Thread: Wood mug in the microwave

Been heating my shaving water in the microwave. I usually place a measuring cup in a large bowl, fill both, heat both at the same time to just shy of boiling, then pour the water from the cup into my current shaving mug, and use the water in the bowl for the towel.

Can I replace the measuring cup with a wooden shaving mug, or just pour the not-quite-boiling water into the wooden mug to soak the brush, without fear of warping or cracking the wood?

Originally Posted by Kitulu

Been heating my shaving water in the microwave. I usually place a measuring cup in a large bowl, fill both, heat both at the same time to just shy of boiling, then pour the water from the cup into my current shaving mug, and use the water in the bowl for the towel.

Can I replace the measuring cup with a wooden shaving mug, or just pour the not-quite-boiling water into the wooden mug to soak the brush, without fear of warping or cracking the wood?

I think your best bet is to get an electric kettle, which is not expensive ($10-$20). It's convenient to have it where you shave, and you can stop it before it goes to a boil. I don't really think you should put hot water in a wooden mug if you want it to last.

I'm not a scientist by any means, however to answer your question with a bit of science I can help. Microwaves agitate either water or fat (both if present). Wood retains moisture in its normal state and at room temp. When you put it in the microwave it will heat the water in the bowl but will also heat the bowl, causing what moisture in it to eventually evaporate. To tell you how long it would take for this to happen I know not, however eventually you would have a dry, brittle bowl that would either crack, split, chip and so forth. Hope this helps.