The Comforting Dish You Should Never Warm Up In A Toaster Oven

Toaster ovens are like miniature countertop versions of a traditional oven in which you can cook, bake, and toast almost anything you want. Overall, you've got a convenient and winning kitchen appliance, however, there are some things you shouldn't do with your toaster oven, such as warming up soup.

To properly warm leftover soup, you require even heat distribution. Unfortunately, toaster ovens are known to have hot and cold spots, therefore, attempting to warm soup in one will likely result in uneven heating. Moreover, since soups can easily spill or even bubble over during heating, there's a high chance of creating a sticky mess leading to more work of cleaning the toaster oven. Of course, these are minor inconveniences, but there's one risk you should definitely avoid at all cost: Even a small spill can become a potential fire hazard, especially if you're working with units that have exposed heating elements since they can go up in flames when greasy liquid pours on top. Besides, excess soup spillage can get into the internal parts of the appliance and cause damages forcing you to incur unnecessary repair costs.

The best method for reheating soup is on a stovetop. Pour the soup into a saucepan, place it on the stove, and let it come to a boil. If the soup has thickened too much after the storage period, add a bit of stock to thin out the soup without losing flavor, then whisk to help break up the lumps. Allow the soup to boil for about three minutes to ensure you've destroyed any potential bacterial growth. Stir the soup regularly during this entire process to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan, especially if it's thick.

The alternative method of reheating soup is using a microwave. Microwaves are pretty convenient because they heat food quickly. First, transfer the soup to a microwave-safe dish or bowl then place it in the microwave. Heat the soup in cycles of a few minutes each as you stir the soup in between to ensure even heating. By following either of these reheating methods using the stovetop or microwave, you can be sure of an easy and effective way to enjoy your bowl of soup the second time around.