Why Do Microwaves Make Food Explode? Eggs aren’t the only target of microwave explosions—think about popcorn, or the faint sound of leftovers crackling if you stick them in the microwave too long.

WATCH: What's the White Stuff on My Eggs? You can actually hard cook an egg in the microwave without it exploding, but you can’t warm it later.

The microwave, though it’s been around for quite some time now, is still a mystery to many of us. It heats things in a fraction of the time, but sometimes it also makes things explode.

Hard-boiled eggs: Hard-boiled eggs can explode in the microwave, causing a mess and potentially leading to foodborne illness.

"Water heated in the microwave can sometimes explode," confirms chemistry professor and influencer Kim Hilton, known as Chemical Kim on Instagram and TikTok.

While eggs can be hard-boiled in the microwave, they explode when reheated due to multiple small pockets of “superheated water” which “spontaneously boil” and explode when opened.

You Might Want To Cook Oatmeal On The Stove The best way to prevent exploding oatmeal is to avoid cooking it in the microwave and opt for low heat on the stove.