# Microwave with metal rack?



## miamicuse (Nov 13, 2011)

I have a friend who has a microwave oven KENMORE Model 721.85032010.

It has four brackets inside that are obviously for a shelf. He also has a shelf that fits those brackets perfectly.

However he never put the shelf in as it's metal. I am scratching my head too...I thought you never put anything metal in the microwave? No canned food, no aluminum foil, no metal pans or casserole? How can it have a metal shelf?

Anyone familiar with this model of microwave does it really have a metal rack as he wasn't the original owner so he has no idea if it's truly part of the microwave. Perhaps it's made of special metal that is safe for microwave?


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

It's not listed in the parts list for that model anyplace I've looked.
Sounds like a bad idea to me.
Why would anyone even need a center rack in a microwave?


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## jmon (Nov 5, 2012)

I can't believe it either, but they do come with metal racks. Usually they just spin around. I am not familiar with this type of microwave, best to consult the owners manual or call manufacturer for sure. 

Miamicuse, how warm is it there? Supposed to hit 80 here today, finally. :laughing:


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## mrs fix it (Oct 9, 2011)

My microwave came with not one but two metal racks. I use it when the dish I put in it is a rectangle and does not turn on the turntable. I don't know what it's actually made out of, but no sparks happen.

Mary Jane Baker, Silk painter and general handy-woman


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## miamicuse (Nov 13, 2011)

jmon said:


> I can't believe it either, but they do come with metal racks. Usually they just spin around. I am not familiar with this type of microwave, best to consult the owners manual or call manufacturer for sure.
> 
> Miamicuse, how warm is it there? Supposed to hit 80 here today, finally. :laughing:


jmon, it's 85 already!

high humidity too.

would you like a mint julep? :laughing:


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## jmon (Nov 5, 2012)

mrs fix it said:


> My microwave came with not one but two metal racks. I use it when the dish I put in it is a rectangle and does not turn on the turntable. I don't know what it's actually made out of, but no sparks happen.
> 
> Mary Jane Baker, Silk painter and general handy-woman


Nice to know.


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## jmon (Nov 5, 2012)

miamicuse said:


> jmon, it's 85 already!
> 
> high humidity too.
> 
> would you like a mint julep? :laughing:


Nice. Very tempting.


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## clashley (Nov 24, 2009)

We bought a new OTR Samsung microwave last year, and it came with a metal rack for the middle of the cooking compartment. It also has a glass turntable. The manual says the rack can be used when two dishes need to be cooked simultaneously, but that it should not be placed in the microwave if only one dish is being used. We've never used the rack.

The reason that metal and microwave ovens are not supposed to mix is due to how metals react to microwaves. If the metal is thick enough, the microwaves will bounce off the metal (and around the inside of the cooking compartment until they are eventually absorbed by food). Thin or pointed metal (such as foil, or knifes/forks) will induce electrical currents when excited by microwaves. The metal will heat up and the points/folds of the metal object can result in arcing or fire.

A metal rack would be sufficiently thick and of uniform size (round) to avoid these problems.


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## nanuk (Aug 14, 2011)

Oven microwaves have a wave length of about 9 cm so the bars are spaced as wide as possible (see the pic). This is somehow helpful. The most important design however that allows metal use inside the oven is the carefully rounded contours, which prevent the accumulation (focusing) of electrons set in motion by the microwaves.

The rack will do get warm as electrons are set in motion within the metal but will not generate energy hot-spots (and hence arcing) due to its large mass and the lack of a pointed surface that will operate as an antenna. More like lightning; the energy needs a certain distance between objects and a pointed surface to jump.


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## ront02769 (Nov 28, 2008)

Just saw someone put a dish in one of these last week with the instructions to remove the rack if only one plate was being used.....no sparks, no worries! No idea why.


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## nanuk (Aug 14, 2011)

ront02769 said:


> Just saw someone put a dish in one of these last week with the instructions to remove the rack if only one plate was being used.....no sparks, no worries! No idea why.


The rack absorbs energy, which otherwise goes to the food.


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## TheBobmanNH (Oct 23, 2012)

They usually tell you to remove the rack if you're cooking something (especially popcorn) because your food could "pop" and dislodge the rack. You can put metal in a microwave (though I wouldn't recommend experimenting), including FLAT aluminum foil. Lots of microwave foods have aluminum or metal in their packaging that you don't even realize (including lots of microwave soups with a metal ring).

Feel free to read up : http://mentalfloss.com/article/32032/why-cant-you-put-metal-microwave


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## rjniles (Feb 5, 2007)

We have a Samsung OTR MW that came with a metal rack. The supports in the side of the MW are insulated. We never take the rack out unless we need to do a tall container. The rack never gets hot.


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## Blondesense (Sep 23, 2008)

We used to have a microwave that came with an enameled metal tray. 
I've also used enameled plates in them with no worries (except for the one plate that has a big chip in it).


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## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

They also make browning trays for use in microwave ovens. They are basically a thin sheet of metal sandwiched into a ceramic platter. The hot spot created by the piece of metal gives the browning effect.


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## homeremodelguy (May 31, 2014)

I never even seen a metal rack in a microwave before.


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