Can You Put Paper Towels in the Microwave?
Yes, plain white paper towels are microwave-safe and commonly used to cover food, prevent splatter, and absorb moisture. Avoid paper towels with printed designs, dyes, or recycled content, as these may contain materials that shouldn't be heated.
Key Takeaways
- Paper towels work well in microwaves because they're thin and allow microwave energy to pass through to the food.
- Don't bunch up paper towels tightly—spread them loosely to avoid hot spots.
- Recycled paper towels may contain metal fragments from the recycling process that could spark.
Explanation
Paper towels work well in microwaves because they're thin and allow microwave energy to pass through to the food. They're useful for covering dishes to prevent splatter, wrapping foods like bacon to absorb grease, and steaming vegetables.
The paper itself doesn't heat up from microwaves—only from contact with hot food or steam. This makes paper towels safer than some containers that can overheat. However, extremely long cooking times or very high heat can dry out the paper enough to brown or potentially ignite.
For best results, keep paper towels slightly damp when covering food for longer cook times. This prevents them from drying out completely and helps create steam for even cooking.
The ignition point of paper is around 451°F (233°C), and microwaves alone typically do not heat paper to that temperature. The risk increases when paper towels are in direct contact with foods that reach very high temperatures, such as bacon grease (which can exceed 400°F) or foods with high sugar content that caramelize. Limiting microwave sessions to under 5 minutes with paper towels keeps you well within safe operating ranges.
When reheating pizza, wrapping a slice loosely in a damp paper towel prevents the crust from turning rubbery by trapping steam around the dough. For reheating rice or pasta, a damp paper towel draped over the bowl restores moisture lost during refrigeration. These are among the most effective everyday uses for paper towels in the microwave.
Things to Know
- Don't bunch up paper towels tightly—spread them loosely to avoid hot spots.
- Recycled paper towels may contain metal fragments from the recycling process that could spark.
- Paper towels with printed designs may have inks that release chemicals when heated.
- For bacon, use 3-4 layers of paper towels to absorb grease effectively.