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How To Reheat Pizza In A Toaster Oven

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Quick Answer

To reheat pizza in a toaster oven, follow these steps:

  1. Adjust the rack to the middle or lower position.
  2. Place pizza on a baking sheet.
  3. Spray lightly with water.
  4. Set temperature to 325ยฐF and use the reheat function if available.
  5. Check after 4 minutes and adjust time as needed.

Read on for more detail

Who doesnโ€™t adore a huge pizza, topped with all of our favorite things?! A crisp, doughy base, layered with herby tomato sauce and, of course, oozing with melted cheese.

Obviously, all of your pizza will likely get eaten at the first sitting, but if you do have any leftover pizza you will want to reheat it carefully to enjoy it at its best.

But you might be wondering what the best way is to reheat pizza in a toaster oven? To prevent the pizza from drying out, it should be reheated at a lower temperature and can be sprayed with water to keep the toppings moist. To avoid over-crisping the base, use a baking tray rather than an oven rack.

Weโ€™ve got all the information you need about reheating pizza in a toaster oven, including our top tips and mistakes to avoid. Keep reading to find out more!

What Is Pizza?

Now, we know that this might sound obvious, but pizza in its most simple form is a doughy base topped with a herby tomato sauce, cheese, and a myriad of other topping choices. But when it comes to pizza, the possibilities are endless! 

You can have homemade pizza, store-bought pizza from the fridge or freezer section, takeaway pizza, pizza delivered to your door, and much more!

And then there are all the different types of pizza, too! Thin and crispy, deep-pan, calzone, Sicilian focaccia, pizza rolls, delicious artisan pizza cooked in a traditional wood-fired oven…the list goes on!

Donโ€™t get us started on toppings, because weโ€™ll be here all day! Whether youโ€™re a fan of a meat-packed pizza feast, or a light vegetarian option, the joy of pizza is that you can make it exactly how you want it.

The toughest decision many of us face is choosing what type of cheese to garnish it with!

If you have special dietary requirements, there is a pizza to suit every need. So whether you are vegan, vegetarian, following a gluten-free diet, or simply trying to reduce your calorie intake, pizza can be modified to suit anyone.

OK, so right now we are all craving pizza, right?! But if youโ€™ve had a family pizza night, or cooked up a huge batch for a hot buffet, you may well have leftover pizza.

Reheating pizza is a tricky job, and it can be easy to turn a crisp, decadent pizza into a soggy, doughy mess. So, is reheating pizza in a toaster oven a smart move? Letโ€™s find out!

What Is A Toaster Oven? And How Does It Work?

A toaster oven is a really handy appliance, commonplace in kitchens all around the world. Small enough to sit on a countertop, a toaster oven is a handy addition or alternative to a conventional convection oven and has many advantages.

The small size of a toaster oven means that it heats up quickly, using less energy. They can be used to bake and broil food, as well as reheating and toasting different foods.

This small size does have disadvantagesโ€”youโ€™d struggle to cook a large dinner in a toaster oven! But they are great for individual portions of food, as well as for cooking side dishes and desserts.

You might be wondering why these small ovens are called toaster ovens, but there is a good reason for this!

A toaster oven does not work in the same way as a normal convection oven. Instead, it works by using radiant heatโ€”the same method used by your toaster.

Inside a toaster oven are metal coils that heat up and produce infrared radiation. These heating elements are normally located at the top and bottom of the oven, to give a more even distribution of heat.

This heating mechanism means that food inside a toaster oven is subjected to direct heat, rather than hot air that is circulated around the oven.

It can take a bit of adjustment to get used to cooking in a toaster oven, but this gadget really could transform your life!

Why Would You Need To Reheat Pizza?

OK, so back to the pizza! We know it sounds unlikely, but there is a slim chance that you might have leftover pizza after a party or family gathering.

Perhaps you massively over-catered and have a stack of pizza slices leftoverโ€”yes, weโ€™ve all been there!

