# Foods "meant" to be served hot that are better cold. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836 "2011-09-19T16:10:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/1 "2011-09-19T16:10:08Z")
Suggested by the black people/fried chicken thread running in IMHO. My first nomination is fried chicken, by the way. It’s MUCH better cold. Likewise sweet potato pie. Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/2 "2011-09-19T16:11:53Z")
My SIL is appalled that my brother and I prefer our baked beans right out of the can, or out of a container in a fridge. I guess civilized people heat them up first. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/3 "2011-09-19T16:14:56Z")
Pizza of course is widely eaten the day after ordering and straight out of the fridge. Good as hot turkey is, I’ve got a thing for the cold sandwiches made afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/4 "2011-09-19T16:15:38Z")
Pizza. Room temp is best. I should probably mention coffee since I like mine much cooler than most people. ---
**Author:** ![Vita\_Beata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@Vita\_Beata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vita_Beata)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/5 "2011-09-19T16:21:43Z")
I’m agreeing with the fried chicken, some pizza, turkey. I’ll also add fruit pies: apple, blueberry, peach, cherry. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/6 "2011-09-19T16:21:47Z")
I’m sure some people might mention pizza, but I find I don’t care for cold pizza. Or for cold fried chicken. Congealed grease, bleargh. I don’t even like pizza reheated in the microwave. It makes the crust soggy. If it isn’t crunchy-baked in the oven, I won’t eat it. Even hung over with warm beer. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/7 "2011-09-19T16:27:05Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > I’m sure some people might mention pizza, but I find I don’t care for cold pizza. Or for cold fried chicken. Congealed grease, bleargh. Cold pizza is the work of the devil, and not in a good way. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/8 "2011-09-19T16:37:19Z")
Store-bought rotisserie chicken, not fried chicken. Cold fried chicken loses all of its crispiness, which is integral to the fried chicken experience. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/9 "2011-09-19T16:50:20Z")
[30 Rock] Devon Banks (Will Arnett): You know, revenge is a dish best served cold, Jack. Like sashimi … or pizza. Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin): You prefer cold pizza? Devon: The morning after? It’s the best. Jack: Better than hot pizza? That’s insane. Devon: You don’t tell me what kind of pizza to like! [/30 Rock] ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/10 "2011-09-19T16:55:12Z")
The allure of hot pizza escapes me. Getting your palate singed? This is a virtue? Honestly, I don’t understand hot food at all–hot coffee, hot pizza, steaming vegetables? All better straight from the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/11 "2011-09-19T17:22:53Z")
Personal list- KFC Fried Chicken (most other fried chicken I like hot… but I find KFC almost inedible while hot… but really like it cold) Meatloaf Mac n’ Cheese Chinese food. (I won’t say it is better but in general I LIKE cold noodle dishes in general.) A lof fruit or nut pies are better cold or room temperature. I usually have to tell the waitress NOT to heat up my slice…and also NOT to put whipped cream on it. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/12 "2011-09-19T17:30:09Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > My first nomination is fried chicken, by the way. It’s MUCH better cold. This escapes me. If you aren’t in it for the crisp, why bother frying? Cuz for me, the very best fried chicken is just barely cool enough to eat without hurting my mouth. Hot and insanely crispy. And the crisp starts to fade with every degree of heat lost (and condensation collected from the steam coming off the chicken itself into the crispy crust.) > [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Pizza. Room temp is best. Yes. Not actually cold, but not really hot. I like it when the cheese has settled down to the point where it no longer “strings”. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/13 "2011-09-19T18:29:47Z")
I can typically only eat half of a Chipotle burrito at one time, and I’ve taken to eating the second half cold, directly from the refrigerator. Delicious! ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/14 "2011-09-19T19:31:45Z")
Meatloaf. On whole wheat bread with maybe a slice of swiss. Mayo on the bread. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/15 "2011-09-19T19:39:21Z")
I like to buy McDonald’s Hot Apple Pies and then throw them in the fridge overnight. They’re great cold. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/16 "2011-09-19T19:45:19Z")
I’ll also agree that the “right” kind of pizza and fried chicken can be tasty IMO cold. How about this one? Left over spaghetti noodles? Not with the sauce, just the extra/left over noodles the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/17 "2011-09-19T19:45:43Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > I don’t even like pizza reheated in the microwave. It makes the crust soggy. If it isn’t crunchy-baked in the oven, I won’t eat it. Even hung over with warm beer. Don’t reheat pizza in the microwave, that’s crazy talk. Heat it up on a cast-iron skillet so the crust stays good. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/18 "2011-09-19T20:28:01Z")
Push You Down, I’ll second Chinese food, though I wouldn’t say “better” either, but sometimes just as good - except for rice. Cold, hard rice is not edible. To that point, Tom Tildrum, I’ve never tried a cold Chipotle burrito, but the rice would still have to be pliable. Otherwise, I’m sure it’s tasty. There’s something to be said for the way that varied flavors combine after sitting in the fridge for a day. I’ve eaten cold Thai (masaman) curry and been quite satisfied too. One of my 6 year old son’s favorite foods is a cold (sliced) steak sandwich - leaner cuts are better, as eating congealed fat is not pleasant either. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/19 "2011-09-19T20:39:19Z")
Coffee. Espresso, in particular. Best over ice. I don’t know who thought of it first, but there should be a statue. ---
**Author:** ![Teufelblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@Teufelblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teufelblitz)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836/20 "2011-09-19T21:05:10Z")
Chili can be quite excellent the next day with minimal warming. Something about letting it sit longer takes what was a marriage of flavors and turns it more into an orgy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-meant-to-be-served-hot-that-are-better-cold/596836.md?page=2)