A microwave is a very useful cooking gadget in your kitchen. It allows you to cook, reheat and defrost any food in a microwave-safe plate, bowl or container. Some people recommend to use silicone cookware but it is important to know if silicone is microwave-safe or not.
The metal, ceramic and aluminum/tin foil like materials are not microwave-safe. But silicone is different, you can put silicone in the microwave to cook your food. Because the food-grade silicone cookware and bakeware products are safe to put in the microwave.
What is Silicone Made of?
Silicone is a synthetic polymer made with a chemical structure based on chains of alternate silicon and oxygen atoms. It also contains organic groups attached to the silicon atoms. Such a chemical composition makes silicone rubber-like plastic that is very useful as food containers in kitchens.
The silicone cookware and bakeware products are sturdy, durable and safe to use for cooking. You can put silicone in the microwave and the oven without any problem. It can handle high temperatures and doesn’t release toxic chemicals when heated.
Is Silicone Safe for Your Health?
Yes, silicone is safe for your health as it is 100% non-toxic. But that doesn’t mean that all silicone products are safe and non-toxic. The silicone products made for kitchen use are FDA approved and certified as safe to use with food items.
The FDA approves silicone products that are made of food-grade silicone. It does not cause the food to turn toxic when coming in direct contact with silicone. So, the food-grade silicone is completely safe for your health.
Is Silicone Microwave-Safe?
Yes, silicone is microwave safe and free from harmful chemicals. Therefore you can use it to cook your food in the oven and also in the microwave. The silicone does not leach chemicals when heated, so it won’t contaminate your food even if you microwave it at full power.
The silicone is safe to put in the microwave but you must check if it contains any unsafe materials. For example: a silicon container is safe to put in the microwave but a silicone container with plastic/metal handle is not safe to microwave. The heat waves may melt the plastic or metal handle may cause sparks inside the microwave.
Are All Silicone Products Safe to Microwave?
No, all silicone products are not safe to microwave and you need to be careful here. Only FDA approved food-grade silicone products are safe to put in the microwave. Because they are non-toxic and heat resistant.
The food-grade silicone plates, bowls, bottles, containers and mats are of premium quality. They are made without any harmful chemicals or fillers of other materials. The microwave-safe silicone container comes with a symbol to indicate that it can go in the microwave without any risk.
So, you must check the product description of silicone to know if it is food-grade and microwavable before you use it for cooking/reheating food. You should also verify that it doesn’t contain any non-microwave-safe fillers or harmful chemicals. The last thing to check in a silicone product is its maximum temperature limit.
Can You Microwave Frozen Silicone?
Yes, you can microwave frozen silicone as it go to hot temperature from cold temperature without any interval. Some food items like hash browns, dumplings and hot dogs can last longer if frozen. So, you can put such food in a silicone container and keep it in freezer.
You need to defrost frozen food when you want to eat it. At that time, you can get the food with silicone container out of freezer and put it immediately in the microwave. The sudden change in temperature can break the glass and plastic but it cannot break the silicone. The silicone is capable to handle sudden changes in temperature.
Can Silicone Leach Chemicals in Your Food?
No, silicone cannot leach chemicals in your food as long as you use the food-grade silicone container. The food-grade silicone is made without any toxic chemicals and it doesn’t contain any filler material.
If you use silicone with other fillers, the filler material may affect the food when heated in the microwave. It can change the food taste or add an unpleasant odor to your food. It can also contaminate the food, therefore I strongly recommend to always use food-grade silicone cookware products.
Can Silicone Melt in the Microwave?
No, silicone cannot melt in the microwave because it can handle extremely high temperatures. I don’t claim that silicone cannot melt at all, I am just saying that the microwave cannot take the temperature high enough to melt the silicone.
When you use a container to cook food in the microwave, you are worried about melting by heat. But the silicone can handle high temperature up to 450°F but the microwave never goes beyond 212°F. So, it cannot melt the silicone even if you cook the food at full power.
Can Silicone Withstand Extreme Temperature in the Microwave?
Yes, silicone can withstand extreme temperature in the microwave as it is very capable. The maximum inner temperature generated by the microwave is 212°F (100°C) and the silicone can easily handle it. The silicone won’t melt or break at extreme temperature inside the microwave.
The silicone can handle the temperature as high as 450°F which is not possible in any microwave oven. Therefore the heat/temperature inside your microwave can never cause any trouble to silicone products.
Is Silicone Better than Plastic in the Microwave?
Yes, silicone is better than plastic in the microwave for its high capability and safer materials. The food-grade silicone is made without any chemicals that can harm the food. Moreover, the silicone can handle higher temperature level compared to the plastic.
The silicone can withstand high temperature up to 450°F and low temperature up to -100°F. So, you can use it to cook food at high power in the microwave and also to store food in the freezer.
