Can You Eat Cold Pizza? (and best way to reheat)

Hands down pizzas are one of the greatest foods of all time. The thought itself of biting into the cheesy goodness causes our mouth to water. Not being able to resist ourselves we often order pizzas in excess and up with a lot of leftovers. If you did something like that ever, you might wonder, can you eat cold pizza? 

Yes! Pizzas can be eaten both hot and cold. Many even prefer cold pizzas over hot ones. Though, make sure that you seal it properly and leave it in the refrigerator with a temperature lower than 40 degrees Fahrenheit to assure its safety.

If you’ve never had cold pizza, you do not know what you are missing out. But you do have to be careful about it. As any food in the wrong temperature can invite all sorts of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. I will talk about all of this in much greater detail further on in the article. 

Is It Safe To Eat Leftover Pizza?

Making or ordering pizzas in excess, to leave our pizza for later, is something we all have at least done once. Well, can you even be blamed? Come on, who does not wish to enjoy their tasty slice of pizza.

But it is a perishable food. So, it provides a place for bacteria to breed in when at room temperature. This is why leftover pizzas can cause safety concerns. 

Pizzas are safe to eat if they have been lying out for a while at room temperature. But, as it contains all the necessary nutrients needed for bacterial growth it can become an easy breeding ground for those microorganisms. And eating it while the bacteria are cultivating is not only gross but also very dangerous. 

In order to prevent that we should properly store it in a container or wrap it. Afterward, refrigerate them within the first 2 hours. This keeps them fresh for 3-4 days. They can be frozen using a freezer which keeps them safe to eat for 1-2 months. Though they might lose their deliciousness. 

Leaving it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours is risky to eat. No matter what the toppings contain it causes bacterial growth. Therefore, rising the possibilities of getting infected by foodborne-illnesses. 

Studies show perishable foods should always be preserved at a temperature range between 40-degree Fahrenheit and 140-degree Fahrenheit. Storing food at room temperature causes the chances of foodborne illnesses to double every 20 minutes. 

Does Cold Pizza Taste Different Than Hot Pizza?

Yes. Pizza is one of those foods which tastes wholly different the next day. Additionally, many favor the cold pizza over a hot freshly oven-baked one. Pizza generally has quite a few layers. Such as the crust, sauce, cheese and more toppings.

Hot pizza does an amazing job of separating each layer. Accordingly, we can taste all the flavors individually. But, when it comes to cold pizza it gets an abundance of time to cool down and combine all these different flavors. Thus enriching the taste.

All the flavors blend beautifully. The crust gets more time to absorb the sauce, making it soggier. Even though the pizza is still packed with fat the cheesy effect gets reduced. The taste of tomatoes gets less tart and the garlic effect is more pleasant.

Why Does Cold Pizza Tastes Better?

Just like marinating something for a longer period makes it taste better. Similarly, leaving the pizza in the fridge overnight does the equivalent function. It allows the flavorings to get sufficient time to incorporate into each other. Resulting in the best combination.

The crust gives off a delightful sweeter taste. Complementing the strong taste of the sauce. The cheese might be less cheesy but the presence of the fat makes the taste greatly richer. This in turn makes us feel healthier as the hardened texture of cheese makes it seem less fattening. 

Moreover, the fat does not reach the crust causing a further enjoyable taste. The herb toppings find their way collectively by linking their aroma making it more heavenly. The texture overall is much chewier.  

How to Reheat Cold Pizza?

If you are one of those people who like their pizzas hot there are quite a few ways to reheat it. Here are some methods that you can try. 

Using An Oven 

The best method to get the perfect fresh pizza from reheating cold pizza is by using an oven. Heating in an oven serves you with a pizza having an absolutely crispy crust, melted cheese and sizzling meat on top. The heat gets evenly distributed here.  

You need to take into consideration the number of pizzas you want to warm up. As heating up, an entire oven for just one slice is not quite practical. This also takes up a prolonged time compared to the other forms of reheating. You can use a toaster oven for single slices.  Use an oven for half a pizza or more for the excellent pizza taste. Here what you need to do for oven reheating pizza: 

1. Firstly, preheat the oven to 350F. 
2. Then wrap the pizza in tin foil and place it directly at the rack for even baking. If you are looking for a crispy crust, preheat a pan and place the pizza on top of the pan instead. 
3. Heat it in the oven for 10 minutes or longer depending upon how crispy you like your pizzas.

On Stovetop

Warming it on a pan using a stovetop is very effective. Here you can even heat 2-3 slices without the excess trouble of heating the entire oven. 

It allows even heat dispersion. Allowing the crust to crispen up, cheese to melt and the toppings to warm up flawlessly. A great trick is to add water to the pizza pan to help steam it faster. To reheat pizza on the stovetop here’s what you need to do. 

1. You can easily heat up the pizza by placing a skillet pan at medium heat over the stove. 
2. First, warm the pizza onto the pan and then add some water there. 
3. Cover it immediately and wait until the cheese melts. There you have it, a mouthwatering pizza ready.

With A Microwave

Reheating pizza in a microwave can be an immediate process. But, it will not provide you with the requirements you are looking for. The pie gets soggy and the crust becomes solid stone hard. That is due to a scientific reason.

The microwave waves get absorbed by the water molecules in the food substance. This causes the microwaved food to heat up. The sauce on top of the pie absorbs heat. The water molecules present steam up and evaporate.

Consequently, causing it to become soggy. As the crust does not contain dampness, after heating it in return it loses its moisture. Thus the evaporation causes it to become tough. This situation can be improved by attempting this hack. To reheat pizza in a microwave: 

1. Try placing a glass of water beside the plate holding the pizza. 
2. Then microwave it for 30 seconds and remember to keep a keen eye on it. This will melt the cheese and the moisture from the water will help the crust to not lose excess water molecules.

Afterward, you can enjoy your favorite pizza.  Though it might not be as effective as an oven heated or stove heated ones. But it is still quite edible.

Conclusion

Everyone loves a good slice of cheesy pizza. Some even love it cold. But when cold food is concerned there is the probability of many health issues. But if you follow my advice on storing and reheating pizza properly, I’m sure you won’t be going to the hospital anytime soon. 

That should clear any confusion you had on whether or not can you eat cold pizza. Thanks for reading and wishing you good health.