Home Cook Reheats Leftover Food With The Help Of Boiling Water On The Stove

There's nothing better than avoiding starting a meal from scratch because you've already got tasty leftovers waiting in the fridge. It's a huge time-saver, and enjoying leftovers avoids food waste. What this means, though, is that we need to consider the best ways to reheat that food. Microwaves are fast but they can deplete food's nutrients and negatively impact taste and texture. One of the biggest mistakes people make reheating food is not thinking beyond the microwave. Well, one Instagrammer has done just that, and her approach is a game-changer. 

Elle Kovaleva shares this hack her grandmother taught her. You need a saucepan or saute pan, something shallow but deep enough for this next part: Place a mason jar lid in the middle of the pan. This acts as a stand for the plate of leftovers so the food doesn't actually touch the water. When the water has reached a boil, carefully place your plate of food onto the mason jar lid, then cover the entire pan with its lid. Smaller amounts of food may only need about three to five minutes, larger five to 10 — start testing the food after about three minutes. Overall, in about 10 minutes or less, you'll have beautifully, evenly heated food with none of those searing hot and ice cold spots microwaving causes.

One commenter on Kovaleva's Instagram post says her grandmother taught her the same technique — it's easy to imagine this being a go-to before microwaves were so ubiquitous. It doesn't take much longer than using the microwave and the only extra step is breaking out your saucepan. The results are worth that extra step. In the microwave, food can heat unevenly because the waves of electromagnetic energy bounce around and hit some spots more than others. Conversely, on the stove with boiling water and a pan lid, you create a steam bath that heats food from all angles.

Remember that the ideal temperature for reheating food safely is 165 degrees Fahrenheit — it wouldn't be a bad idea to pop a thermometer in to make sure they've cleared this threshold. Beyond that, you're likely to find more delicious food that feels rejuvenated rather than soggy or tough with muted flavors. 

Another commenter points this out, remarking that food reheated this way feels as fresh as when you initially cooked it. "Genius ... texture is compromised in a microwave!!" says another Instagrammer on a different post demonstrating this steam technique from @thrivewithcandicee on @thefeedfeed. Another commenter raves about the method after trying it: "It's FABULOUS! The water keeps it from drying out, and the plate stays warm for a while, unlike warming in a microwave."