Some plastic containers have BPA and other toxic chemicals that harmful for your health. Moreover, the silicone is more heat resistant than plastic and it is 100% non-toxic and food-safe.
If you use a food-safe plastic container, it is non-toxic and safe to microwave. But you cannot put it in the microwave straight out of the freezer. On the other hand, the silicone container can go in the microwave right out of the freezer yet won’t show any negative impact.
Thus, you can get plastic cookware products that are microwave-safe yet using silicone cookware is better and safer for you.
How to Clean Silicone Cookware/Bakeware
You can clean silicone cookware and bakeware with help of hot water, grease cutting soap and a cloth. You should not use abrasive cleaner pads or other abrasive cleaning supplies because it can damage the surface of silicone utensils.
Here I provide a few steps to easily clean silicone cookware and bakeware after every use.
- Get hot water and grease cutting soap ready for the task.
- Get a clean cloth and add some hot water & soap on it.
- Use the soapy cloth to clean the silicone cookware and bakeware.
- Rinse the silicone utensils with hot water.
- Keep them out for air dry.
After the silicone cookware and bakeware become dry, you can get them in use again.
Is Silicone Dishwasher-Safe?
Yes, silicone is dishwasher-safe, so you can put it in your dishwasher for automatic cleaning. Dishwasher is very useful for people with a hectic work schedule. The microwave makes cooking easier and the dishwasher makes cleaning utensils easier.
The silicone cookware and bakeware utensils are completely safe to put in the dishwasher. But some silicone utensils develop a greasy layer on their surface that your dishwasher may not clean properly.
If you see any greasy thing on your silicone cookware or bakeware, you should wash it with hands. So, you can clean silicone in the dishwasher as long as it is able to clean it properly.
Safety Tips for Using Silicone in the Microwave
Silicone is safe to put in the microwave but you need to do it carefully. Here I provide a few safety tips for using silicone in the microwave to avoid unwanted problems.
- Always use food-grade silicone that is approved by FDA.
- Make sure that the silicone is labeled as microwave-safe.
- Don’t use silicone cookware/bakeware with metal handles.
- Don’t use cookware/bakeware made with mixture of silicone and other materials.
- Monitor the cooking process when the silicone is inside the microwave.
- If you see bubbles or blisters on any silicone cookware or bakeware, throw it in the dustbin.
Benefits of Using Silicone in the Microwave
The experts recommend to use silicone in the microwave instead of plastic. The reason for this recommendation is the structure of silicone that offers many benefits. Here I provide all benefits of using silicone in the microwave as under.
- It can withstand extremely high temperature up to 450°F and low temperature up to -100°F.
- It can go in the microwave straight out of freezer yet won’t break.
- It does not leach chemicals when heated, so won’t contaminate the food.
- It is odor-free, so it will never cause any odor issue.
- It is nonstick, so the food won’t stick to the silicone cookware/bakeware.
- It is scratch resistant and more durable than plastic.
- It is shatterproof, so it won’t break even if you drop it from a height.
- It is BPA-Free and 100% Non-Toxic, safe to use with food.
These are the main benefits of using silicone to cook food in the microwave oven. I hope that the benefits have helped you to understand that they are safer and better than plastic and other cookware products.
FAQs about Putting Silicone in the Microwave
When you put any container in the microwave, you need to be careful. If you put a non-safe container in your microwave, it can lead to an unwanted accident. Here I provide some common questions about putting silicone in the microwave and their answers in brief. You should read all questions and answers given below.
Q.1 Can you microwave silicone Tupperware?
Yes, you can microwave silicone Tupperware as it is safe to put in the microwave, oven, freezer and fridge.
Q.2 Does silicone leach chemicals when heated?
No, silicone doesn’t leach chemicals when heated in the microwave. Make sure that you always use FDA approved food-grade silicone for cooking food in your microwave.
Q.3 Can silicone turn toxic when heated?
No, silicone cannot turn toxic when heated in the microwave. It is safe to use for all types of food and beverage products.
Q.4 Can you microwave silicone bottles?
Yes, you can microwave silicone bottles but you must remove its cap or nipple before putting them in the microwave. The cap or nipple is made of plastic or rubber which is not microwave-safe.
Conclusion: Have a Safe Cooking with Silicone in the Microwave
The plastic containers are safe to microwave but some of them have BPA or other harmful chemicals. So, you must check if your container is microwave-safe. To make it safer, you can use silicone to cook food in the microwave as it is more durable than plastic.
The silicone is nonstick, scratch-proof, heat resistant and odor resistant. So, you can cook all types of food with silicone cookware and bakeware without any issue. The silicone doesn’t melt at high temperature inside the microwave and it doesn’t leach chemicals when heated.
The purpose of using silicone cooking utensils is to make your cooking safer than earlier. You should always use FDA approved food-grade silicone to cook your food safely everyday.
