First - read this: http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/22334.htm

Responses from various Facebook friends:

* "This is indeed true, and my mother has burned her face in this way many years ago, when I was a baby and she heated something for me in the microwave oven."

* "I do not drink coffee but do brew tea every day, I put cup in microwave and have wondered where the water went. Also most of the time the water will not boil until I put tea bag in cup and then will boil like crazy."

* "I've seen it happen -- fortunately not with the dramatic effects listed above.

Water can be superheated in many ways, but your home microwave is often a good method. Steam driven equipment often uses superheating to increase the energy in any given quantity of water.

My suspicion is that carousel-type microwaves are safer in this regard than stationary types (usually older household ones, or commercial ones). The reason is that the constant movement means that the liquid is more likely to slosh slightly due to uneveness in the motion, allowing trapped bubbles to release."

March 5, 2009