Prevent Drying Out Leftovers In The Microwave With A Clever Hack

Using a microwave to reheat leftover food — such as pizza, pasta dishes, vegetables, and many other items — is a convenient method to prepare a meal when you're famished or in a hurry. While effective, microwaves can also leave food with an unpleasant rubbery texture, which detracts from your culinary enjoyment. In this case, there's a neat little trick you can employ to reheat leftovers quickly without sacrificing quality. In addition to whatever you're reheating, slide a heat-safe glass of water into the appliance alongside it.

The glass containing water will generate steam as it heats up, which will help foods maintain a moist and pleasing texture while the temperature increases. Adding water to the microwave can also help avoid overdone food, as waves from the microwave will be redirected to the water, as opposed to focusing exclusively on the leftovers you're about to enjoy. As for why this hack is so effective, that has to do with how microwaves function.

Microwaves produce waves of energy capable of cooking and reheating food. Rather than heating the food itself, these waves act on the water molecules within the food, which begin to move vigorously. The resulting vibrations then increase the temperature of food, taking it from cold to hot quickly. While microwaves are ideal when you want to heat up food in a hurry, they also have a major downside when it comes to quality. 

As the waves excite water molecules to create heat, they also cause moisture to evaporate at a faster rate than they would using other cooking methods. This is what causes microwaved food to develop an unpleasant texture, turning food from its normal feel to something akin to rubber. Plus, the higher the moisture content of a given food, the more the texture will suffer in the microwave. Also keep in mind that texture problems can occur even when nuking food for the correct period of time.

According to a Reddit thread recommending the glass of water microwave hack for perfectly reheated food, a shot glass full of water should be sufficient to prevent leftovers from developing an overly chewy or tough texture. Keep in mind that a standard shot glass typically holds 1.5 ounces of fluid, although sizes can vary from 1.25 ounces to 3 ounces. However, it may be worthwhile to use more water to ensure the best possible outcome.

In this case, Today recommends using a half-full cup containing water when reheating pizza in the microwave. Additionally, you'll need to consider the power output of the appliance, as well as the time you spend reheating your food. If your microwave is running at full power, you should only reheat pizza for approximately 30 seconds. When the device generates less power, you can set the time for a little bit longer to ensure the pizza is heated all the way through.