Reheat
Reheating leftovers safely means heating them until steaming hot all the way through, 74°C (165°F) in the center. Here is how to do it on each appliance.
Also called Reheating, Warming up leftovers.
Reheating means warming cooked food that has been cooled and stored. Done right, it kills bacteria that may have grown in the fridge. The USDA says to reheat leftovers to 74°C (165°F) and to bring sauces, soups and gravies to a rolling boil. The UK Food Standards Agency says to reheat food until it is steaming hot all the way through, and to reheat it only once.
How to do it
- Microwave. Put the food in a covered dish, leaving a gap for steam. Stir or turn it halfway through, then let it stand for 1 to 2 minutes so the heat spreads to cold spots.
- Stove. Heat soups, sauces, stews and gravies in a pan, stirring, until they boil.
- Oven. Set it to at least 160°C (325°F). Cover the dish with foil so the food does not dry out, and uncover it at the end to crisp.
- Frozen leftovers. Reheat them from frozen, or thaw them in the fridge first. Either way, check that the center is hot.
Take out only the portion you plan to eat and reheat that. Leave the rest in the fridge.
How to tell it is done
The food should steam, and the center should be too hot to touch comfortably. A thermometer in the thickest part should read 74°C (165°F). Check more than one spot in microwaved food, which heats unevenly.
How to store it
How you cool and store food matters as much as how you reheat it. Cool leftovers quickly, as described in cooling food safely, and keep them at 5°C (41°F) or below. Eat refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days, as the USDA advises, or within 2 days, as the UK FSA advises. Freeze anything you will not eat in time.
Common mistakes
- Warming food until just lukewarm. That brings it into the danger zone without killing bacteria.
- Reheating in a slow cooker. It heats too slowly. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave, then keep the food hot in the slow cooker.
- Reheating the whole pot again and again.
- Reheating rice more than once. The UK FSA says to cool cooked rice within 1 hour, keep it in the fridge for no more than 24 hours, and reheat it only once.
- Thinking reheating rescues food that was left out too long. Some bacteria make toxins that heat does not destroy.
Related terms
- Cooling food safelyCooling food safely means getting hot leftovers cold fast so bacteria cannot grow. Split big batches, use shallow containers and chill within 2 hours.
- Danger zoneThe danger zone is the temperature range where bacteria grow fastest, 4 to 60°C (40 to 140°F) in USDA guidance. Keep food out of it as much as you can.
- ThawThawing brings frozen food back above freezing safely, in the fridge, in cold water or in the microwave, and never on the kitchen counter.
- Internal temperatureInternal temperature is the heat at the center of food, read with a probe thermometer. It is the surest way to know meat, fish and bread are done and safe.
- ThermometerA kitchen thermometer checks the heat of meat, oil, sugar and your oven, so food is safe and cooked how you want. Here is which type to use and how.
- Batch cookingBatch cooking is making a large amount of food in one session, then cooling, storing and reheating portions over the week or freezing them for later.