Best way to reheat something without cooking it any further

[omniflow]

As per the title, what's the best way to reheat food without cooking it any more?

Microwave - full power, short time
Microwave - low power, longer time
In a pan on the hob - high power, short time
In a pan on the hob - low power, longer time
Hot oven, short time
Low oven, longer time
Something else I haven't thought of

[sherman]

Sous vide.

[Lefty]

I would have said low oven long time but I didn’t think of sous vide.

[FredericRobinson]

Depends what it is

[Ham_and_Jam]

There is no single answer.

Different types of foods will require different methods.

Additionally, a meal that has multiple components will usually turn out best if they are reheated separately, and using the best method for each item.

[dickymint]

As a teenager if I missed Sunday dinner my Mum would put the plated dinner on the hob on top of a pan of boiling water with a lid or foil over the plate. At home now our ovens have a re-heat function.

[craigjm]

Ham_and_Jam said:

There is no single answer.

Different types of foods will require different methods.

Additionally, a meal that has multiple components will usually turn out best if they are reheated separately, and using the best method for each item.

This. Most sauce based meals like curry and chilli etc can be heated in a microwave. Not something I would want to do with anything potato based though, I would use an oven for that.

The suggestion of sous vide above is probably the most accurate way of heating without any further cooking

[dickymint]

craigjm said:

Ham_and_Jam said:

There is no single answer.

Different types of foods will require different methods.

Additionally, a meal that has multiple components will usually turn out best if they are reheated separately, and using the best method for each item.

This. Most sauce based meals like curry and chilli etc can be heated in a microwave. Not something I would want to do with anything potato based though, I would use an oven for that.

The suggestion of sous vide above is probably the most accurate way of heating without any further cooking

As said above my Mum had it right over 50 years ago then

[omniflow]

I very much get that "it depends".

How about a stir fry containing rice noodles, peppers which still had a bite to them during round one, rare thinly sliced fillet of beef and a thin sauce.

I suspect I'm on a hiding to nothing here but I haven't found a way to reheat this without the rice noodles turning to mush.

[Type R Tom]

Wireless thermometer set to a desired temperature placed in the centre of the meal?

You would be able to carefully monitor how hot something is getting and make decisions as you go.

[21TonyK]

For most things a microwave is the ideal tool. You just need to think carefully about what you are doing.

You are reheating. Not recooking. Prewarmed plate with food zapped for 30-60 seconds is often enough. Sometimes less.

Alternatively…