Microwave platter rotation

[scott lipscomb]

So...every morning, right after I make coffee in the automatic dripper, I put my cup into the microwave for 30 seconds, because the dripper doesn't quite get the coffee hot enough, or perhaps the coffee cup sucks some heat out of it. The platter turns exactly one full rotation for every 10 seconds, and this is why I go for 30 seconds, because the heat is roughly correct, and I don't have to reach into the back of the microwave. Because of this process, I have begun to stare through the microwave door as this process unfolds...

What I have noticed, is that some days, the rotary platter in the microwave spins clockwise and other days it spends counter clockwise. That seems really weird.

Just thought I'd share.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The microwave we have reverses direction after each heating cycle. In other words, if I heat one item it rotates CW and the next time we use it, it rotates CCW.

[mike stenson]

Everyone I've paid attention to reverses on each use.

[scott lipscomb]

Thanks Mike and Ken, you two are clearly much more perceptive than I am.

So...I looked it up. Apparently, the motor will reverse direction when it senses resistance. There is a little bit of play, built in, which allows the motor a little bit of unresisted spin to get going.

[Lee Schierer]

We have a little glass coffee pot that we use to heat water for tea in the microwave. It seems no matter what time I set, the handle ends up in the back where I have to reach around the hot pot to take it out. Our micro wave does rotate in both directions and will auto reverse if it perceives a jam.

[Bob Borzelleri]

After 19 years of use, ours has begun to howl a bit.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Friends microwave tray moves in a rectangular pattern. Never seen another that does that.

[John K Jordan]

We have a little glass coffee pot that we use to heat water for tea in the microwave. It seems no matter what time I set, the handle ends up in the back where I have to reach around the hot pot to take it out. Our micro wave does rotate in both directions and will auto reverse if it perceives a jam.

Lee, FWIW, we ditched the microwave for heating water for tea (and hot chocolate) and now use an electric kettle. We never had one but every family we visited in Italy used them daily. After our last trip we finally broke down and bought one - I hope I'll never have to go back to the microwave!

We got one similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ
Heats very fast, can optionally keep water hot for that second cup. Our family chef even uses it to preheat water when cooking pasta and such since it's faster than boiling water on the stove top.

Ok, I'm done with the morning feeding around the farm - after thinking about this I'm heading up to the house to brew a mug of Earl Grey!

JKJ

[Bernie Kopfer]

OK guys, someone has to say it, it’s time to get back to the shop!🤣

[John K Jordan]

OK guys, someone has to say it, it’s time to get back to the shop!🤣

Good call. I have a microwave oven, a toaster oven, small fridge, and of course, a hot/cold bottled water dispenser in my shop. Doesn’t everyone?

[Bernie Kopfer]

Out here in the Wild West we use something called an instant hot water dispenser. 190 degree water instantly with the turn of the tap. Great for tea, coffee, heating up stubborn screw caps and much more. Wife says she wouldn’t want to live without one. Can’t afford those fancy Italian products.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Can’t afford those fancy Italian products. Walmart and Target carry an electric kettle for less than $20. First one we owned came from thrift store ($5.)

[Jason Roehl]

I run hot water into my coffee cup before I fill it. And we have our water heater set to “surface of the sun.”

I, too, have noticed that our microwave turntable reverses direction with each use.

[Brian Elfert]

British kettles are generally 2,800 watts so they heat water very quickly. Brits who come to the USA are disappointed at how slow our 1,500 watt kettles are.

[mike stenson]

Thanks Mike and Ken, you two are clearly much more perceptive than I am.

So...I looked it up. Apparently, the motor will reverse direction when it senses resistance. There is a little bit of play, built in, which allows the motor a little bit of unresisted spin to get going.

Mostly there were some years of having to stand in front of the microwave, and hit the food pellet button (30 second timer) while reheating food in the office. All because engineers can't handle making popcorn.

[Tim Elett]

Anyone know why they program microwaves with the beeping at every button and five or six beeps at the end of cycles?

