It’s easy to think of items you see everywhere as overrated. You see them in stranger’s hands in subways, friends’ Facebook feeds, and celebrities in airports. You can even see them when you’re hiking or camping. We’re talking about Hydro Flask (or Hydroflask), of course.
Hydro Flask is a brand of tumbler you can use to keep your drink hot or cold. Hydro Flask lives up to its hype as a quality tumbler or mobile water bottle.
Is Hydro Flask Microwave-Safe?
No. You shouldn’t microwave your Hydro Flask. The makers of the product have specifically said that the Hydro Flask isn’t designed for microwave use. You could end up destroying or even burning your bottle when you microwave it.
According to a November 26, 2019 tweet from the official Hydro Flask Twitter account (@HydroFlask):
“Good question. We definitely do not recommend microwaving any of our products! Our products are made from 18/8 food-grade stainless steel, and metal and microwaves don’t play so nicely together. Thanks for asking!”
As the Hydro Flask Twitter said, Hydro Flask bottles aren’t made of microwavable material but instead 18/8 stainless steel. Putting anything metal inside your microwave can lead to arcing and sparks to form, which can damage your microwave as well as contaminate the beverage you’re heating up.
What is Hydro Flask?
Helen of Troy Limited owns the Hydro Flask water bottle brand. This specific band became quite popular all of a sudden back in the middle of 2019 before the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic hit.
It’s particularly popular among the Millennial Generation and Generation Z. It’s also popular in the subculture of “VSCO Girl”.
Hydro Flasks are made in China through EcoWay Houseware Ltd. This is located in the Guangdong District. They produce the water bottles known as EcoWay Drinkware and they also make stainless steel bottles for several companies, including Hydro Flask.
Hydro Flask isn’t microwave-safe. A couple of people had to find this out the hard way, damaging their expensive water bottle beyond repair when push came to shove.
Why is the Hydro Flask Not Microwave-Safe?
First and foremost, the Hydro Flask isn’t microwave-safe exactly because it’s made of metal or stainless steel. This means the metal component of the water bottle will merely repel the microwave radiation or short-frequency radiowaves away like the metal walls of the device.
Furthermore, the exterior of the bottle of the Hydro Flask is also microwave-unsafe. This means it could melt or warp when microwaved. The exterior material is not microwave-transparent like ceramic, glass, plastic wrap, parchment or wax paper, and microwavable plastic.
The bottle can induce electricity and sparks by the arcing phenomenon on the inside and warp or melt on the outside. It’s the worst of both worlds.
You may also like: What Happens When You Put Metal in a Microwave?
Why Shouldn’t You Microwave a Hydro Flask?
According to confirmed Hydro Flask buyers on Amazon.com and various Twitter reactions, many people have foolishly tried to microwave their Hydro Flask to quickly heat their chocolate or coffee beverage. To wit:
Twitter Users Confirm the Horrors of Microwaving Hydro Flask
Several Twitter users and Amazon verified purchasers served as Guinea pigs for what happens when the Hydro Flask is microwaved. It varied depending on how long the flask is microwaved, what the flask is made of, and the wattage used for microwaving.
Every time, the water bottle is either destroyed or the microwave ends up with some damage from the arcing phenomenon induced by microwaving metal.
The Roundabout Way is the Safest Way
The responsible thing to do is reheat the contents of the Hydro Flask on a microwave-safe container like a bowl, dish, mug, tall glass, or microwavable bottle. Afterwards, you can transfer the contents back into the Hydro Flask with no issues.
Even though this is the roundabout way to heat up beverages that have gone cold inside your Hydro Flask metal tumbler, it’s also the safer way to heat them up inside the microwave.
Expensive Hydro Flasks Should Be Kept Away from the Microwave
Hydro Flasks are expensive items so don’t microwave them. You wouldn’t put a tumbler inside an oven, so what makes you think a microwave oven is a better choice? If you heat up Hydro Flasks in the microwave, the bottle will be ruined and your microwave interior will stink of fumes or get damaged.
The contents of the bottle should be reheated in another microwave-safe container for microwaving, in the electric kettle, or even on the stove. After heating, put the contents back in the Hydro Flask.
What Alternatives to the Hydro Flask are Microwave-Safe?
Because you can’t microwave a stainless steel Hydro Flask, you should instead get a plastic thermos or tumbler with a microwave-safe label on it. Anything with a microwave-safe label that’s not old or damaged should work fine as a microwavable food and beverage container.
The Hydro Flask water bottle is quite an investment. You surely don’t want to ruin something you spent so much money on, even if it’s “just” a water bottle. Regardless, there are numerous portable water tumblers you can microwave. The Coleman water cooler isn’t one of them.
However, there are some microwave-safe items around that request you to loosen the lid when they’re being mcirowaved or reheated.
What’s So Special About the Hydro Flask?
Hydro Flask is popular among two youth generations Gen Y and Gen Z exactly because it’s travel-friendly and insulated drinkware that’s quite durable in most settings save for microwaving. It’s like that super-tough durable jacket that’s seemingly bulletproof but isn’t washing machine safe.
Youth culture and the VSCO girl subculture love it because the bottles come in a variety of colors. It’s also a cold drinkware tumbler that doubles as a thermos made of stainless steel and has a rugged design worthy of being part of a hitchhiker’s or construction worker’s daily apparel.
You can use the Hydro Flask as your office or school water bottle. When people weren’t in lockdown, these bottles were regular travel companions of travelers everywhere, from truckers at the trailhead to campers in the wilderness.
Concluding Thoughts
The Hydro Flask has many things going for it, such as its vacuum insulation that keeps your water, hard drink, or soft drink nice and cold. Quality water bottles are available everywhere, but many people prefer the amazing thermos-like performance of the Hydro Flask.
The brand and company was one of the first ones to bring high-tier water bottle technology to a mainstream audience instead of a niche one like campers or hitchhikers.
References:
- Jeremy Dixon, “Can You Microwave a Hydro Flask?” TheBestestEver.com, March 5, 2021
- Hydro Flask, “Good question. We definitely do not recommend microwaving any of our products!“, Twitter.com, November 26, 2019
- Connie Chen, “The Insider Reviews team swears by Hydro Flask’s insulated water bottles and travel mugs. Here’s what makes them so great.“, Business Insider, May 28, 2021
