The Easy Hack To Keep Your Takeout Warm At Home

Your takeout accidentally getting cold can be really annoying, especially when you've been looking forward to your favorite meal all day, but it happens. You can't always tuck in the moment your food gets delivered and, before you know it, you're left with soggy fries or cold burgers. Reheated meals don't usually taste as fresh and not all food should be reheated anyway, so here's a simple hack to keep it warm. Put your takeout straight into the microwave and store it there until you're ready to eat.

You don't actually need to turn the microwave on for this trick, which also means not worrying about the containers being microwave-safe. Because this appliance is insulated, it'll do a better job keeping your food warm than just leaving it on your kitchen counter. Just be mindful that this hack has a time limit — your food won't stay hot forever and warmer places are riskier for bacteria growth. If your meal is piping hot when it arrives, don't leave it out for more than an hour. If it's already slightly cool, you can safely leave it out for a max of two hours before digging in.

Although microwaves are a common kitchen appliance, you can definitely live without one. If your kitchen happens to be microwave-free, you can pop your takeout food into your oven for a similar insulating effect. Some ovens even have a "keep warm" setting," but remember if you're turning the oven on, the containers need to be oven-safe. And be mindful not to leave your food there for too long. If you have an insulated bag, you can also put your takeout into this. These bags are great for keeping refrigerated food cold, but can also keep hot foods warm.

You can even put your takeout containers in the dishwasher and close the door to slow the cooling process. Of course, this does require an empty dishwasher, which is rare for some of us. A more creative method is to use an electric blanket. Just let the blanket heat up for 5 minutes before placing your takeout containers on top of it. Whether you use your microwave or your electric bedspread, you can say goodbye to disappointingly cold takeout.