How to heat food if you don't have a microwave
Regardless of whether you don't have a microwave because you
chose to or because you have to, you might be asking how to reheat food so that
you can have warm, steamed meals. Here are the best ways to reheat food quickly
and without compromising on flavor, texture, or time.
I became aware that rolling blackouts had begun in Northern
California as soon as I lost Internet access. The news warned us to try to
avoid opening the refrigerator. Using the microwave was not an option because
the electricity was out. We could at least cook and reheat food at my friend's
house where we were staying because it had a gas burner.
1:
Reheat it on the stove
The majority of items that you previously prepared on the
stove can be quickly reheated there. This comprises veggies, sauces, stews, and
curries (such as a chicken broccoli stir-fry).
Guidelines: The dish should be prepared in a saucepan and cooked at low to medium heat. I usually reheat my lunch in less than five minutes (YMMV depending on how powerful your stove is). Make sure to watch it to prevent burning. Once it is warm enough for your tastes, it is prepared.
Remember: It works best for soups and other similarly wet dishes. You might wish to try one of the following techniques if you have dry meals to reheat, such as pancakes.
Tip: For
convenient and lazy warming, keep the food in the original pan. When you work
from home and need to eat lunch quickly, this is quite beneficial.
2.
Steam it
Because steaming is a mild cooking technique that employs
moisture (sometimes referred to as a "wet" cooking method) to reheat
the food, it is good for warming frozen foods, foods that cling together, and
meat that can easily dry up (like chicken breast).
Guidelines: Use a
steamer basket. Use a large soup pot with a lid and a metal colander if you
don't have one (this is my current technique).
In the absence of a colander or a large sufficient soup pot,
you can set a plate atop an upside-down bowl to serve as a temporary stand. As
you can see in the photo below, I used a heatproof bowl as a stand. Ensure that
the water doesn't touch the plate and that it doesn't entirely evaporate. While
your food is hot enough, steam it. Follow the directions on the package if the
food is frozen.
3.
Bring it to a boil
Boiling is the quickest method of reheating previously
cooked items (like broccoli and beans). I recently bought ramen that called for
boiling the noodles first, then warming the sauce package by immersing it in
boiling water.
Guidelines: In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the items you wish to reheat. Boil for 2–3 minutes, or until the meal is well heated (depending on volume and how cold the food was).
Cautions: Avoid
boiling items that include sauces and flavorings since the water will wash the
flavorings away. A (like pasta and rice). If you boil them for an extended
period of time (unless you're making porridge), they may get mushy.
4: Add
hot water
Several foods will warm up just by remaining in boiling
water. This method is my favorite because it is mild, doesn't call for using a
burner (I use a kettle to boil the water), and doesn't need to be watched over.
When you're camping or staying in a hotel with a hot water dispenser, try this
reheating method.
Soft-boiled eggs, hotdogs, tofu, and tiny amounts of green
vegetables (like green beans) can all be heated by adding boiling water (this
five-spice tofu recipe is a good instance).
Guidelines: Boil
water on the stove or in a kettle. Put the meal you wish to reheat in a small
saucepan, Pyrex measuring cup, or another heatproof container. Over it, pour
boiling water. The food needs at least five minutes to warm up.
5. You can
use a water bath
I needed to reheat my oatmeal for breakfast last week. That felt like too little to reheat in a saucepan on the stove because there was only about a cup and a half of it. A water bath I made performed better than I had anticipated.
The gentlest option is a water bath. It does, however, take
the longest. So, it's advisable to save it for small amounts of food or
extremely delicate meals (like scrambled eggs).
Directions: Put
the meal in a container that can withstand heat. A glass jar was employed. Simmering
water in a pot with the glass jar inside. Stir the meal frequently until it is
well hot.
6. You can
Pan-fry it
Pan frying is a great way to warm up a lot of things. For
meals that would become soggy if you cooked them by boiling or steaming, such
as fried foods (chicken nuggets), foods with a lot of oil or fat, and dishes
like fruit pies (indeed, my father-in-law has pan-fried a slice of cherry pie
to heat it up), this "dry heat" cooking technique is appropriate
(rice, quinoa, pasta).
ALSO READ: 5 Reasons Heating Food In Microwave Is Harmful
One of our former roommates preferred to cook homemade mac
& cheese that she had previously frozen in a pan. The mac and cheese were
heated to give it a delicious crust. Also, due to the pan's ability to make the
crust crispy once again, frying leftover pizza is a great method to reheat it.
Directions: In a
nonstick pan over medium or low heat, add the meal. Add 1/2 teaspoon of
butter or oil if the food isn't especially oily to prevent sticking. This
step-by-step tutorial for reheating crepes includes detailed directions.
Remember: A
fantastic method for reheating food that creates a new meal is pan frying. For
instance, you may make potstickers out of reheated, boiled dumplings by
pan-frying them.
7. Heat
it in the oven.