Or maybe your movie night guests have been delayed, and the homemade pizza you lovingly prepared has gone cold.

Whatever the reason, it would be terrible to let your delicious pizza go to waste. You are then left with a decision to makeโ€”should you reheat your pizza, or eat it cold?

Although cold pizza is perfectly edible, to be enjoyed at its best we would advise that you reheat your pizza.

When a pizza starts to cool, the cheese topping will harden and become unappetizing. Quite frankly, it is a waste of good food to eat cold pizza, especially when it is so easy to reheat!

The only thing you need to bear in mind is that you need to take certain precautions if reheating pizza with a meaty topping, such as barbeque chicken or shredded pork.

Most food experts recommend against reheating cooked meats more than once, so if they were reheated when the pizza was first cooked they cannot be reheated again.

It is also essential to ensure that pizza is heated thoroughly before serving, especially if it has toppings that contain meat, fish, or seafood.

This means you need to ensure the pizza is hot enough to eat, rather than just warmed through.

Can You Reheat Pizza In A Toaster Oven?

These days, many of us have a small counter-top toaster oven rather than a conventional oven. But can these handy little devices be used to reheat pizza?

Toaster ovens work really well for reheating leftover pizza, particularly if you just need to do a small batch. 

In terms of flavor, pizza will taste exactly the same when reheated in a toaster oven compared to conventional reheating methods.

However, when it comes to pizza, this glorious food is as much about the texture as the taste. Nobody wants a soggy slice of reheated pizza!

A toaster oven is one of the best ways to bring your leftover pizza back to life, keeping the dough base crisp and light whilst heating the toppings through to perfections.

The combination of radiant heat from above and below the pizza will give you a crispy base, a sizzling cheesy top, with the inside still soft and fresh.

The other advantage of using a toaster oven to reheat pizza is that it is faster than a conventional oven, and also uses less energy.

So you will be tucking into delicious reheated pizza in no time at all, without running up a huge electricity bill!

Top Tips For Reheating Pizza In A Toaster Oven

Now, there are two schools of thought behind the best way to reheat pizza in a toaster oven. Some people advocate reheating it quickly on high heat, whilst others prefer the “low and slow” option. So, which one is best?

Well, it depends on several factors, as well as how you prefer your pizza! If the pizza was well done (weโ€™re talking almost burnt here) the first time around, then a blast of high heat might be enough to turn it into an inedible crisp.

On the other hand, a lightly cooked pizza that is reheated slowly at a low temperature might start to dry out.

It also depends on the functions of your toaster oven. Older models may just have radiant heat elements, without any means of circulating the warmth.

Others can circulate air with a convection fan, and snazzier models even have an air fryer function.

Check the settings on your pizza ovenโ€”if yours has a reheat setting, this is the best one to use for your leftover pizza. If not, the next best option is the bake setting.

Some toaster ovens just have a temperature dialโ€”if this is yours, then donโ€™t panic, we’ll tell you exactly how to use it to reheat pizza!

One great tip for reheating pizza in a toaster oven is to preserve as much moisture on the top of the pizza as possible.

Your pizza toppings will dry out quickly under the radiant heat of a pizza oven, but there is a great way to stop this from happening!

All you need to do is spray the top of your pizza with a light covering of water before you put it into the oven. This can mean the difference between cheese which is golden and bubbling, or crunchy and inedible.

Another clever hack is to use a baking tray rather than placing the pizza slices directly onto the oven rack. This will ensure that the base heats through thoroughly, without becoming too crisp and dry.

Reheating Pizza In A Toaster Oven โ€“ A Step By Step Guide

Having weighed up all the options for reheating pizza in a toaster oven, weโ€™ve decided that the “low and slow” option is the best.

This method will give you a pizza that is just as good as the first time around, with minimal effort on your part!

It is important to note that the toaster oven is not preheated hereโ€”the pizza is placed in a cold oven, and starts to reheat as the pizza comes to temperature. This will help prevent your pizza from drying out.