[Charlie Velasquez]

Lee, FWIW, we ditched the microwave for heating water for tea (and hot chocolate) and now use an electric kettle. We never had one but every family we visited in Italy used them daily. After our last trip we finally broke down and bought one - I hope I'll never have to go back to the microwave!

We got one similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ
Heats very fast, can optionally keep water hot for that second cup. Our family chef even uses it to preheat water when cooking pasta and such since it's faster than boiling water on the stove top.
JKJ

After I left the classroom I headed our district’s energy conservation program. I would often go to classrooms and discuss energy use with students (amazing how well teachers comply with guidelines when you have 23 first grades saying, “Miss Jones, you forgot to turn off the lights!”).
When discussing with middle schoolers the efficiency of appliances they saw teachers using during the day they wanted to know “which was best”.
So they devised an experiment boiling water to see how much energy the different appliances used. They used a kill-o-watt meter and compared an electric hot plate, a microwave, an immersion heating element and an electric kettle.
Can’t remember the exact numbers but the order from least energy to most, with a visual reference of difference was:
immersion element,..electric kettle . . . . . . . microwave . . . . hot plate.
The students got several teachers to switch from their microwaves.

[Curt Harms]

British kettles are generally 2,800 watts so they heat water very quickly. Brits who come to the USA are disappointed at how slow our 1,500 watt kettles are.

They also run 220 volts (I think, don't think it's 240 but it might be). No 120 volts really outside N. America I think.

[Myk Rian]

The clock motors in M waves have no pawl to force them to rotate in only one direction. Clocks, timers, etc. have that pawl.
Ours doesn't turn one direction, then the other with each use. It turns whatever direction it wants to.

We rented a house in Flagstaff for T-giving last year. The MW had a platter that rotated like Bruce mentioned. Kinda weird watching it.

[Lisa Starr]

I used to use an electric tea kettle. Now that I have an Induction cooktop, it is faster to use a regular tea kettle on the cooktop.

[Rob Luter]

Everyone I've paid attention to reverses on each use.

^ This ^

mine have all done the same thing.

[Brian Elfert]

They also run 220 volts (I think, don't think it's 240 but it might be). No 120 volts really outside N. America I think.

Correct that they use 230 volt 50 hertz in the UK. It is really the wattage, not the volts that matters. You could do 2,800 watts with a 120 volt circuit, but it is not normal to have circuits that big in kitchens in the USA.

[Mark Blatter]

Anyone know why they program microwaves with the beeping at every button and five or six beeps at the end of cycles?

Introverted engineers getting a bit of revenge on annoying extroverts.

[Kev Williams]

Microwave platter motors will turn both ways, as someone mentioned it's to do with resistance. They won't necessarily change direction every time, it depends on if the motor encounters a 'bump', if so it'll change direction. Usually the heavy platter will continue slightly after the motor stops, leaving some slack between the platter and the driver cog (or whatever it's called), and that slack creates the bump... But if the platter is essentially resting against the cog when it starts, then no bump and it'll just continue in the same direction...

And that Cuisinart water pot, we have one, wonderful thing that is! I'm not sure because I haven't researched it but I believe they heat via induction...

And those of you with an induction stove or single cooktop like ours, if you really want to heat up something fast, find yourself the thinnest, cheapest plain, NOT stainless, steel frying pan or pot you can find. I have such a cheapie frying pan, and I can boil a cup of water in about 15 seconds on our 1500w induction cooktop. I put a can of Grillin' Beans in the pan a couple days ago, had to stir constantly with a flat wood spatula, but they were blazing hot ready to eat in about 30 seconds. Normal cookware heats pretty quick, but nothing like a cheap, thin steel frying pan! :D

[Chris Parks]

We have a little glass coffee pot that we use to heat water for tea in the microwave. It seems no matter what time I set, the handle ends up in the back where I have to reach around the hot pot to take it out. Our micro wave does rotate in both directions and will auto reverse if it perceives a jam.


Our Meile MW does not have a rotating platter so things stay where you put them.