I Discovered the Greatest Solution to Reheat Pizza and It is Not the Air Fryer

I just lately bought a complete giant pie for the only goal of packing it up for the fridge and freezer. This act, which flies within the face of centuries-old pizza norms, had a noble purpose: decide, as soon as and for all, the easiest way to reheat pizza.

As a family of 1, ordering an entire pizza is not economically possible and incessantly leads to leftovers, thus discovering the easiest way to reheat pizza is as a lot a private endeavor as it’s skilled.

Enter me, one giant pizza and 5 completely different strategies for reheating it: microwave, toaster oven, typical oven, air fryer and my private, darkish horse proposal: sauté pan with lid. 

And what are we on the lookout for in a reheated pizza slice? Three issues, primarily: crust integrity, cheese texture and the power for the strategy to extend the crisp of pepperoni, America’s favourite topping, which might truly be made higher than its unique state by the method of reheating.

Within the spirit of full disclosure, I selected a sq. pizza with a medium-thick crust right here, each for house causes and to raised characterize pizza consistency throughout the nation, quite than the droopy-thin slices that may categorize New York fashion pizza, the place this experiment was performed.

So as from least efficient to handiest, using each refrigerated and frozen slices, listed here are how the 5 strategies for reheating pizza panned out.

Microwave

• Execs: quickest
• Cons: restricted house, least high quality
• Time requirement: 1 minute

There as soon as was a time that the mighty microwave was an omnipotent system, saving us valuable time and basically doing the cooking for us. These days are over. Following some AI recommendation, I opted to not cowl the pizza slices for the microwave, as to not trigger them to steam, however did place them on a plate, as a result of I am not a monster. (She says, as somebody who repeatedly defrosts bagels immediately on the glass.) Working in 30-second intervals, the cheese received sizzling and sizzly in just one minute. When you actually do not have two to 4 extra minutes to spare for a greater final result, then I suppose that is the strategy for you. 

This was the one technique the place I might truly understand a slight distinction within the slice that started chilly versus the one which started frozen, in the identical quantity of cooking time. As pizza is comparatively skinny and even and the bread crust ethereal, the frozen slice meets up with the chilly slice fairly shortly. The crust wasn’t soggy right here, precisely, however undoubtedly doughy. When you have a palate that’s delicate to crunchy breadstuffs, then this can be a potential upside for microwave utilization. (My dad will battle me on this one. Once I go to house, reheating pizza is robotically a two-device course of.) If you’re not a fan of chilly pizza, then the microwave will do, however simply know that you are able to do higher.

Saute pan with lid

• Execs: direct warmth, good high quality
• Cons: Uneven cooking, restricted house
• Time requirement: 3-4 minutes

There’s a particular circumstance the place this technique could also be helpful: a summer time rental home with no toaster oven, no air fryer and no air con, such that turning on the oven appears oppressive. If there is a microwave out there, then it is a toss-up. You will undoubtedly get a crunchier crust right here, however it requires a bit extra time and close to fixed vigilance.

Putting the pizza slices on a dry saute pan, over medium warmth, mimics the recent, flat floor of a pizza oven. The crust will profit from this direct floor warmth, however you must be conscious to not burn it. The lid is critical, in any other case the cheese and toppings will not get appreciably heat, however you are successfully steaming it from the highest. The cheese would not get fairly as melty on this manner, and there is not any hope for crispy pepperoni, however it all will get sizzling, and you will have a satisfying crust crunch in case you search it.

Typical oven

• Execs: even warmth, most spacious, highest high quality
• Cons: slowest technique
• Time requirement: 10-20 minutes

Finally, the one ingredient working towards the standard oven is the time it requires. My oven took about 10 minutes to return as much as the beneficial, high-heat temp of 400 levels, then the pizza, with medium thickness, wanted about 7 minutes to turn out to be sizzling and sizzly. I opted to make use of a sheet pan right here, quite than simply put the slices immediately on the rack, since cleansing a full measurement oven of drippings is far more annoying than probably cleansing a toaster oven. 

High quality smart, although, this was simply among the best outcomes. Perhaps rather less cheese caramelization than another strategies, however the crust was deeply crunchy, aided by the sheet pan, and the pepperoni truly received a bit charred on the perimeters, which was a bonus. When you’re reheating a complete pizza (like, how did that even occur?) and even simply greater than a few slices at a time, then this strikes from second runner-up to large winner.

Air fryer

• Execs: air circulation, even warmth, highest high quality, no further dishes
• Cons: least house, no window for observing reheat course of
• Time requirement: 2-3 minutes

Relying on the scale of your air fryer, there could also be an enormous downside right here by way of what number of slices you may match. If it is just one (as is the case with mine) and your meal requirement is a couple of, then this technique loses first place on a technicality, as a result of reheating two slices individually is antithetical to the comfort issue of reheated pizza. 

Assuming your bigger air fryer can match at the very least two, I am going to inform you what — the air fryer was surprisingly quick with its sizzling air circulation. With out a window into the proceedings, I used to be stunned to seek out the pizza bubbly and crispy after solely about two and a half minutes. And the result was mainly good: melty, caramelized cheese, crunchy crust and completely blistered pepperoni.

Toaster Oven

• Execs: shut, direct warmth, highest high quality, no further dishes
• Cons: restricted house
• Time requirement: 5 minutes

This has been my go-to pizza reheating technique ever since I’ve owned a toaster oven. Its performance is myriad and goes manner past toast. It may be used to really bake: I’ve made each a small pan of cornbread and a cookie or two within the toaster oven. Reheating pizza is its superpower, nonetheless, in my view. 

The tremendous shut, direct heating coils are warming the pizza from the highest and backside each evenly and concurrently. The highest heating coil virtually acts as a broiler, caramelizing the cheese and inflicting the pepperoni to curve up properly on the edges. Plus, the open window means that you can see when the cheese and pepperoni begin scorching, taking the guesswork out of when the pizza is prepared. Plus, laying the slices immediately on the rack within the toaster oven means one much less dish to clean on the finish of the meal.