Electronics

[Black Cat Back]

For years I've been popping popcorn in a brown paper bag in my microwave. I first saw the idea on Dr. Oz.

Tonight, all of a sudden, my microwave made a weird noise and I turned around to see the paper bag on fire!

I opened the door and was able to get it out and put it under water immediately.   The microwave is now full of soot.    It scared the heck out of me.

Has this happened to anyone?   I've done this for years without ever an issue.   I don't know if was the bag or my microwave.  I unplugged it and am afraid to ever use it again.

[juperier]

Yes and no. Many times during my working years someone would burn popcorn (and this was always the microwave bags) in the microwave in one of the offices in our building. I heard of there being flames at least once. Stench would spread throughout the whole building and we'd all be trying to figure out if there was actually a fire or just someone who turned there back on the popcorn. The "community" microwave in another building smelled like burned popcorn for months.

Does it damage the microwave? I suppose it could if you had flames. Maybe call a repair place or two you feel you can trust.

I'm glad I learned through the experience of others not to ever walk away when I had popcorn in the microwave. Listen and turn the microwave off when the popping slows down. It's a fine line between getting the bulk of the kernals popped and a bag of burned, stinky popcorn. 

[Sissyrose]

I make popcorn this way probably 5 times a week. I have had some of my popcorn burnt but have never had a bag on fire. I bet that was scarey.

I always stay close and watch especially when it gets close to the time of being done.

[3suwm5]

Was it just popcorn in the bag, or did you have butter, oil in the bag as well?  I've not heard of a paper bag igniting, how scary indeed.  Sorry you had to go through that.

I just bought a bunch of small paper bags to do just that, now not sure if I should.  Maybe I'll just start with a very small amount in the bag, then increase as I get braver with the job.

Whoa!!  How old is the microwave, maybe the filter is clogged?  Or the fan isn't working properly?  I think I'd get a repairman out or call and quiz them about your experience.

Good luck, let us know what happened please?

[Black Cat Back]

No, nothing in the bag but dry popcorn kernals.   The microwave is about 10 years old, never had a problem with it.   In fact, I had just popped a bowl in the paper bag a few minutes before, but wanted more to add.  It was the 2nd time that it flared up.   So weird.

I will probably go and buy a new one.   It's time, I guess.   I'll look at Target/Walmart and Home Depot. 

Perhaps I'll buy a hot air popper from now on to avoid this in the future.

If you go online, it warns you about putting paper bags in a microwave.

I didn't leave it unattended, I had just turned away for 5 sec to pour some water.   It had just started not more than 10 sec prior.

[elca]

SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME WITH POPCORN. TOSS THE MICRO. WE DID. PURCHASE A NEW ONE--DON'T TAKE ANY CHANCES!

[Nataliesgramma]

I qould toss it....You can't get the smell out of it and I wouldn't take a chance that it damaged the unit somehow...

[StylishLady]

The paper had to get to 451ºF to ignite. Scary. Once I was baking a potato, inadvertently set the timer for 50 minutes instead of 5, and forgot about it. Once the water in the potato boiled off, it caught on fire. The inside of the microwave was ruined, but we had insurance that paid for repairs. Lesson learned.

[henderson]

You can purchase a microwave popcorn popper for about $10.  I think I got mine online.  There are several brands.  Why take a chance with a paper bag?

[Gokat]

Some paper bags can contain materials not compatible with microwaves so I stopped using that method awhile back, @Black Cat Back .   While I didn't experience a full-on fire, arcing did occur.

If you're interested in pursuing an alternative popcorn maker, I can highly recommend the Lekue Microwave Popcorn Popper/Maker on Amazon.  I've used various versions over the years and this one is, by far, my favorite. HTHs