Is It Safe To Heat Olive Oil In The Microwave?

Olive oil is a common ingredient in many dishes and can also be used to prevent things like meat from sticking to a pan so if you have to heat some of these items in dishes you may be wondering whether it is safe to heat olive oil in the microwave?

It is safe to heat olive oil in the microwave provided that you are only using small amounts as part of the larger dish. Generally it is not recommended that a large amount of oil is heated in a microwave by itself as it can get too hot and has the potential to start smoking and cause fire in extreme cases.

This is particularly the case if you are heating oil in a microwave where there is foil present as arking can occur on section of the foil where it is scrunched up. In these cases there is potential for that spark to ignite the oil.

The other high risk situation is where you have a combination of water and oil in a microwave as it has the potential to spit and cause burns. This combination is particularly dangerous because microwaves do not heat evenly and it is possible to have the water get superheated creating steam within the oil layer.

How Long Does It Take For Oils To Develop A Burnt Smell In The Microwave?

While there are a lot of variables associated with exactly how long you can put oil in a microwave before it begins to develop a burnt smell, as a general rule it will typically take around 5 to 6 minutes depending upon the particular oil that has been used according to a study by national research centre in Egypt. 

The rate at which this happens depends greatly upon the particular microwave as they can vary in power quite substantially and also what other items are also in the microwave as they can also absorb much of the energy released by the microwave, 

Is It Safe To Heat Other Oils In A Microwave?

Aside from olive oil there are a range of different other oils that can potentially be used in cooking. These other oils will have the same risks associated with them as olive oil has in combination with moisture, however, each oil does have different characteristics.

The most common thing that varies between oils is the smoke point which is the temperature at which the oil starts to smoke. This is an indication that the fat is starting to breakdown and can start to affect the flavor of the food as it can quickly become smoky.

The smoke point of the oil often limits the type of cooking methods that can be used with that oil with those having a higher smoke point having greater options. Light or refined olive oil has one of the highest smoke points of any of the oils and therefore is among the most flexible oils and the least likely to cause problems in terms of flavor.

However, this should not be confused with extra virgin olive oil which has the lowest smoke point and therefore is most susceptible to burning. Generally, extra virgin oil is only used in salads and things like that because it is significantly more expensive than the refined olive oil.

To see a list of all the different oils that can be potentially used and their smoke point refer to the table below. 

Is It Safe To Reheat Dishes With Oil Or Fat On It? 

As mentioned earlier in the article it is safe to reheat dishes that do contain oil or objects such as pre cooked meat that has oil absorbed onto its surface. In these circumstances it is unlikely to be a problem because the oil is distributed evenly throughout the dish and therefore is unlikely to trap moisture or get superheated. 

Can You Deep Fry Food In A Microwave?

You cannot deep fry food in the microwave in the traditional sense because oil generally does not get hot enough to allow the food to cook in the traditional manner. For deep frying food it is necessary to heat the oil well beyond the boiling point of water for an extended period of time which is difficult to maintain in a microwave. There is a high likelihood that a microwave will be over heated is it remains the microwave for an extended period of time.

However, you can fry foods in a microwave conventionally, ie the food is cooked in oil but not submerged. But the result that you will achieve from frying food in a microwave is substantially different to using a conventional saucepan. You do not get the chard flavors that can come from cooking in this conventional way.

Additionally, there are certain types of foods such as chips where you will not be able to get the same crispy texture because the moisture in a microwave has nowhere to go so the chips remain soggy. So if you are going to cook food in a microwave it is best to be selective about the foods that you cook. Anything with a relatively high moisture levels is likely to remain soggy. 

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