How often have you been ready to place the yummy snack concealed in that plastic containter in your hand into your microwave and stopped to ask yourself, "Can I use this in the micro? Will it melt? Is it safe to use? How to do I find out?"

Well, take a deep breath and relax. I'm here to give you a little lesson on the battle between plastic containers and the microwave.

Most of the plastic containers and wraps used today are specially designed to withstand the high temperatures generated by a microwave oven. All you have to do is check the item or its packaging label and follow the instructions printed there.

1. FreshVac 3-pc. Square Vacuum Food Storage Containers

2. Swirl A Round - Swirl Around Carousel Food Storage System

3. Airtight Food Storage Container Set - 6 Piece Lock & Lock Lunch Set

4. iTouchless Set of 2 Bag Re-Sealer

5. Airtight Food Storage Container Set - 15 Piece Lock 'n Lock - An Organize.com Exclusive!

OK, that almost sounds to easy, right? But there are 3 things you should always look for:

1. The words "Microwave Safe" imprinted on the bottom of the container.
2. The imprinted microwave symbol. This is on lots of the reusable plastic storage containers.
3. Instructions printed on the packaging providing the proper microwave usage.

All of these are used as an indication from the manufacturers that that product has been designed for safe usage in the microwave as per the directions given.

Using a plastic container in the microwave that isn't labeled for microwave use isn't necessarily "unsafe". All plastics intended for food usage must meet strict FDA safety standards before they can be sold to consumers. But unless a product is labeled "for the microwave", you won't have the assurance that the item was tested and evaluated for this purpose. The concern about that is, when used inappropriately, the item could warp or melt and the hot food could leak all over the bottom of the oven or, at the very worse, cause accidental burns on you.

It's just best to be on the safe side and look for plastics that are labeled "for microwave use" and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Plastics, such as butter tubs and deli containers (which we all save and reuse) are designed for cold food storage only and were never intended for reheating foods. So, no matter how great the temptation, DON'T USE THEM IN YOUR MICROWAVE!

Now, this little lesson wasn't so hard to learn after all, was it? And you're going to remember it, right?

It really all comes down to one simple rule:

If your container isn't labeled for microwave use, it's better and wiser to choose one that is.

I WUZ ONLY IN HERE TO CHECK DA EXPIRATION DATES!

HONEST!!