Here's How You Should Be Reheating Rice

Rice is not exactly a speedy food to cook unless you use microwaveable rice. But for those who want to make batches of rice to have enough leftover for meals later in the week, then preparing a big pot of brown or white rice is the only way to go. However, storing rice requires proper care to avoid food poisoning (via NHS). 

Reheating rice does not kill off the spores that may have sprung up on grains of rice that were left sitting out at room temperature. That's why it is always best to store rice quickly after you are done eating. Once you have stored rice properly, you can safely reheat it using one of several methods. From revisiting the stovetop to popping it in the microwave, there are plenty of options, though some are certainly better than others. 

Depending on how much rice you need to reheat, these methods should serve you well. 

Using the microwave to reheat your leftover rice should definitely not be the first, go-to option, according to Cooking Chew. Instead, the oven and the stovetop will give you better reheated rice. But for those who really need their leftover rice heated up quickly, the microwave is a suitable option. But to prevent drying it out and turning it into an unpleasant dish, you'll want to use the best method of preparing your leftover rice before popping it into the microwave.

According to Martha Stewart's Real Simple, you need to start by adding as much as 2 tbsps of water for every cup of rice you plan to reheat. Next, loosely cover the dish you plan to reheat the rice in so that the water can reheat the rice using steam. Microwave on full heat for several minutes, up to four at the most, and check that the rice is 165 degrees Fahrenheit before you eat if you want to be especially cautious.

One of the best ways to reheat rice using essentially the same simple process as the microwave is to turn the oven on. According to Chef Alan Vargas of New York's Consolate, who spoke to Eat This, Not That, using the oven is one of the best ways to reheat rice without having to take too much time or put in too much effort. In fact, he explains that 5 lbs of rice will only take 20 minutes in the oven. So just think how fast it would be to reheat a portion for just a few people.

To reheat rice in the oven, preheat the oven to around 350 or 375 degrees Fahrenheit and place however much rice you'd like to reheat in an oven-safe container with water, just as you would to use the microwave. Next, cover the container loosely with aluminum foil to help generate steam. Let it slowly warm up until it is sufficiently hot and check the temperature before eating.

If you don't have very much rice to heat up, say for just yourself, the stovetop might be the best option. This method is essentially like recooking the rice in the same way that cooked it the first time around. However, you won't need as much water or time to reheat it fully.

According to Real Simple, you can simply use a pot to reheat rice on the stovetop. Once again, add up to 2 tbsps of water per cup of rice you need to steam again. Then just let it heat up until the rice is hot again. If the rice seems to be drying out at any point, you can always add more water in to create more steam.

While you can use leftover rice by reheating it and eating it as you would, it can also be used in plenty of other dishes too. Consider baking it in a casserole or pan-frying it for stir-fry. So don't be afraid to get creative with your leftover rice.