We have an official company response in regards to our post, “Sur La Table Mug Handle Found Scorchingly Hot After 2 Minutes In Microwave.” Susanna Linse, Sur La Table Media Relations Manager writes:
“Ceramic earthenware is a porous material; when a ceramic earthenware piece is filled up with liquid and put in the microwave, both the liquid and the vessel get hot. This is why the vendor stamped the warning “may get hot in microwave” on each piece. It is okay to use the microwave to warm food or liquid in ceramic earthenware but it is not correct to cook, bake or boil with this kind of ceramic.
In addition, if a ceramic piece is cold or is filled with icy liquid, it may break when put in the microwave. B40 earthenware, used for bakers and casseroles, is microwave-safe.
Sur La Table guarantees complete product satisfaction. The customer may return the product for a full refund at the store where it was purchased. Merci beaucoup.”We also spoke more with the original complainant. It wasn’t just, oh, ouchie, that was hot – her hand was literally shiny afterwards as a whole sheet of skin was seared off.
So there you have it, folks. Don’t put ceramic earthenware in the microwave if you plan on keeping the skin on your hands. We again reiterate our idea that they change “may get hot in microwave” to “will get hot in microwave.” Your customers, and their palms, will thank you.
PREVIOUSLY: Sur La Table Mug Handle Found Scorchingly Hot After 2 Minutes In Microwave
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I wish Ben Popken were here… err wait..
When will somebody acknowledge the danger of leaving a blowtorch on your face for 2 minutes?!
WILL SOMEONE THINK OF THE MELTED FACES?!
come on people… this is why we can’t have nice things.
I realize this may make me an outcast, but at least I will be an outcast with proper grammar. I have an earthenware mug in my cupboard, and it gets really hot when microwaved. Scalding hot. My other mugs don’t–they’re the standard white ceramic type–when microwaved for the same amount of time. I was quite surprised when I first got this mug, and heated water for a cup of tea in it (I since have gotten a kettle, thanks). To get the water to the same temperature required the same minute and a half of microwaving, but the mug itself got a LOT hotter than any other mug I’ve ever used.
I jerked my hand back when I touched it and took it out with a potholder, but if I hadn’t been paying attention, I could have easily burned myself. I didn’t use that mug again to heat things until I had a kettle.
I think the original complaint, while arguably silly to send in to the Consumerist, is legit. If you’ve never had earthenware, how are you going to know that it gets a LOT more hot and a LOT faster than regular ceramic stuff? A mug getting warm or even moderately hot is one thing, but scalding seems extreme. The mocking comments aren’t warrented.
@Her Grace: I agree that nobody should be mocking someone for horribly burning her hand, but I think that the underlying (if heavily covered by snark) message of most commentors is “this isn’t really SLA’s fault, but rather a cautionary tale about how you should always test things in the microwave for hotness before simply picking them up, to avoid injury.”
To use your experience as a guide, the point is that you should know the limits of the equipment you’re using, especially if it’s of a material or construction you aren’t familiar with. And the fact is that there was a warning label on the mug in question, which nearly everyone seems to agree was adequate.
Mugs are not automatically “microwave-safe heating containers” — you wouldn’t assume that all plates or bowls are okay to microwave, so why would a mug be any different, especially if looks/feels different from your other mugs?
@Her Grace: Typically, it’s foolish to assume that all materials are made the same. aluminum doesn’t act like steel, and earthenware doesn’t act like ceramic. Just because they look the same doesn’t mean you can treat them the same. Does every manufacturer have to put a label on their products that indicates not only the material the product is made of, or do they also need to include the increased risk related to use of the materials? How low will you push the requirement of common sense. I might as well go buy a hammer that has a label with “Warning: Heavy and Hard. Injury will occur upon collision with bodily parts. May damage surfaces.” etc etc etc