  1. Adjust the rack of your toaster oven in the middle or lower position.
  2. Place the pizza slices in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  3. Spray the pizza slices with a thin mist of water.
  4. Pop the pan into the toaster oven and close the door.
  5. Set the temperature of the toaster oven to 325ยฐF (use the reheat function if your oven has one, or alternatively use the bake option).
  6. Set the oven timer for the recommended time (see below).
  7. Check the pizza after 4 minutes; if it is browning too quickly then lower the temperature.
  8. Once your pizza toppings are golden and bubbling, remove the tray from the oven and leave it to stand for a couple of minutes.
  9. Serve, and enjoy!

Cooking Times For Reheating Pizza In A Toaster Oven

There are so many different options and settings on a toaster oven that it can take a bit of trial and error to find the right cooking time! Here are some good general guidelines:

  • A good starting point is 6 minutes for thin-crust pizza, and 8 minutes for deep pan pizza.
  • A non-convection toaster oven will not reheat pizza as quickly, and it could take up to 10 minutes.
  • If your toaster oven has an Air Fry function, this will take 1-2 minutes off the cooking time.

Related Questions

Now that we’ve gone over how to reheat pizza in a toaster oven, let’s take a look at a few related questions on the subject!

What is the best way to store leftover pizza?

If you have pizza leftover from a family feast, it is essential to store it properly to keep them in the best possible condition. There is no way you can let a snack as good as this go to waste!

Pizza that is left out at room temperature will quickly become stale and soggy, and for food safety reasons it should not be left out for more than 2 hours. Correct storage is the key to keeping pizza crisp and delicious.

Pop your pizza slices in a single layer in an airtight container. They can be stacked but you must use a layer of greaseproof paper between each slice. Your leftover pizza can then be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Can you reheat pizza in the microwave?

Microwaves are the ultimate luxury when it comes to reheating food, creating piping hot leftovers in a matter of minutes!

But unfortunately, there are just some foods which do not take kindly to being reheated in the microwave. And sadly, for us, our delicious leftover pizza is one of them.

A microwave is great for reheating soft and liquid food items, but not so good for anything which you want to keep crispy. So, whilst you will get a warm pizza slice, the crispy dough base will have turned into a soft and gooey mess.

However, if the microwave is your only option, there are some steps you can take to keep your pizza slice as crisp as possible.

The key here is reducing excess moisture, so placing a layer of paper towel to soak up any liquid can help keep your pizza in prime condition.

Reheat your pizza on a flat plate or low-sided dish, and open the microwave door at regular intervals to release excess steam. The best setting for reheating pizza in the microwave is high power for 20 seconds at a time.

Can you reheat pizza in an air fryer?

An air fryer is one of the best methods to bring your leftover pizza back to life, keeping the doughy base crisp and light whilst heating the toppings to perfection.

The trick here is to spray the pizza lightly with an air-fryer safe oil, to prevent them from becoming dry and inedible.

Here is the best way to reheat cold pizza in an air fryer:

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 350ยฐF
  2. Place cooked pizza slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
  3. Giving the pizza slices a light spray of oil can help prevent them from drying out.
  4. Cook pizza from 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the base
  5. Leave the pizza to stand for a couple of minutes, then enjoy!

Why does pizza go soggy when it is reheated?

One of the big problems when it comes to reheating pizza is that you can end up with a disgusting soggy pizza base.

This will not only be unpleasant to eat, but you may also find that your delicious toppings slide right off the baseโ€”what a waste!

But why does leftover pizza go soggy when it is reheated? Quite simply, it is all down to moisture and air. Any crispy food, such as a cooked pizza base, will quickly become stale, with a soft and chewy texture.

And then, when we make pizza, we add moist toppings to a crispy pizza base. When first cooked, the cooked dough is robust enough to stand up to this and will be relatively rigid when you take it out of the oven.

However, over time the moisture will soak into the pizza base, creating a disgusting soggy mess.

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