A couple of years ago I was melting some almond bark in my microwave at 50% and I accidentally got some on the door frame inside. It started arcing and ruined the microwave.

At Christmas, I melted some candy melts and the timer stopped counting down. When I opened the door, it quit, but when I shut the door it automatically started running again and the timer wasn't counting down. The stop/reset button didn't work.

It happened again today. I walked away and then smelled it burning after a couple of minutes. I know I only set it for 60 sec. on 50%. Then I noticed that the timer was frozen at 18 sec. and the reset button wouldn't work. After I unplugged it, it worked normally.

Anybody have any suggestions? What could I be doing wrong??? First microwave was a GE, the new one is Magic Chef so they are good brands.

Could this be where the name for the dessert cake "Death By Chocolate" originated?

I don't know what the problem could be. I use a tempering machine but before that it was a double boiler. I have tried melting chocolate in the microwave but haven't had uniform melting and it burns too easily. But when I did melt that way I used the defrost cycle for 10 seconds at a time, stirred after every 10 second time. The microwave melts from the inside out and the chocolate can still look solid, but if you stir it you find it has melted in the center.

Wow - that's a new one for me! I've had the same microwave for years. Totallly bummer

Well, the good news is that unplugging it seems to reset it, but I'm worried that it will just start running by itself while I'm gone. I should probably unplug it, huh?

I don't melt a lot of chocolate, fortunately.

I prefer using a double boiler for chocolate. If I need to do a lot of colors then I take a muffin/cupcake pan and place it on top of simmering water in a regular roasting pan (I have two heavy duty commercial ones from Horn and Hardart that my grandfather absconded with when he worked for them many years ago and the muffin pan nestles in/on it perfectly).