Got a new Maytag Oven? Beware of your cell phone.

[Creeker]

It ain't poltergeists: Cell phone activates oven : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech

It ain't poltergeists: Cell phone activates oven
Mon Aug 24, 2009 12:25AM EDT

Ever have that sinking feeling that you left a major appliance running when you left the house? Well you might not be paranoid: It may actually be on... though not of your own doing.

Andrei Melnikov found that out the hard way: Something activated his oven, causing it to turn itself on and melt a plastic meat thermometer which had been left inside.

How did this happen? Melnikov and his Brooklyn apartment building's skeptical super eventually figured it out through trial and error: The tenant's ringing cell phone somehow turned on his nearby Maytag oven when it rang. If you're skeptical, check out the video of this in action at the New York Times website and see for yourself.

Calling the situation "highly unusual," Maytag (and other experts) blame the problem on electromagnetic interference -- basically the same thing that happens when your cell phone gets too close to your speakers and it starts making that beep-beep-beeping noise. In this case, the interference didn't make a sound but rather caused the oven to turn on.

And this may not be an isolated incident: The Times suggests that preliminary experiments have confirmed that different brands of cell phones can activate multiple models of Maytag ovens. And, as the story notes, the oven "prefers high" and activates the broiler when it turns on -- which means anything inside the thing is going to get totally fried. On the other hand, tests with a General Electric oven failed to generate the same response.

Takeaways? It's hard to be a Luddite these days, but mysterious situations like this are likely to become more and more common as advanced electronics find their way into an increasing number of products. There's no special reason why an oven or a toaster needs to have a computer brain so advanced, but microprocessors have become so cheap it's probably easier to include one in an oven than it is to include an old-fashioned, analog temperature control system... and it's probably more accurate, too.

The bottom line: Always keep an eye out for oddball effects like this. If you see something strange happening with the electronics in your kitchen -- or any other room in the house -- consider how close your cell phone is when the antics occur, and try a little home-grown experimentation for yourself. Hey, maybe you'll make the news.

[WilliamTomFrank]

Hummm :confused:

[retdetsgt]

Andrei Melnikov found that out the hard way: Something activated his oven, causing it to turn itself on and melt a plastic meat thermometer which had been left inside.

I wonder why anyone would put a plastic meat thermometer in the oven anyway?:confused:

Good safety tip though, don't put the baby in the oven for a nap and then use your cell phone.....

[texaschickeee]

LOL @ Retdetsgt
I have personally have seen my car remote unlock someone elses car. (I did lock it back after I saw the lights blink....
I have heard mty neighbors on their cordless, on my cordless.
so since its all the eletric waves that make these things work I can see it happening.

[Creeker]

I wonder why anyone would put a plastic meat thermometer in the oven anyway?:confused:

...

From the linked newspaper article, they never used their oven and stored plastic containers... and I guess meat thermometers... in their Oven.

My wife stores her cooking sheets and some broiler dishes there.

[MyOwnNemesis]

This sounds like something that a skeezy defense attorney will use for a precedent.

[retdetsgt]

From the linked newspaper article, they never used their oven and stored plastic containers... and I guess meat thermometers... in their Oven.

My wife stores her cooking sheets and some broiler dishes there.

I wonder what they used the meat thermometer for if they didn't use their oven?

My wife stored stuff in the oven until we got married.... I hate that. I do nearly all the cooking now that I'm retired and she isn't. The oven is mine and I don't want to have to empty it out every time I want to use it.

But she also thought that laundry baskets were for storage, not actually putting laundry in too.....:rolleyes:

[Creeker]

I wonder what they used the meat thermometer for if they didn't use their oven?

...

I don't even know what you could use a plastic thermometer on...:confused:

[retdetsgt]

I don't even know what you could use a plastic thermometer on...:confused:

I have one that has a plastic case and a wire that goes from it to the meat in the oven. Maybe that's it?

[Cris1102]

I don't even know what you could use a plastic thermometer on...:confused:

you silly goose lol .. a plastic meat thermometer is used to gauge the temperature of the meat being cooked to see if it's fully and safely cooked. When "they" say "plastic" thermometer they are actually talking about the casing around the gauge. Like this one, JCPenney : Electronic Meat Thermometer

The thermometer (if used properly) should only be in the heat for a second or two thus there's no chance of melting. It should never be left in oven when in use and apparently not even for storing lol

[Creeker]

you silly goose lol .. a plastic meat thermometer is used to gauge the temperature of the meat being cooked to see if it's fully and safely cooked. When "they" say "plastic" thermometer they are actually talking about the casing around the gauge. Like this one, JCPenney : Electronic Meat Thermometer

The thermometer (if used properly) should only be in the heat for a second or two thus there's no chance of melting. It should never be left in oven when in use and apparently not even for storing lol

I guess I need to cook more... ;)