Luminarc® is a French maker of dinner sets, tumblers, goblets, plates, and bowls established in 1948 by ARC International. It specializes in glassware and dinnerware. The company offers various plates and dishes for all ages, which ensures a comfortable daily lifestyle.
So is Luminarc microwave safe (glass, bowls, plates, dishes)? The short of it is yes, they make microwave-safe glass bowls, plates, and dishes. To learn more, keep on reading.
Is Luminarc Microwave-Safe?
All Luminarc products made from tempered glass have a microwave-safe label on them. This means they’re resistant to thermal and mechanical shock. On top of that, tableware made from Luminarc is also dishwasher-safe for good measure.
Thermal shock is when the glass undergoes sudden temperature changes, which then results in breakage. Mechanical shock is more about sudden blunt-force trauma from dropping the glass. In short, it’s safe to use inside your microwave for microwaving food.
There are many materials used by Luminarc products like dishes and bowls that are microwave-safe.
Why is Luminarc Microwave-Safe?
Luminarc is microwave-safe because they’re glass-ceramic ware made of heatproof glass or ceramic. You can also safely use vented plastic bags that are BPA-fee, straw baskets, paper products, oven cooking bags, parchment paper, wax paper, and wood without metal are all microwave-safe.
Listed below are the materials used for Luminarc dishware as well as a list of materials that aren’t microwave-safe.
Microwave-Safe Materials
- Ceramic and glass dishes
- Parchment and wax paper
- Napkins, towels, and paper plates
Microwave-Unsafe Materials
- Aluminum foil
- Brown paper bags
- Onetime-use plastic containers
- Dishes with metallic trim or paint
- Styrofoam or polystyrene containers
Is Luminarc Breakable or Unbreakable?
Any ceramic or glassware will break if it falls at a high enough height on a non-shock-absorbent surface like the floor. It’s heavy but breakable, so be careful not to drop it accidentally as much as possible.
However, it can resist shattering easily at certain heights so that it doesn’t easily break by thermal shock. Then again, don’t let it become the covered china dish at the back of your refrigerator until its contents get moldy. Always finish off your leftovers before cooking new dishes.
Breakable Like All Glassware But It’s Odor-Proof and Stain-Proof
In fairness to Luminarc, its glass bowls, plates, and dishes won’t absorb stains or odors due to its high-quality nonporous glass material. It also won’t affect the foods’ flavor. Other containers have stinky foods that affect the taste of other dishes.
Luminarc-contained foods are more shielded against such scents within your fridge. Even though it’s breakable it’s not brittle and effectively stores your leftover food in an excellent manner.
What Does Microwave-Safe Mean?
Microwave-safe items won’t shatter, crack, or break when microwaved in a microwave oven. It doesn’t easily fall victim to thermal shock and shows a measure of heat-resistance. When heating food in the microwave, it stays cool or at least warm even as the food it contains grows hot.
Most dishes won’t break into a million pieces or explode when microwaved. However, a microwave-unsafe item made of metal can make sparks and electricity appear. Also, even if a microwave-unsafe plastic container doesn’t melt, it can contaminate your food with BPA and other plasticizers.
You may also like: What Can You Put in a Microwave?
Is Glass Microwave-Safe?
Not all glass products are microwave-safe but many have heat-resistance and shock-resistant features perfect for microwave heating or even cooking. You should stick to products with the label “microwave-safe” every time. This is the case with Luminarc glassware for the most part.
Further reading: Can You Microwave Glass?
Unlabeled glassware shouldn’t be microwaved. However, you can check their microwave-safeness by microwaving it on high for a minute or two with a glass or cup of hot water. If the glassware remains cool to the touch afterwards even with the presence of boiling, steamy water, it’s microwave-safe.
If it ends up slightly warm, only use it for reheating food. If it ends up almost as hot as the microwaved water, it’s not microwave-safe and it’s probably susceptible to thermal shock.
What’s More Microwave-Safe? Pyrex, Luminarc, or Arcopal?
Pyrex, like Luminarc, is microwave-safe. Pyrex glassware is mostly used in conventional ovens but it’s both microwave-safe and oven-safe according to the Pyrex website and our own tests to confirm the company’s claims. However, avoid shocking the glass by placing it in water after heating.
It could suffer from thermal shock and break due to sudden temperature changes. Luminarc, in contrast, is more resistant to sudden temperature changes. Then again, it’s better to be safe than to be sorry, so don’t attempt to put a hot Luminarc glass into cold dishwater either.
Is Arcopal Unbreakable or Breakable?
Introduced back in 1958, Arcopal is fully tempered glassware. It’s known for its extra durability, break-resistance, chip-resistances, and high strength performance. It’s not necessarily unbreakable like metal but it’s less likely to break than other glassware.
Even though it’s thin it’s five times stronger than chinaware. However, in regards to its microwave-safeness, it’s about the same as with Luminarc. It’s extra-resistant against thermal shock and all glassware labeled microwave-safe can be used in the microwave.
What Happens When You Microwave a Non-Microwaveable Glass Mug or Bowl?
A non-microwave-safe glass dish, bowl, or mug—especially those specifically labeled as such—absorb microwave energy and get hot like water. These aren’t safe for your microwave because they could undergo thermal shock and crack, shatter, or explode from so much heat pressure.
Further reading: Can You Microwave Glass?
Microwaveable glass is dangerous because it can get hotter than your food, get hot enough to burn your hand, and get hot enough to short out or overheat your microwave oven, particularly when they go above the typical oven heat of 450°F.
It’s possible to superheat such glassware to the point of fracturing them to thermal stresses or making them unstable enough to react to the slightest of stimuli, which could injure you and damage your microwave.
The Final Words
Just in case you want to test Luminarc products for microwave-safeness, you can do this. Put the dish inside with a cup of water. Microwave the whole thing for about a minute or two until the cup ends up boiling. Afterwards, when you take the dish outgo and touch the product to see if it’s warm or not.
If it’s cool, the Luminarc product is microwave-safe. If it’s warm, only use your Luminarc product for reheating leftovers. If it’s super hot, then the Luminarc product isn’t microwave-safe at all.
References
- “Are Luminarc dishes microwave safe?“, AskingLot.com, January 20, 2020
