# Does cooking/reheating foods by microwave effect the final product?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-cooking-reheating-foods-by-microwave-effect-the-final-product/212182
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 9, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-cooking-reheating-foods-by-microwave-effect-the-final-product/212182 "2003-11-09T04:36:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-cooking-reheating-foods-by-microwave-effect-the-final-product/212182/1 "2003-11-09T04:36:17Z")
A basic question, but I’m wondering if this is true.
I’ve reheated grilled steaks in the microwave and afterward they seemed chewier. Of course, maybe it’s my imagination.
I do know that a microwaved baking potato tastes nothing like the real McCoy.
In your experience, what foods does microwaving most effect?
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### Author:  [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-cooking-reheating-foods-by-microwave-effect-the-final-product/212182/2 "2003-11-09T05:32:38Z")
I never reheat pizza or fried chicken. Or, for that matter, almost anything. It just makes it taste lame. Besides, cold Popeyes spicy fried chicken is what they serve in heaven.
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### Author:  [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-cooking-reheating-foods-by-microwave-effect-the-final-product/212182/3 "2003-11-09T05:52:39Z")
Microwaving often dries foods out. It makes meats tougher and chewier. I would NEVER attempt to cook a steak or chicken in the microwave, and even using it to reheat them is a gamble.
French fries are usually a lost cause after they become cold the first time, but putting them on a plate to reheat in the microwave is just asking for trouble. They become these bland, soggy, nasty sticks.
Anything longer than a minute or so for trying to melt cheese can turn it as hard as a rock and nearly inedible. Or pizza can become soggy and flimsy enough to not be able to pick up anymore.
Microwaves are great for certain uses, but there’s nothing like a toaster oven to reheat food.
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### Author:  [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-cooking-reheating-foods-by-microwave-effect-the-final-product/212182/4 "2003-11-09T06:01:14Z")
In my experience, microwaving food usually makes it warmer.
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### Author:  [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-cooking-reheating-foods-by-microwave-effect-the-final-product/212182/5 "2003-11-09T12:11:35Z")
Don’t know if it’s related to steak issues, but I recently learned in “Baby Care” class that you’re not supposed to warm up expressed breast milk in the microwave because it breaks down the proteins.
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### Author:  [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-cooking-reheating-foods-by-microwave-effect-the-final-product/212182/6 "2003-11-09T12:21:28Z")
Reheat fried food in an oven. Even a toaster oven.
Stuff cooked in a microwave keeps cooking for a few minutes after the oven stops, as the internal heat dissapates.
I’m still bitter from the whole pop-tart disaster that seared off part of my tongue ten years ago.
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### Author:  [@ravage2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ravage2)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-cooking-reheating-foods-by-microwave-effect-the-final-product/212182/7 "2003-11-09T14:49:17Z")
Heh, I think you’ve confused ‘Cafe Society’ with ‘questions about food’ which would be ‘General Questions’.
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### Author:  [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-cooking-reheating-foods-by-microwave-effect-the-final-product/212182/8 "2003-11-09T15:42:51Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ravage2 \*
> \*\*Heh, I think you’ve confused ‘Cafe Society’ with ‘questions about food’ which would be ‘General Questions’. \*\*
I understand where you’re coming from, but there’s a tradition of posting cooking questions in Cafe Society, as gastronomy is an art form and that’s what Cafe Society is all about.
Besides, did you know that Cafe Society’s moderator, [/]Ukelele Ike\*\* is an accomplished cook? He lives for this kinda stuff! Posting elsewhere would likely break the man’s heart.
🙂
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### Author:  [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-cooking-reheating-foods-by-microwave-effect-the-final-product/212182/9 "2003-11-09T15:44:32Z")
_must learn to spell and work code…_
I understand where you’re coming from, but there’s a tradition of posting cooking questions in Cafe Society, as gastronomy is an art form and that’s what Cafe Society is all about.
Besides, did you know that Cafe Society’s moderator, **Ukulele Ike** is an accomplished cook? He lives for this kinda stuff! Posting elsewhere would likely break the man’s heart.
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### Author:  [@ravage2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ravage2)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2003, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-cooking-reheating-foods-by-microwave-effect-the-final-product/212182/10 "2003-11-10T12:11:54Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Carnac the Magnificent! \*
> \*\*
> I understand where you’re coming from, but there’s a tradition of posting cooking questions in Cafe Society, as gastronomy is an art form and that’s what Cafe Society is all about.
> \*\*
Oh ok
You learn something new everyday 🙂