this post was submitted on 10 Dec 2024
362 points (98.1% liked)
xkcd
8962 readers
126 users here now
A community for a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
The overheated particles will rapidly move upwards, which will lead to relatively even distribution in a layer, but uneven between heights.
In fact, in a large microwaved mug the difference between top and bottom can be as much as 6°C/11°F.
Using a kettle mitigates it for the most part, as it is the bottom that gets continuously heated, and the top is then naturally heated by the vertical currents of hot water, leading to a more even distribution.
Surely stirring the water in the microwaved mug and giving it another round easily solves this issue.
Ideally 2 to 3 rounds, yes.
But at that point, isn't it easier to just buy a kettle? It doesn't require such manipulations, costs next to nothing and allows you to rapidly boil up to 1,5-2L (0,4-0,5 gal) of water for all your needs.
There's a good reason most of the (Western, at least, dk about other places) world uses them and considers them a basic piece of kitchenware.
In the US, kettles are supposedly much slower than a microwave or even a hob due to their grid.
Fair enough; but even then, American kettles can boil water at a very reasonable time (3 minutes for 1,5L?)
Still, I can understand how that extra minute alters the choice for many.
Microwaved water can sometimes explode after being disturbed by stirring or adding coffee/tea bag:
https://youtu.be/0JOxuS0SBHc