Microwaving Coals

[sksiazki]

Haha alright before everyone starts telling me I'm retarded and or that I'm taking some part of the essence of hookah out of the hookah, I am just curious if anyone has done this.

One day a year ago or so, I was smoking up on my balcony in the evening and had to get up to light two more CCNs after my first two died.  My gast stove wasn't perfectly set up to balance them and I was a little annoyed so I decided to pop them in the microwave and see what would happen.  I put them on a small, cheap plate and turned it on.  Very quickly the coals started smoking and then caught fire, probably within 30 seconds.  I don't know anything about microwaves but I have heard that they cook things from the inside out, and that is what appeared to happen with these coals, the centers got cherry before the edges.  Of course, in the process the plate also cracked in half, but cest la vie.

Has anyone else ever used their microwave to light coals?  After Eric demonstrated the benefits of lighting Japanese coals off of eachother, I have subsequently switched to them.  Now I dont have to worry about getting up in the middle of a session and lighting more, however I am all about efficiency in anything I do and this seemed to be pretty efficient.  I think when I get back I will grab a fire brick or something of the sort and try it again.

[mushrat]

http://www.hookahforum.com/topic/25856-lighting-coconaras-in-the-microwave/?hl=microwave

 

 

It actually has been discussed. :)

[sksiazki]

Damnit, I even searched microwave before posting, must have missed it.

[mushrat]

no worries. :)

[sksiazki]

Sounds like there are some pretty awesome videos of people almost burning down their kitchens?  We cant watch any videos out here, youtube etc is blocked lol but I am going to have to check these out.  Now it makes me want to do it even more ;)

[mushrat]

blocked? wait, did you mention something about being deployed?

[sksiazki]

haha yessir hahaha

[Bawhee]

the problem I see, besides the whole possibility of burning your shit is that if you heat up the coal through and through it wont last as long, its meant to slowly burn up form the outside in to give you a decent smoke time

[Chreees]

Recipe for disaster. :)

[DrSmokes]

I watched one vid on youtube last night....and the coals turned blue.  It seems to burn at a much higher rate if done in the microwave.  That or...my color blindness is getting the best of me.

[sksiazki]

Bawhee, that is true.  I only did this twice I believe, and I dont remember how long they lasted afterward, good question.  Not really an issue with japanese coals they light so easily but at the time I had to get up from my comfortable setup on my balcony in the middle of the night, walk downstairs, start thecoals, go back upstairs, come back downstairs check on them, hope that none had fallen off their balancing position on the stove and then take them back up.  Nuking them for 30 seconds seemed like an interesting option :0