How to Safely Remove Hot Bowls and Plates from the Microwave

Microwaves make reheating meals quick and convenient, but there's one familiar problem: the food may be ready, but the bowl or plate can be surprisingly hot to handle.

Ceramic and glass dishes can become hot from the food inside them, and lifting a hot bowl or plate from the microwave using a tea towel or bulky oven mitts can sometimes be awkward.

There are several simple ways to make handling hot dishes from the microwave easier and safer.

Why do bowls and plates get so hot in the microwave?

Microwave ovens primarily heat the food and liquid inside a dish. Heat from the food can then transfer to the bowl or plate, meaning the dish itself can become very hot.

Some materials and dishes also become hotter than others.

This is why it's always sensible to check the temperature before lifting a dish from the microwave and follow the microwave and cookware manufacturers' instructions.

What can you use to remove a hot bowl from the microwave?

Tea towels and oven mitts are common solutions, but they aren't always convenient when handling bowls.

Another option is a microwave-safe bowl holder that stays underneath the bowl while it is being heated.

The Bias Designs Bowl Cozy is made from LFGB-certified food-grade silicone and is designed so that the bowl sits inside the Cozy while in the microwave.

When the food is ready, you lift the Cozy rather than gripping the hot bowl itself.

Because the Bowl Cozy remains with the bowl, it can also help when carrying the meal from the microwave to the table.

What about larger bowls?

Not every bowl fits a standard microwave bowl holder.

Large soup, pasta and serving bowls may require a larger holder, which is why we developed the Bias Designs Big Bowl Cozy.

The same principle applies: the bowl is placed inside the silicone Cozy before heating, allowing the Cozy to be used to lift and carry the hot bowl afterwards.

When choosing any microwave bowl holder, always check that your bowl fits properly and that both the holder and bowl are suitable for microwave use.

How do you safely remove a hot plate from the microwave?

Plates present a slightly different problem.

A flat dinner plate can be particularly awkward to grip with an oven mitt or folded tea towel, especially when it contains hot food.

The Bias Designs Plate Cozy applies the same idea as a bowl holder to a dinner plate. The plate sits inside the flexible silicone holder while being heated, providing edges that can be held when removing it from the microwave.

This can be particularly convenient when reheating a complete meal directly on the plate.

What about square and rectangular dishes?

Microwave meals aren't always served in round bowls.

Leftovers, casseroles and meal-prepared food are often stored and reheated in square or rectangular glass or ceramic dishes.

That's why the Bias Designs Cozy range also includes the Dish Cozy Square and Dish Cozy Rectangle, designed to extend the same concept to appropriately sized square and rectangular dishes.

Together, this means the type of holder can be matched to the dish you're actually using rather than trying to make one shape fit everything.

Silicone vs fabric microwave bowl holders

Traditional bowl cozies are often made from quilted fabric. They can be attractive and useful, but silicone offers some practical differences.

The Bias Designs Cozies are made from food-grade silicone, so they don't absorb food spills or moisture in the way fabric can. They can also be washed in the dishwasher.

Silicone also provides a flexible, grippy surface around the dish.

Neither approach is necessarily appropriate for every situation, so always follow the manufacturer's instructions for whichever product you use.

We'll look at the differences between silicone and fabric bowl holders in more detail in our upcoming guide, Silicone vs Fabric Microwave Bowl Cozies: What's the Difference?

A useful option for different kitchens

A microwave-safe holder can be useful anywhere microwave meals are regularly prepared.

That can include the family kitchen, workplace lunchroom, holiday home, caravan or motorhome.

It can also provide another option for people who find handling hot dishes with conventional oven mitts or folded tea towels awkward.

The important principle remains the same: choose a holder designed for microwave use, make sure the dish fits correctly, and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Meet the Bias Designs Cozy range

Bias Designs began with a simple everyday problem: how do you get a hot bowl out of the microwave without having to grab the hot bowl itself?

That problem led to the original Bowl Cozy and ultimately to a family of reusable silicone microwave holders designed for different types of dishes:

Bowl Cozy — for everyday bowls
Big Bowl Cozy — for larger bowls
Plate Cozy — for dinner plates
Dish Cozy Square — for square dishes
Dish Cozy Rectangle — for rectangular dishes

They're made from LFGB-certified food-grade silicone and designed to stay underneath the dish during microwave heating.

Explore the Bias Designs Cozy Range to find the Cozy that suits the dishes you use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put a bowl holder in the microwave?

Only use a bowl holder specifically designed and approved by its manufacturer for microwave use. Bias Designs Cozies are designed to remain underneath an appropriately sized bowl, plate or dish while it is heated in the microwave.

Can silicone go in the microwave?

Many food-grade silicone products are suitable for microwave use, but you should always follow the instructions for the particular silicone product. Bias Designs Cozies are designed for microwave use.

Why does my bowl get hot in the microwave?

Heat from hot food and liquid can transfer into the bowl, making the dish itself hot to touch.

What can I use instead of oven mitts to remove a microwave bowl?

One option is a purpose-designed microwave-safe bowl holder that remains underneath the bowl during heating, allowing the holder rather than the hot bowl to be grasped when removing it.