Flush With Holiday Leftovers? Please Don't Microwave Them -- Do This Instead

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission.Reviews ethics statement Flush With Holiday Leftovers? Please Don't Microwave Them -- Do This Instead The microwave may be fast, but it'll drain the flavor and texture from your holiday fare. Here are the best ways to reheat every type of food. David WatskyManaging Editor / Home and Kitchen David lives in Brooklyn where he's spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips. David earned his BA from Northeastern and has toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom. Right now he's likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or tinkering with a toaster. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week. If you're lucky, the holidays come with an abundance of good eats. We're talking turkey, lamb roast, brisket and sides -- lots of sides. If you're overflowing with food from your Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa feast and ready to reheat, step away from the microwave. There's a better way to reheat almost every type of leftover and we're breaking it down right. I stopped reheating most foods in the microwave a while back and I don't regret it. Sure, the microwave is quick, but it typically robs food of its flavor and texture -- the last thing you want for that precious Christmas ham or Hanukkah brisket. These days, I rely on an air fryer or a skillet to reheat meals and the results always justify the means. Your holiday leftovers deserve a second life that's just as delicious as the first serving. Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source on Chrome. If you're ready to forgo the microwave for crispier chicken and springier noodles the second time around, here are the best ways to reheat every type of leftover. Pizza and flatbread Why so sad, cold pizza? David Watsky/CNET Best way to reheat: Air fryer or toaster oven There are a handful of reasons I love my air fryer, but none more notable than reheating leftovers. Microwaves destroy pizza, so let's cross that one off. A toaster and convection oven do better, but they still take longer to heat and can dry the pizza out by the time it's heated through. The quick blast of an air fryer's superconvection will reheat your pizza to crispy perfection in about two minutes at 400°F, depending on its size and thickness. Be sure to use the basket or grate; otherwise, the hot, flat bottom of the air fryer basket could burn the bottom of your slice. I won't heat leftover pizza any other way. If you didn't have enough reasons to spring for one, air fryers use less energy than a...

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