The Common Leftover Food You Shouldn't Bother Putting In The Microwave

Few foods inspire the kind of devotion that pizza does. It's the go-to group snack, the last call, late night street food, and everything in between. And if you're lucky enough to have a few slices left in the fridge, it's like a gift waiting to be unwrapped — but only if you know what not to do next. Because if there's one leftover you don't want to microwave, it's pizza.

Microwaving pizza seems like an easy fix: throw it in for a minute and dinner's done. But, just like the other microwave mistakes that will ruin your food, this strategy will no doubt turn your perfect pie into something sad and soggy. What emerges from the turntable is rarely satisfying. The once-crisp crust is now limp, the cheese has congealed into rubber, and the toppings have slid off in defeat. The reason for this comes down to simple science. Microwaves heat food by getting water molecules very excited, which then turn moisture into steam. That's perfect for soups and pastas, but not so great for pizza. Pizza's very magic lies in the contrast between crispy and gooey; it's a delicate balance that steam destroys.

So skip the zap and embrace better methods, because there are many ways to reheat days-old pizza. The stovetop can be a real hero here: heat a skillet over medium, drop in a slice, and cover it loosely with a lid. The pan revives the crust, coaxing back that crackly bite, while the trapped heat melts the cheese. It's a win-win.

If you have more time, the oven or toaster oven is also a safe bet to reheat leftover pizza. A nice, slow reheat at 325 degrees Fahrenheit brings everything back to life, delivering gooey cheese and a crust that snaps harder than poetry slams. Your air fryer works wonders for leftover pizza, too, crisping those edges without drying the slice out. 

Now, there is one occasion where a microwave comes in handy. You can skip greasy pizza with an ingenious pepperoni hack, by pre-microwaving your pepperoni to release the grease before you top your pizza slice, and heat everything in the oven. Then, of course, there's the simplest option of all: don't reheat leftover pizza. Cold pizza is its own culinary category. The flavors mellow overnight, the tomato sauce deepens, and the cheese is, well, firm. It's breakfast, it's a midnight bite, it's a snack that requires no utensils. Eating it cold is the true test of those who claim to appreciate pizza in all its forms — looking at you, pizza nerds who determine the "best" pizza.

The truth is, leftover pizza doesn't need rescuing. It just needs respect. Whether you scarf it straight from the fridge or take a few extra minutes to crisp it properly, you'll honor what made it great in the first place. Just keep it far, far away from the microwave.