How To Reheat Pizza In The Air Fryer For The Crispiest Possible Crust

Pizza is one of those rare dishes that can truly feed a crowd — and a picky crowd, at that. If pizza were to have one flaw, it's the way it never tastes the same as it does fresh from the oven. And, sure, cold pizza is scientifically delicious, but it's still a much different eating experience than a steaming hot 'za fresh from the box. Enter the beloved air fryer, America's favorite kitchen appliance. If you, like so many others, invested in a handy air fryer for your home, then you've also invested in the perfect gadget for restoring leftover pizza to its original glory with the crispiest crust possible.

To reheat pizza in the air fryer, start by making sure your machine is on the air fry setting. Set the temperature to between 325 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit. After the air fryer is properly preheated, drop your pizza in and let it cook for between three and five minutes. Check on it occasionally to make sure the cheese doesn't char and the crust is staying golden rather than turning dark. Keep in mind that there are several different pizza styles, and they don't all reheat the same. For example, if you're in Chicago, your leftover deep dish would fare better at a low temp for a few extra minutes to make sure the heat penetrates without overcooking the crust, whereas a thin square of tavern-style (Chicago's true favorite pizza) would do better being reheated hot and fast.

Pizza is notoriously difficult to reheat because it's a bunch of different textures layered together that lose their individual qualities after time. The crust gets soggy from the sauce, the sauce dries up, and the cheese hardens and congeals in a less-than-desirable fashion. Before air fryers were all the rage, most true pizza connoisseurs would opt to reheat leftover pizza in the oven. This method still works like a charm, but it's a lot more time-consuming and less consistent than using the air fryer. Just like an oven, you can even cook an entire perfect pizza in the air fryer from the jump.

The reason an air fryer works so well to revive leftover pizza is that it's like a mini convection oven. The super hot blowing air gets every surface of the pizza heated at an even pace, which warms the sauce, rehydrates and caramelizes the cheese, and crisps the crust back up. The only downside might be having to play Tetris with the pizza slices to make sure they don't overlap in a crowded or circular-shaped air fryer. But, for the convenience and excellent end results, the slight trouble is more than worth it.