A well-known method for reheating frozen pizza, casseroles,
and dinners is baking in an oven or toaster oven. It's also a fantastic method
for drying out a lot of food while reheating it.
For instance, my in-laws typically serve leftovers from
their original Thanksgiving dinner to their second gathering the following day.
The leftover turkey has so much meat that it would take a very long time to zap
it all in the microwave, even if they had one. For this reason, we would still
reheat the turkey in the oven. Moreover, you can seal the meat in the oven after
spreading it out on a single sheet to prevent drying it out. The best outcome
for reheating leftover turkey is as described above.
Guidelines: Set
the oven to 350°F. Follow the baking instructions on the packaging for your
frozen meal. If you want to reheat leftovers, put them in a baking dish and
bake them for about 20 minutes, or until they are thoroughly warm.
Remember: Remove
the leftover turkey meat before reheating. Put the meat in one layer. Do not
saturate the baking tray; just add a few drops of water—no more than a half
teaspoon. Using foil, the baking pan is sealed. For about 15 minutes, bake at
350°F. Once the initial 15 minutes have passed, check the turkey every 5
minutes to make sure it doesn't dry out. Once the meat has warmed, remove it and
serve.
8: Use
a broiler
The broiler provides extremely intense "dry heat,"
which should not be confused with boiling. This is a speedy method for
reheating foods that are dry or that have been fried (fries, chicken nuggets,
fish sticks, pancakes). Even reheating pizza might be possible with it.
Guidelines: Placing
your food on a baking sheet and turning the broiler to low will help. 2 to 3
minutes under the broiler. When you appreciate the warmth, it is finished. In
order to avoid burning the food, you can broil it on high as well, but you'll need
to watch it very carefully.
Caution: Broilers
become extremely hot. Hence, under a broiler set on high, your meal may burn in
less than five minutes. Once your food warms up, turn on the oven light. It's
incredibly simple to brush your hand against the broiler and get burned when
you remove the meal, so use extreme caution. Always wear oven mitts.
9: The
waffle, a sandwich press, an iron, and an ironing board
You can reheat a variety of flat items if you have
electricity and a hefty surface that gets hot. Not only are waffle irons and
panini presses excellent for reheating bread, sandwiches, burritos, pancakes,
and cookies. Fish, chicken breast, and other flat meals with little sauce or
liquids could be reheated.
A photo of individuals in quarantine toasting a piece of
bread with a hair straightener was sent to me by my friend Lucy. A grilled
cheese sandwich could be made with an iron and an ironing board.
Guidelines: The
panini press or waffle maker should be heated. Place your sandwich between the
hot plates and push. The dish should be "grilled" until it is warmed
through.
10:
Make use of a warmer temperature
Due to my sensitive teeth, I used to microwave chilled
watermelon slices straight from the refrigerator. I've been "warming
up" fruits and veggies by removing them from the fridge and setting them
on the kitchen counter since going without a microwave. I use the ambient air
that is "free" to warm my food to room temperature.
I put meat and other frozen foods that raise questions about
food safety in the refrigerator to defrost them. Certainly, it takes more
preparation than using a microwave, which can quickly defrost food in a matter
of minutes. But, it works just fine if you set a calendar reminder or do it the
night before.
You can quickly thaw food by immersing it in cold water if
you need to and can't be flexible with your meal plan due to time constraints.
Guidelines: Meanwhile,
leave your food on the counter. Perhaps you may let your food thaw overnight in
the refrigerator.
11: Use
a wide range of techniques
The methods I described above mesh well together. It may
make sense to combine the strategies for the quickest reheating.
For instance, I frequently carry my lunch outside in the
mornings to let it come to room temperature. Then, right before eating, I
reheat my meal by boiling or pan-frying it. The warming procedure is
substantially sped up when the meal is already at room temperature.
Reheating cold food with hot food is another, more
unexpected example of mixing approaches. For instance, I boil the curry if I'm
eating it with rice because doing so makes it simple to reheat. The rice is not
heated by me. Instead, I combine the rice with the steaming hot curry. With
minimal effort and a warm lunch nonetheless, this heats the rice and cools the
curry.
Conclusion
UNDERSTANDING HOW FOOD WAS PREPARED FIRST IS THE KEY TO
SUCCESSFUL REHEATING.
Can you reheat the food using the same cooking technique?
For instance, dry heat is often used to cook steak while grilling or pan-frying. To keep the flavor and crust, you'll need to reheat it using another
dry heat method.
Look for a recipe that explains how to make a dish if you're
unsure of how it was prepared. Reheat it using the same cooking procedure.
Take note of the food's dryness and texture. A softer heat (steam or a water bath) is better if you wish to keep the texture. However, avoid a wet/moist-heat approach if you want the food to stay dry (no poaching, steaming, or boiling). Try baking it or pan-frying it.
Comment below if you have any important questions about how
to reheat a certain food.
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