Micro waved water - A MUST READ

A 26-year old decided to have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of water and
put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had done numerous
times before). I am not sure how long he set the timer for, but he told me
he wanted to bring the water to a boil. When the timer shut the oven off, he
removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the cup, he noted that the
water was not boiling, but instantly the water in the cup "blew up" into his
face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand but all the
water had flown out into his face due to the build up of energy. His whole
face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face, which may
leave scarring. He also may have lost partial sight in his left eye. While
at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that this is
fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in a
microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something should be
placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as: a wooden stir stick, tea
bag, etc. It is however a much safer choice to boil the water in a
teakettle.

General Electric ' s ( GE) response:

Thanks for contacting us. I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that you
received is correct. Micro waved water and other liquids do not always
bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get superheated
and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup
when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it.
To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid
for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the cup stand in the
microwave for thirty seconds before moving it or adding anything into it.
If you pass this on ... you could very well save someone from a lot of pain
and suffering.