Simple trick to prevent butter from exploding all over the microwave

Everyone has experienced it. The recipe calls for melting the butter, so I put it in a dish and put it in the microwave. Thirty seconds later, after hearing a loud pop, I opened the microwave door to find a buttered microwave. Just in time for baking season, we’ve prepared a simple hack to ensure this never happens again.

Why does butter explode when heated?

Butter is a water-in-oil emulsion. In this type of emulsion, water particles are dispersed within the fat. When butter is heated too quickly, the water turns to steam, increasing the pressure within the fat and causing it to explode. Cleanup becomes a hassle because the delicious butter is inside the microwave instead of in the dish.

How can I prevent droplets?

My favorite hack to prevent butter from exploding is to place a stick of butter in a microwave-safe dish and cover it with a butter wrapper. Ideally, the plate should be approximately the same size as the wrapper.

Be sure to scrape any remaining butter from the wrapper into a dish. This will prevent your microwave turntable from getting dirty. If you only need to melt a tablespoon or two of butter, cut a small square of parchment paper or wax paper and place it over the plate.

More tips for melting butter without making a mess

In addition to covering butter when heating it in the microwave, there are a few things you can do to prevent it from splattering as it melts.

• Uses low power. Most microwaves have an option to change the power output, which allows you to cycle the microwave on and off to adjust the intensity of the cooking. Adjust the power to 40% or 50% when melting the butter. Melting the butter at low power prevents it from heating up too quickly.
• Cook in short intervals. Melt the butter in 10-second intervals, stirring between cooking to ensure it melts evenly. Shorter intervals will prevent pressure from building up as the butter melts. Stirring releases steam and reduces splatter.
• cut butter into a cube: When melting a whole stick of butter, cut it into 1- to 2-inch cubes. The increased surface area allows for faster and more uniform dissolution.