Rachael Davis
Pizza is great when it’s fresh from the oven, but the connoisseurs will know that day-old pizza from the fridge can slap in its own special way.
The toppings’ flavours sometimes pop a little more, and it’s easy to wolf down a slice when it isn’t a burn risk.
But, if you’d rather revive your cold pizza, it turns out there’s a hack for getting it back in fighting shape.
Now, generally speaking, reheating a takeaway isn’t usually a great idea.
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The microwave might seem like the source of this uncanny zombie food sensation, but it’s the essential component for getting your pizza back to its just-cooked glory.
Courtesy of restaurant Plaza Pizza and its conversation with The Mirror, the hack is simple and scarily effective.
Simply put your leftover slices in the microwave along with a microwave-safe mug that’s half-full of water.
As the pizza heats back up, the water will supposedly ‘absorb some of the energy and redistribute the microwaves more evenly’, according Plaza Pizza. As to the scientific credibility of that, we aren’t sure, but it sounds interesting.
Anyway, this apparently makes the cheese melt before the crust dries out.
Presumably the water in the mug also starts to evaporate, creating a humid environment to help prevent the pizza and its toppings from getting cardboardy.
At any rate, the hack works.
Domino’s has endorsed the hack, and it’s part of the takeaway pizza giant’s webpage focused on perfect pizza reheating.
“It’s safe to reheat pizza the next day, as long as you’re heating to a temperature that would kill any bacteria off,” Domino’s advised. “An oven, air fryer, frying pan, and microwave are all viable options, but some methods work better than others.”
In terms of microwave-specific heating, it said: “This definitely isn’t our first choice but sometimes desperate times lead to desperate measures (think office kitchen).
“Spread your pizza slices out on a plate to ensure even cooking. Grab a mug of water (half full) and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds with your plate of pizza. The water supposedly prevents the miserable soggy slice that is so common with microwaved reheating.”
As to the best method, Domino’s reckons it’s all about the oven.
“We’d recommend the oven as the best way to a delicious, reheated pizza (after all, that’s how your piping hot pizza was cooked by Domino’s chefs in the first place!).
“Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C for fan ovens) and transfer your leftover pizza slices onto a tray with foil. Level up your crusts with a drizzle of olive oil or for the heat-lovers amongst you, chilli-infused olive oil first.
“Pop your pizza slices in and cook for 10-15 minutes – you’re looking for crispy crusts and gloriously melty cheese. Plate up and enjoy!”