed directly from the stovetop into the microwave for a quick reheat. Nonetheless, some customers want to be more comfortable microwaving plastic-wrapped meals. There’s some truth to it; not all types of plastic are made to be used in microwaves, and they may not all fare as well.
Bisphenol A, or BPA, a plastic hardener, is another potential safety concern. When heated, it can seep out of plastic and into anything in contact with it. Permitted levels of BPA in food-safe containers have not been shown to cause any harm. However, the medical, scientific, and regulatory communities are still actively monitoring the issue.
The Convenience of Rubbermaid
Because of these ongoing BPA safety concerns, Rubbermaid stopped using BPA in its containers in 2009. Unless you have recently inherited a large quantity of food storage containers from an elderly relative, you can feel safe using the ones already in your pantry, as all its current products are BPA-free.
Rubbermaid makes many different types of microwave and dishwasher-safe storage containers. Rubbermaid’s renowned TakeAlong line of lightweight, affordable containers is microwave safe. Check the bottom of the product for the words “microwave-safe” or a microwave logo to determine whether it can be heated in a microwave. Either means that you can safely heat the container in the microwave.
You might be interested in reading, Can You Microwave Parchment Paper?
Be Careful Not to Overheat Your Microwave
The beginning is to understand that the container you’re using can be heated in a microwave. In addition to following the instructions carefully, you can ensure your and your food’s safety.
Remember that extreme heat is not your friend while using a microwave. Rubbermaid containers can withstand temperatures as high as the boiling point of water without being damaged (212 degrees Fahrenheit). They can quickly melt or distort above that point.
Soup and similar foods that are primarily water won’t get hot enough to serve. Something like cold veggies and meatloaf will not do either. However, the microwave is a great way to superheat sugar and fat. Super-fatty dishes and those doused in sugary syrups and sauces should only be reheated briefly and closely supervised. Don’t use a plastic container as a bacon crisper, ever.
Ventilation Required
Reheating meals in the microwave is one of those instances when you can let it all out. Reheating food in a Rubbermaid container with the lid securely fastened is a recipe for disaster because of the container’s airtight seal, designed to prevent food from drying out.
As the contents of the container heat up, the pressure within may increase. Several issues could arise as a result of this. If the lid blows off, the microwave’s interior may become covered in food. Because of the way pressure cookers function, the internal temperature of a container can be raised above the boiling point, causing the container to crack. When the lid is popped, and all the super-heated steam rushes out, there is a chance of injury as well.
For the hot steam to escape, you must crack the lid in at least one corner. The pressure inside some Rubbermaid containers, like the Microwave’n Savers, is automatically released by a vent in the top when the container is heated. There should be a pressure release valve on the lid of your product, but if there isn’t one, you should open it manually.
Conclusion
Watch for the microwave-safe label when shopping for Rubbermaid Tupperware or containers. Put your meal in a microwavable container before putting it in any plastic container. Rubbermaid containers should not be heated to extreme temperatures, bringing us to our following advice.The containers shouldn’t be recycled either. Every plastic bottle has a finite lifespan. Plastics that have been in use for too long degrade and emit toxic chemicals. The food within the container becomes tainted and unsafe to eat. Hence, you’ll need to remove the old Rubbermaid containers and replace them with new ones.
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