There are some things that you should never microwave: metallic objects, for instance, are one of them. Yes, that includes your iPhone—even if you did see a troll Apple advertisement that says doing so will wirelessly charge your device.
While most people know that tossing some leftover Chicken Francese in the microwave inside aluminum foil is a bad idea, there are a variety of other non-metallic products that should never be heated in a microwave.
The danger of heating one of these items is what TikTok user Syanne Green (@syanna.green) discovered the hard way after she tried re-heating some food she brought back from the Cheesecake Factory. The issue? She did not remove it from the chain’s take-out container first.
@syanne.green why wouldn’t they tell you this? #fyp #cheesecakefactory ♬ original sound – syanne green
Syanne was left with a melted, inedible mess, which she showed off on camera.
“Bitch, I just found out that the plates from Cheesecake Factory are not microwave safe. That shit is not microwave safe,” she says while changing the inflection of her voice.
One TikToker pointed out that Syanne may have wanted to read the Cheesecake Factory container packaging before placing it in the microwave.
“It literally says on them that theyre not,” they shared. Someone else wrote, “They tell you on the bottom of the container.”
However, other users said they, too, have been in Syanne’s position before, with one user sharing, “I’ve done this so many times and forgot.”
It appears that the chain uses both non-microwavable and microwave-safe options for its take-out containers. A 2015 tweet from one user on the platform stated that the chain’s to-go boxes could indeed be heated up in the microwave. However, one of her followers replied with a photo of a melted box from the restaurant asking, “how could you do this to me.”
There are also pictures online of black to-go boxes from the restaurant, with its logo clearly emblazoned on the front and text that reads, “Recyclable” and “Microwavable” right beneath it. You could even purchase a bunch of them from eBay if you want.
However, another TikToker, Danielle Ball (@danielleball86) posted a clip where she shows off a similar-looking to-go container from the Cheesecake Factory, but the text underneath the logo clearly reads, “Do Not place into microwave.”
Danielle urged the restaurant to change the color of the text on the box to make it easier for customers to spot, probably in the hopes of avoiding a situation like the one Syanne encountered.
Another TikTok user who responded to Syanne’s post wanted to know why all of the chain’s containers weren’t made to be used in a microwave.
They shared, “I just don’t understand why a restaurant would give out non microwave safe containers like it’s the 1900s.”
According to Imperial Dade, plastic containers that are typically OK to heat up inside of a microwave are “polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), and molded fiber & bagasse.” The types of plastics that aren’t safe for microwave use are “polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), and polystyrene (PS).”
Typically, however, containers should indicate whether they are microwave safe or not, and if you’re in doubt as to whether your to-go container is going to melt, it might be a good idea to ask a staff member at the restaurant.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Syanne via TikTok comment and the Cheesecake Factory via email.
