The wax paper appears like parchment paper but they are not the same. The parchment paper is safe to put in the microwave as it is heat-resistant and non-toxic. Now, you want to know about wax paper, so I suggest you to keep reading ahead to get the answer and safety tips.
The wax paper is very useful when you want to put food in the microwave and avoid mess of food sticking. The wax paper also helps to keep your microwave clean even if you reheat a variety of sticky food items. Using wax paper in the microwave is safe yet I recommend you to check the package.
There must be a symbol of “microwave-safe” or written in words on the wax paper package. You should use wax paper that is mentioned as microwave-safe on its pack by the manufacturer.
Can You Microwave Wax Paper?
Yes, you can microwave wax paper to safely reheat your food. The wax paper is made with a thin sheet of paper coated with paraffin wax on one or both sides. The coating of paraffin wax makes the wax paper non-sticky so that the food doesn’t stick on it when heated in the microwave.
You can put your food wrapped in wax paper in the microwave to reheat it safely. The wax paper is microwavable but don’t use it with the food with high fat or too much oil. Moreover, you should also check if your wax paper is microwave-safe before putting it in the microwave.
How to Use Wax Paper in the Microwave
In order to use wax paper in the microwave, you need to get the wax paper that is made without beach and is labeled as microwave-safe. Here I provide some important points to guide you about how to use wax paper in the microwave in an ideal way.
- Use wax paper to wrap your food pieces or cover the food container when putting in the microwave.
- Cover your food with wax paper to reheat in the microwave yet keep the microwave interior clean.
- Make pouch like covers for microwaving corn, banana, potato, garlic, vegetables and scrambled eggs with zero-mess.
- Use wax paper as a plate liner when reheating greasy food like bacons, French fries, fried chicken but make sure that food won’t touch the wax paper during the reheating process.
- If you want to bake cake or bread in the microwave, make pan liner of wax paper.
- Wrap frozen food with wax paper for thawing in the microwave.
- Always use wax paper with a microwave-safe bowl, plate or container to avoid mess and unwanted accidents.
- Always use wax paper for reheating water based food and not the food with high fat, oil or sugar.
Can Wax Paper Melt in the Microwave?
No, the wax paper cannot melt in the microwave because the microwave doesn’t generate enough heat for melting it. The paraffin wax coating on the wax paper does melt but only when it is surrounded by high temperature beyond 400° Fahrenheit.
The maximum temperature in the microwave can reach 212° Fahrenheit. So, the microwave does not generate enough heat to melt wax paper, therefore the wax paper does not melt in the microwave and it is safe to microwave.
At What Temperature Will Wax Paper Melt?
The wax paper will melt at 420° Fahrenheit or more temperature. If you are thinking about putting wax paper in the microwave then it is important to know if it will melt inside. Well, the maximum temperature inside the microwave is 212° Fahrenheit.
If you have a powerful microwave still its interior temperature can never go beyond 350° Fahrenheit. So, the wax paper can melt only when it is heated up at 420°F temperature which is not possible. That’s why it’s safe to microwave wax paper without worrying about melting.
Can Wax Paper Turn Toxic When Heated?
No, the wax paper cannot turn toxic when heated as it is made with paraffin wax. The paraffin wax is a food-grade wax that doesn’t contain bleach, chlorine or any other harmful chemical. So, the wax paper made with paraffin wax or soy wax don’t turn toxic.
When the wax paper turn toxic with heat, it can contaminate the food in the microwave. Therefore you should always use the paraffin wax paper that is non-toxic and food-safe. It allows you to microwave your food safely without affecting the food quality or taste.
How Long Can You Microwave Wax Paper?
You can microwave wax paper for 2 to 3 minutes or maximum 5 minutes. You can use wax paper to wrap the food to reheat it safely in the microwave. The wax paper can go in the microwave but not for a longer period. You should set the timer at the time of putting food in the microwave.
