Can you heat food twice in the microwave?

The microwave is the easiest and fastest method of reheating food. But very often food that you have reheated once in the microwave needs reheating. What should you do?

Can you heat food twice in the microwave? You can reheat food twice in the microwave if you have cooled and stored it properly after reheating it the first time. That being said, there are foods that you should avoid reheating multiple times, including those that are high in starch.

This article explains why it’s not always a good idea to reheat certain foods more than once, the proper way to safely microwave food, and the exceptions.

Is it bad to reheat food more than once?

There is no set number of times you can reheat food. You can reheat food as many times as you want. However, you not only have to reheat the food properly, but also store and cool it correctly.

Also, there are exceptions: there are foods that you should not reheat more than once regardless of the reheating method you use.

Even with foods that you can reheat more than once, whether in the microwave or another method of reheating, there’s one thing to keep in mind. The taste and texture of the dish can undergo significant changes.

Dishes that are high in water content, such as soups and stews, can withstand multiple reheating sessions.

Overcooking is the only problem you may have with these dishes. The ingredients used in them will end up getting mushy and change the texture of the dish.

Dishes with a harder texture and low water content, such as rice, pasta dishes, and cooked meats, will become even tougher and chewier.

Whenever you get a chance to add more sauce to the dish or some water, do so. You can also microwave these dishes covered to prevent moisture from evaporating.

So while the dish can be reheated more than once in the microwave, oven, or on the stove, you may not want to do so because of the textural changes it undergoes.

However, keep in mind that in most cases you don’t have the opportunity to reheat the same dish too many times.

This is because the shelf life of leftovers is usually around 4 days . If you intend to keep the dish longer, we recommend that you store it in the freezer.

What foods can’t you heat twice in the microwave?

As we have already said, reheating food several times is fine. You can microwave some of your favorite dishes more than once without sacrificing texture.

But there are foods that reheating twice in the microwave is not recommended for safety reasons.

First on the list is rice, which can contain Bacillus cereus. This is a pathogen that can survive high heat. It is better to err on the side of caution and not eat reheated rice.

Other foods that you should avoid reheating twice are eggs, pasta, noodles, potatoes, and other starchy vegetables.

Experts believe that these dishes are not safe to eat after reheating them several times, especially if they are allowed to cool slowly.

The slower these foods cool, the more chance there is for harmful bacteria to form on them.

How to reheat food in the microwave correctly

Before we talk about the key rule of thumb for reheating food in the microwave, you should know how to store it to ensure food safety.

Start by storing leftovers well.  First of all, you must allow the dish to cool completely before transferring it to the refrigerator.

It is best to let the leftovers cool in the container that you will use to store them in the fridge. In this way, the food will cool faster, reducing the chances of bacterial growth.

Second, if there is a lot of food left, divide it into several portions. This is one of the best ways to avoid reheating the same portion of food two or more times.

And finally, store leftovers in the fridge only when they have cooled completely. 

When it comes to reheating food in the microwave, the main rule of thumb to follow is that the dish should reach a temperature of 168°F.

In this way, you can reheat the food as many times as you want, as long as the texture of the dish does not suffer, and you cool and store it properly afterwards.

Since microwaves don’t heat food evenly, cold spots can form in the food you’re reheating, giving harmful bacteria excellent conditions to thrive.

Therefore, you must stir the dish well to ensure that it is very hot until the end.