Water heating in micro wave..

A 26-year old guy decided to have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of
water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had
done numerous times before).

Not sure how long he set the timer for, but he wanted
to bring the water to a boil. When the timer shut the oven off, he
removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the cup, he noted that
the water was not boiling, but instantly the water in the cup 'blew up'
into his face.

The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand but all the
water had flown out into his face due to the build up of energy. His
whole face is blistered and he has 1st and
2nd degree burns to his face, which may leave scarring. He also may
have lost partial sight in his left eye. While at the hospital, the
doctor who was attending to him stated that this is fairly common
occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in a microwave
oven. If water is heated in this manner, something should be placed in
the cup to diffuse the energy such as: a wooden stir stick, tea bag,
etc. It is however a much safer choice to boil the water in a teakettle.

General Electric 's (GE) response:

Thanks for contacting us. I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail
that you received is correct. Micro waved water and other liquids do
not always bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually
get superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will
bubble up out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a
spoon or teabag is put into it. To prevent this from happening and
causing injury, do not heat any liquid for more than two minutes per
cup.  After heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for thirty
seconds before moving it or adding anything into it.