Can You Microwave Wax Paper Cups?
No, you cannot microwave wax paper cups as it is not safe. When you put tea, soup or other liquid in wax paper cups in the microwave, the wax coating on inner side of cups will melt and mix with the liquid inside.
If you microwave wax paper cups for reheating coffee or soup, the chances of wax melting and get mixed with the coffee/soup are very high. Drinking anything with melted wax is not safe at all, it can cause serious health issues. Therefore you must not microwave wax paper cups.
Can You Microwave Wax Paper Sandwich Bags?
Yes, you can microwave wax paper sandwich bags as long as they as labeled “microwave-safe” by the manufacturer. You can microwave wax paper sandwich bags to reheat your sandwich at low temperature for a short period of 2-3 minutes and not longer.
Before you microwave any wax paper sandwich bag, you must check if it is safe to put in the microwave. Check its package to know if it’s microwavable or not. If there is nothing mentioned on its package, kindly contact the manufacturer to know or don’t microwave it.
Safety Tips for Using Wax Paper in the Microwave
You can use wax paper in the microwave but don’t use it without enough knowledge. It is important to consider the safety tips when using wax paper in the microwave so that you won’t end up ruining your food or damaging the microwave.
- Don’t microwave wax paper for longer than 5 minutes continuously. If you need to microwave food for longer, use parchment paper or any other wrap/paper that can stay longer in the microwave.
- Always prefer microwave-safe wax paper and microwave-safe containers. The wax paper made with bleach, chlorine or dioxins is not safe to put in the microwave. The metal, ceramic and any container without microwave-safe symbol are not safe to microwave.
- When using wax paper as a lid for the food container, make sure it doesn’t come in direct contact with the food. It will prevent wax paper from melting even if the food become too hot.
- Never microwave wax paper with much oily food, fatty food and sugary food items. These types of food heated up fast and can melt wax coating of the wax paper. The melted wax will mix with the food which is not safe to eat.
You should always follow the above given safety tips when using wax paper in the microwave. These tips will keep your food safe and save your microwave from mess and damage.
FAQs about Wax Paper in the Microwave
Using wax paper in microwave is safe but what happens when you heat up wax paper? To get answers of such common questions about wax paper and microwave, you should read the FAQs that I have shared here.
Q.1 Is it OK to microwave wax paper?
Yes, it is OK to microwave wax paper but not longer than 5 minutes, so take care of time duration when microwaving wax paper.
Q.2 Which is better for Microwave: wax paper or parchment paper?
Wax Paper is better than parchment paper to reheat sticky food, thaw frozen food and bake cake or bread in the microwave for short sessions. On the other hand, parchment paper is better than wax paper to cook raw food in the microwave for long sessions.
Q.3 What happens if you heat up wax paper?
Nothing happens if you heat up wax paper up to 212° Fahrenheit but the wax paper starts melting if you heat it up for longer in high temperature beyond 400° Fahrenheit.
Q.4 Can you heat up food on wax paper?
Yes, you can heat up food on wax paper in microwave for up to 5 minutes. But you cannot heat up food on wax paper in oven, air fryer or stove as the heat can melt the wax coating of wax paper and it will mix with your food.
Conclusion: Microwave Wax Paper to Reheat Food with No Mess
Wax Paper is safe to microwave and it is much safer option than plastic. The wax paper comes with a protecting coating of paraffin wax or soy wax that are safe to use with food. This coating makes wax paper non-sticky which prevents the mess of food that stick on paper during heating up in microwave.
You can use wax paper to reheat water based food and thaw frozen food items. But you should not keep wax paper in the microwave for longer otherwise the inside heat may melt the wax and mix with the food to ruin its taste.
Kindly, remember that wax paper is suitable to cover cold food and food at room temperature. You should not use it to cover or wrap hot food as the wax is not much heat-resistant. You should check “microwave-safe” symbol and follow above given safety tips to microwave wax paper without any risk.
