how to heat pizza without a microwave

How To Heat Pizza Without A Microwave (2 Best Methods)

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There are many ways to reheat pizza to get that fresh crunchy taste just as the freshly baked one.

One common way to do it is using a microwave, but for some reason, it might be out of the question, and you may wonder how to heat pizza without a microwave.

You can use an oven or a stovetop skillet to reheat a leftover pizza back to life.

Some tested methods in this article have proven effective in reviving the taste of a day-old pizza.

Table of Contents

How To Heat Pizza Without A Microwave

You cannot mistake the taste and aroma of a freshly baked pizza. The crunchy bread crust, crispy pepperoni, sizzling cheese, and tasty tomato sauce blend perfectly to create something close to magic on your taste buds.

Sadly, you can’t preserve this taste until the next day. A leftover pizza tastes nothing like the fresh one. However, you can relive the moment if you know these three effective methods of reheating pizza.

Methods of reheating pizza

  • Microwave method
  • Oven method
  • Stovetop method

Microwave Method

A microwave is a go-to cookware for reheating leftovers because it works fast.

It produces waves absorbed by water molecules in the food, causing the molecules to vibrate and quickly transfer heat around the food.

As effective as this method is, it will not give the desired results if you intend to revive the fresh taste of pizza.

When the water molecules absorb the energy, they steam up the pizza, making the pie soggy and tasteless. And it works only for a slice or two, not a good option for large-size pizzas.

Also, because of how dry the crust is, the evaporation makes it lose most of the moisture left, making it drier and undesirable.

Because of these reasons and other health-related issues, there are preferable alternative methods that will give you a better result which are the other two methods: oven and stovetop.

Steps to reheat pizza in a microwave

  • Place the pizza on a microwavable plate.
  • Place a not-too-full mug of water beside the pizza plate to absorb some of the waves so that the pizza will evenly heat without losing all the moisture.
  • Heat for 30-45 seconds to prevent it from drying.
  • Even though you will not get the desired crispiness, you’ll at least have a heated pizza.

Oven Method

This is an age-long method that has been in practice and has proven to be the best method of reheating pizza. The taste is almost the same as the fresh one: warm, crispy crust, sizzling cheese, crunchy pepperoni.

Steps of reheating pizza in an oven

  • Preheat your oven to between 275-350° F
  • Put the pizza in a foil and place it directly on the oven rack for even heating on both sides (top and bottom).
  • Bake for 10 minutes or more until it is warm, and the cheese is melted. If you love a crispier pizza, bake for a longer time.
  • If you’re using a toaster oven, heat only about 3-4 minutes.

The downside to using an oven to reheat your pizza is that it generates a lot of heat and can warm up the kitchen.

This can be an issue during summer or for people in countries with extreme weather conditions. It is also not a smart choice to generate that much heat if you’re only heating a single slice of pizza.

But the oven method is the best choice if you’re heating half or more pizzas. A toaster oven is a better option if you intend to reheat just a single slice of pizza or two.

Stovetop Method

This is perfect if you’re heating a slice or two without generating much heat in your kitchen.

This method evenly heats the pizza without drying out the crusts. Ultimately, you’ll have a crispy bottom crust with nicely melted cheese.

This method is easy because you can monitor and control the entire process. Adding little water to the pan while heating the pizza creates a steamer that’ll heat the toppings without drying or burning.

Cast iron skillets are perfect for this method, but not everyone has access to one, and it takes longer to heat up, so using a stainless steel pan is also fine.

Steps of reheating pizza on a stovetop

  • Place the skillet over medium heat
  • Place the pizza slices in the pan and cook uncovered for some minutes.
  • Add a few drops of water in the space in the pan, not directly on the pizza.
  • Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the cheese is melted.

Can You Reheat Pizza and Eat It?

You can reheat a day-old pizza and still enjoy all the flavors it contained the day before. So long as you use the right method and temperature and method to kill any bacteria that might have grown on it.

If you want to relive the moment of eating freshly baked pizza, the skillet or oven method is preferable over microwave heating.  That way, your pizza is crispy, tasty, warm, and all the flavors intact.

Some people enjoy eating cold pizza with the claim that it tastes better with that, they let it cool or eat it directly from the refrigerator, but it’s advisable to reheat leftover pizza or any pizza that has been left out of the fridge for over two hours because of foodborne illnesses.

Can You Eat Leftover Pizza Without Reheating It?

According to the US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), eating leftover pizza at room temperature is unsafe. Not just for pizza, but this rule applies to all perishable foods.

Whether the pizza you’re leaving outside has meat or not, leaving it at room temperature increases the risk of contamination by pathogens and bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

All perishable foods stored between 40° and 140° F are at risk of contamination by foodborne illness.

The pathogens that cause these illnesses are so active that their chances increase every 20 minutes. But if you refrigerate your pizza at a temperature lower than 40° F, it is safe to be eaten for many days.

However, the maximum number of days to keep a pizza is four. By the fifth day, your risk of foodborne illness increases.

How Long Can Pizza Last Without Fridge?

Two hours is the maximum time to leave a pizza outside the fridge. When the weather is hotter, one hour is the limit.

Foodborne bacteria can multiply within minutes of leaving your pizza outside the fridge because these pathogens are everywhere: countertops, door handles, plates, hands, in the air, and some can even survive in the fridge.

You can’t predict where it gets in from, and since you can’t see them with your human eyes, you may not know when and how they got in.

Always refrigerate leftover pizza at temperatures lower than 40° F and reheat it before eating to avoid some occurrences.

How Long Does It Take To Reheat Pizza?

Depending on the method you choose to reheat your pizza, some take 30-45 seconds others may take up to 30 minutes.

If you’re using a microwave to reheat your pizza, leaving it in for a long time can make it dry and lose what is left of its tastiness. Be on standby, heat it for a few seconds, and repeat if it is not evenly heated.

If you’re using an oven, 10 minutes is enough to heat the pizza at 275-350° F for a softer crust.

And for a stovetop, since you’re monitoring it, it may take about 5 minutes because it’s a single slice of pizza.

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Conclusion

There are two other effective ways how to heat pizza without a microwave which are both simple and easy.

The oven method is the best option for warming a family-size pizza. While a skillet can only contain a few slices of pizza at a time, both methods warm the pizza without drying the crust.

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