Best ways to reheat food?

[Anonymous]

I have the most basic of kitchens, with no appliances such as warming drawers or drop-in steamers or the like.

Now that DH gets home so late, our family eats separately I can't figure out a way to warm up his dinner without making the chicken rubbery, the beef overcooked, etc. Pasta gets dried out, previously cooked broccoli turns to mush.

What are some techniques I should learn? Please don't assume I know anything, please state the obvious.

[Anonymous]

The toaster oven.

[Anonymous]

What setting do you use on the microwave? Don't use full power, use the reheat button (or set the power level to 3 instead of 10 if you don't have a reheat button). That may help out a bit.

[Anonymous]

Maybe DH should try to figure this one out on his own?

[Anonymous]

Personally I hate microwave ovens, I don't own one. I think you get better flavor in the oven or in a toaster oven.

7:59 Ouch. You don't know the circumstances.

[Anonymous]

We reheat food all the time in the microwave. I don't think the meat gets dried out. Do you cover it? I would put a plate of food in the microwave and invert another plate over it, then just heat it for a minute or two.

As for the veggies getting over cooked -- remove his portion a few minutes before the rest of them are done. Then when you reheat they won't get overcooked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We reheat food all the time in the microwave. I don't think the meat gets dried out. Do you cover it? I would put a plate of food in the microwave and invert another plate over it, then just heat it for a minute or two.

As for the veggies getting over cooked -- remove his portion a few minutes before the rest of them are done. Then when you reheat they won't get overcooked.

This works well. And it's fast and simple.

[Anonymous]

Op, it really depends on the type of food. For example, reheating pizza and similar foods would be horrible in the microwave, unless you place it on a bread warmer, because the bread becomes soggy. Other foods are better heated on a pan because the microwave would dry them (e.g. fish). Depending on what's for dinner, you could arrange it for you DH on a small frying pan rather than on a dish, so all he needs to do is heat it a bit and eat. Otherwise, leave it for him in small glass tupperwares so he can heat them separately in the microwave if foods require different time settings. Last, i usually add a bit of water when heating food in microwave so that they don't dry out.

[Anonymous]

For pizza and bread, toast in toater oven or oven.

For meat, I think it's better reheated slightly in a toaser oven or oven (compared to the microwave). Just go for warm versus hot to avoid over-cooking.

Veggies - these are hard. I think the one poster had the best idea, pull some out before its' fully done.

Pasta, rice, couscous - that is best in the microwave, sometimes you need to add some moisture (milk, water, depending on what you are heating up). I find rice really picks back up if you add water, cover and use the steam to heat it back up.

I also use a crockpot a lot and keep it on warm until my husband comes home (although, the one will turn itself off if on too long).

[Anonymous]

The last 2 posts were right on.