Why You Should Be Using The Reheat Button On Your Microwave

The microwave may be your go-to for heating up food in an efficient way. Whether that's leftovers or freezer meals, this handy appliance can warm up chicken fingers, french fries, pizza rolls, and so much more in mere minutes. But did you know there's a way to ensure your microwaved food is more evenly heated and doesn't get overcooked? The secret lies in the reheat button.

To understand the importance of the reheat button, let's first talk about how your microwave works. As your microwave powers on, electromagnetic rays are released inside, and the vibrations heat your food as the waves are absorbed by water, sugar, and fat molecules. This means whenever your microwave operates in the regular mode, it heats your food at the highest power setting the entire time. This is where the reheat button comes in handy.

The reheat button is designed for precooked food. It functions with a special sensor that is able to detect both humidity and moisture within the cooking space. As these two elements are tracked, the microwave will change your cook time and the power setting to suit your food. Some models may even have a setting to differentiate between room temperature and chilled leftovers. Either way, you'll want to make sure you vent covered meals so the steam has a place to escape. It's this steam that the sensor uses to detect the humidity and moisture levels.

While you're using the reheat button on your leftovers, there are other ways to guarantee your food comes out as best as possible. Avoid pesky cold spots in leftovers by arranging your food in a circle around the edge of the plate to evenly heat each piece as the plate turns. This idea also applies to items you cannot spread, such as pizza or a sandwich. Try placing the food on the outside of the plate rather than the middle. Since your microwave carries heat in different areas of the cooking space, this tip ensures your food hits all the spots within the microwave, cooking thoroughly.

In case you're looking to dine on any type of rice leftovers like fried rice, white rice, Spanish rice, or risotto, you can heat these in the microwave and bring the rice back to life. All you have to do is include a spoonful of water in your rice bowl. This is going to add moisture to the rice, plumping and fluffing it back to normal. The same goes for reheating days-old pizza. Including a microwave-safe cup of water beside your plate of pizza rehydrates the ingredients and keeps the crust from getting hard. Say goodbye to the days of crummy, microwaved leftovers!