All You Need to Know About Microwaving Instant Noodles
| Ingredient | Water | Cook Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 3-4 oz package | 2 cups (500ml) water | 4-5 mins |
| 2 3-4 oz packages | 4 cups (1000ml) water | 9 mins |
| 3 3-4 oz packages | 6 cups (1500ml) water | 15 mins |
Because you don’t have to wait for the water to boil like you would on the stovetop, a package of instant noodles usually cooks in 3–4 minutes in the microwave. When noodles are cooked all the way through, they should be plump and bendy enough to twist easily with a fork or chopsticks. Another way to test it is to take a tiny bite; it should be soft but not mushy.
Water spilling over cooking noodles in the microwave?
There’s a chance that water will spill when cooking starchy foods like ramen noodles in the microwave. Starchy water’s sugars heat up quickly, causing the hot, bubbling water to overflow onto the microwave plate. Strong microwave models, like 1200w or inverter machines, may experience this. Try cooking the noodles in a larger dish to give the ramen more room to boil, or cook the noodles uncovered in the microwave to avoid this.
The convenience and low-effort preparation of Cup Noodles made them more appealing than those plastic-wrapped packets with the tiny aluminum seasoning pouches; you could prepare one in the dorm late at night or toss it in your backpack for a quick lunch at the office. Advertisement.
And look out for splattered microwaves — or worse. Microwave heating of the foam cups “may also compromise the container’s structural integrity,” which could result in leaks or spills onto your equipment or you while you’re taking it apart. Since those tons of plates and clamshells cannot be recycled, several states have banned the use of polystyrene containers for food and other purposes, primarily due to environmental concerns.
The business also praised the format’s “new” convenience in the announcement. It boasted, “Cup Noodles will be microwaveable for the first time ever, eliminating the need for boiling water and drastically cutting down on cooking time.”
Others, of course, chided the blissfully unaware among them. One person commented, “They print the instructions literally on the side of the cup!” Others, apparently, knew but didn’t care. Advertisement.
While those drawbacks might have been real, back in the dim days of the pandemic, a (false!) urban legend about the Cup Noodles and other ramen brands took hold. “Instant noodles contain wax coating which is also used in Styrofoam containers,” read a 2016 Facebook post that began making the rounds. “That is why instant noodles don’t stick to each other while cooking.”
