Reheating food in the microwave, while convenient, oftentimes leaves you with food that is equal parts scalding and frozen. Obviously, TikTok has come to the rescue, once again, and they even share some extra nuggets of knowledge.
These microwave hacks are bound to help college students, tired parents, and overworked employees alike. Isabella Avila (they/them), who goes by @onlyjayus, is a TikTok creator that typically posts psychology, life, and informational hacks. They have amassed over 16 million followers on TikTok, but also post on other social media sites. Their ‘microwave hack’ video has gained attention in recent weeks.
Evenly Distribute The Heat
The video displaying the microwave hacks has gained over 942K likes and 22K shares. It claims that we are probably using our microwave wrong from the jump. @onlyjayus starts the video by saying that the reason part of our food is hot enough to burn our mouths and the other part is frozen is because we shouldn’t be putting our food in the middle of the microwave.
“Well, that happens because you shouldn’t actually have your food in the middle of the plate here, it should be on the edge so it can actually rotate around and cook evenly.” They’re referring to the glass plate that rotates in the microwave. In the video, a small bowl is used to reheat the food. The placement of the bowl or plate on the edge, as opposed to the middle, would ensure that the food was reheated evenly. Cold spots are less likely when the food is rotated. Another tip to evenly distribute heat has to do with our favorite fall-time foods. When reheating soup, chili, or stew, make sure to stir halfway through.
Heating Two Things At Once
The video also shows a hack to reheat two dishes at once. @onlyjayus adds an upside-down mug “for height distribution” to the microwave. Then, they put a plate on top of the mug and a bowl underneath.
This “hack” is shown with no food on the plate or in the bowl. It seems like it could end in disaster, (my thoughts are broken dishes and spilled food) so definitely proceed with caution. Of course, use a microwave-safe mug with a wide base to ensure that the plate stays put. Otherwise, this could be a handy hack when you’re running low on time.
Just Add Water
Another hack for perfectly reheated pizza includes adding a half-cup of water to the microwave. According to the video, adding a small cup of water will keep the food moisturized and stop it from getting “too chewy.”
Heat around 30 seconds; this should make the cheese melty, but the crust crispy. Say goodbye to soggy pizza!