The Absolute Best Way To Reheat Pizza Is Not In The Oven

Even though we haven't figured out how to get the whole pizza box into the fridge when we're done, leftover pizza is a fairly standard American staple. The real question is: What do you do when you pull a slice out of the fridge the next day? Are you going in cold, or are you looking to resuscitate your pizza with some heat? 

How you heat it up is a choose-your-own-adventure, but the good news is that I've taken the leap for you. What's the best way to reheat pizza these days? I compared four different methods: stovetop, air fryer, microwave, and oven. Here's what worked the best.

The best way to reheat pizza really has a lot to do with how you like to eat your pizza and where you got it from. Are you a thin crust, New York-style lover? You're gonna want this one extra crispy. Reheating some Domino's, like I usually am at most times? That's more of a doughy situation, and you might do well without all the crispiness. 

For this experiment, I researched the most popular strategies out there and landed on the four aforementioned methods. I used leftover Domino's pizza, testing an individual slice for each method. Read on to discover which one came out on top. 

Recommended reheat time: 3-4 minutes at 380 degrees Fahrenheit

If you like your pie a little well-done, hit it with the air fryer. While the cheese feels a little more ooey-gooey than out of the microwave or oven, you really have to be somebody who enjoys a crunchy crust. Since I'm reheating Domino's here, I think a doughier crust is crucial, and though I can't believe I'm saying this, the air fryer didn't actually bring about what I wanted. This is the first time I've ever been let down by an air fryer.

Pro tip: If you're reheating on parchment paper, make sure it's perforated and only as big as the base of the basket. It can burn easily.

Recommended reheat time: 20-30 minutes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit

This works. There's no denying it, but this is a time-consuming strategy. You need a little bit of time to reheat one of these bad boys (use your lowest oven setting), and that's not including the time it takes to preheat your oven. At the end of my experiment, the crust was chewy but not too rubbery, the sauce was at the perfect consistency, and the toppings weren't dried out. This is tried and true, and if you've got the patience, it's usually worth it.

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Recommended reheat time: 1 minute

There's really only one type of person that can properly enjoy this method, and that person cruises through a slice of Domino's in about 30 seconds. I am that person. The window of time in which a piece of pizza is good after the microwave is very small. While in that window, you're in the clear. When the window shuts, you're dealing with big time rubber-crust and already-back-to-room-temp toppings. 

Pro tip: I like to wrap food like this in a damp paper towel in the microwave to create a little bit of gentle steam.

Related: Best Cheap Pizza: Deals and Price Comparison

Recommended reheat time: 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat

For this attempt, I followed the instructions in this video. Kind of a wild one, right? Pizza right in the pan, along with a little bit of water for steaming. Just like the video said, I covered the pan and checked it after five minutes. "Soggy" doesn't even begin to describe it. It was basically soup.

Luckily, I had one last slice of pizza so I hit it with half the amount of water and a slightly higher heat. HUGE difference. Just like that, the crust was crispy but not burnt. The cheese was bubbling and melty. The toppings tasted re-hydrated. Though the ultimate irony in this story is that I fully prefer cold pizza, if I am to reheat pizza again, I'll be choosing this method. Using the stovetop is, hands down, the best way to reheat pizza.

Related: Foods That are Always Better as Leftovers