I regularly use Hydro Flask bottles, tumblers and food flasks for both hot and cold drinks and food.
Sometimes I use the food flask or tumbler and my food or coffee gets cold because I don't consume it fast enough. An easy way to reheat it is in the microwave, but can you put Hydro Flask products in the microwave or will it damage them?
I was also curious if you could put the bottle in the microwave and what would happen so I decided to do an experiment with a bunch of Hydro Flask products to see how microwave safe they are. I've microwaved my Yeti tumbler before without issue, but little did I know what would happen to my Hydro Flask.
So what exactly happened and can you put Hydro Flask products in the microwave?
You should avoid putting Hydro Flask products in the microwave. The lids of the bottles can melt and so can the exterior of the Hydro Flask mugs. Other Hydro Flask products will get very hot in the microwave and the food/drink inside them will warm up very slowly compared to other microwave safe containers.
You're definitely best avoiding putting any Hydro Flask products in the microwave and after damaging my Hydro Flask bottle I'm certainly going to avoid it.
My Experiment Microwaving Hydro Flasks
Below you can see my experiment where I microwaved the following items:
- Hydro Flask 32 oz bottle
- Hydro Flask 20 oz Food Container
- Hydro Flask 16 oz Stackable Cup
The results were…interesting
Will a Hydro Flask Spark In The Microwave?
First let's address the common misconception people have. They think placing something metal in microwave will causes sparks to fly everywhere. However, this isn't the case.
When you place a Hydro Flask in the microwave it does not spark.
In order for a spark to occur you have to have pointed metals where electrical current can be concentrated and arcs can form. Because a Hydro Flask is smooth this doesn't happen.
You can also see other metal things like aluminum trays don't spark in the microwave.
Will Putting A Hydro Flask In The Microwave Break Your Hydro Flask?
Putting your Hydro Flask in the microwave won't necessarily break it, but it does have the potential to, especially with the Hydro Flask mugs and bottles.
See when you microwave a Hydro Flask the metal on the outside gets extremely hot.
If this hot metal comes in contact with the plastic lid of your Hydro Flask it can definitely melt and deform it. You can see how this happened to my Hydro Flask bottle below:
Also you should ABSOLUTELY NEVER microwave Hydro Flask mugs.
Hydro Flask mugs are made from dual wall insulated stainless steel but they have a plastic exterior that makes them soft to touch.
When placed in the microwave this plastic melts pretty easily completely ruining your mug. You can see the results in the picture below
However, this doesn't mean the microwave will ruin all Hydro Flask products.
I personally put in my Hydro Flask food container and Hydro Flask tumbler without any issues.
I put them in without any lids on so there was no plastic to melt. After 1 minute the products were completely fine and I even checked their insulation and it wasn't damaged.
Maybe longer in the microwave might have damaged them though.
There is also the potential for the microwave to damage the vacuum insulation of Hydro Flask products – meaning they won't be able to keep food and drinks hot or cold for long periods of time anymore.
Can You Heat Drinks or Food Up In The Microwave Inside a Hydro Flask?
It's not really worth putting Hydro Flask containers, tumblers, mugs or water bottles in the microwave because they don't warm up drinks very well.
Yes, drinks and food will warm up when placed in a Hydro Flask in the microwave. However, they will warm up much much slower than in a regular microwave safe container.
In a food container 20 oz of water increased in temperature just 28ºF/15ºC in 1 minute compared to 40ºF/22ºC when the same amount of water was placed in a ceramic bowl.
16 oz of water placed in a Hydro Flask tumbler only increased in temperature by 4ºF/2ºC in 1 minute in the microwave and a 32 oz Hydro Flask bottle only increase in temperature by 4ºF/2ºC.
| Product | Temperature Increase (1 Minute in Microwave) |
|---|---|
| 20 oz Hydro Flask Food Container | 28ºF / 15ºC |
| 16 oz Hydro Flask Stackable Tumbler | 4ºF / 2ºC |
| 32 oz Hydro Flask Bottle | 4ºF / 2ºC |
| 20 oz Ceramic Bowl | 40ºF / 22ºC |
The reason heating things up in a Hydro Flask in the microwave doesn't work well is because metal reflects microwaves.
This means that the microwave energy will only get into your Hydro Flask through the opening in the bottle and the sides and base of the bottle will reflect away the energy.
Compare this to a glass or ceramic cup or bowl. Microwaves can pass through this material so your food or drink will get warmed up from all sides.
Long story short: It's better and safer to heat up food or drink in a microwave safe container compared to in a Hydro Flask.
This is the same reason you shouldn't put a thermos in the microwave.
Will Putting Your Hydro Flask in The Microwave Break The Microwave?
Before I did my experiments I read a few people online saying that if I put a metal bottle (like a Hydro Flask) in the microwave then it'll break my microwave.
But unless you do it for extended periods of time this is highly unlikely to happen. But it may make your microwave shut off temporarily. Here's why:
Microwaves make energy using a magnetron. When the energy produced is not absorbed by your food or drink (like when it bounces off your Hydro Flask bottle) it can go back to the magnetron and increase the speed at which it heats up.
If your magnetron overheats then your microwave can break.
However, most modern microwaves have a shut off mechanism. If the magnetron (or any other part) gets too hot the microwave will shut itself off until it cools down.
So no, a Hydro Flask is highly unlikely to break your microwave.
Can You Put a Hydro Flask In The Oven?
What about in the oven? Can you heat up products in a Hydro Flask in the oven?
You should NOT put your Hydro Flask in the oven. The high heat will melt the plastic lid of the Hydro Flask or the plastic exterior of Hydro Flask mugs.
The oven can also melt the vacuum insulation seal allowing air to fill in the space. This will stop your Hydro Flask's ability to keep drinks hot or cold for long periods of time.
