WASHINGTON Dec 14 (TNS): Cooking eggs in the microwave could end in disaster. Eggs sometimes explode in the microwave, and it turns out that microwaving hard-boiled eggs can result in an even worse scenario.
Recently a man tried to sue a US restaurant after a hard-boiled egg he was served exploded in his mouth which he claims damaged his hearing and suffered serious burns.
In restaurants, it’s fairly common for the dish to be prepared in advance and reheated afterwards for efficiency during service. Apparently, the egg had exploded in the complainant’s mouth after he bit into it. The lawsuit was settled out of court but scientists have continued to research what happens when boiled eggs are reheated in this way.
According to IFL Science, researchers watched YouTube videos of microwaved eggs exploding before researching. The scientists used a water bath to conduct their experiments rather than a standard 800w microwave people might have at home.
According to Anthony Nash and Lauren von Blohn from Charles M. Salter Associates in San Francisco, who had previously watched numerous videos of exploding microwave eggs on the internet, many of those tested by the team did the same.
The eggs in the experiment were hard-boiled, placed in a water bath, and then heated for three minutes. Around 30 percent only exploded after being taken out at poked with a sharp object.
The research showed that it is unlikely that the man suing for damages lost his hearing as a result of the egg explosion, which took place in his mouth.
“On a statistical basis, the likelihood of an egg exploding and damaging someone’s hearing is quite remote,” Nash said in a statement.
“It’s a little bit like playing egg roulette.”
However, most people agree that reheating eggs in the microwave is a treacherous endevour.
IFL Science said that the bizarre happening “may be due to the protein in the egg trapping pockets of water in the yolk, which are then superheated well above the boiling temperature of tap water.
“This may be due to the protein in the egg trapping pockets of water in the yolk, which are then superheated well above the boiling temperature of tap water.
“When these pockets are disturbed, either by poking the egg or biting into it, they all boil in a chain reaction and explode.”
