180 - Reheating Cooked Rice.

I Tried That Brilliant Ice Cube Trick for Reheating Rice and It Actually Works

by
ASHLEY ABRAMSON
published JAN 22, 2021

Credit: Ashley Abramson


The words “life-changing” and “tip” get thrown around a lot in cooking, but what you’re about to see can’t be described in any other way. You see, before today I used to think the best way to reheat day-old rice in the microwave was by using the moist paper towel method or the pour-some-water-on-it method. But on my recent nightly TikTok scroll, I discovered a new solution I would have never thought of: Put an ice cube on top of the rice before you reheat it in the microwave. Apparently the ice won’t melt (!); instead, it will actually steam the rice, making it perfectly fluffy and delicious once again.

tried the rice hack myself to see if it would work, and I was delighted by how easy and effective it was. In the video, which has 35,000 likes, the creator puts a single ice cube on a tiny pile of leftover cooked rice on a plate, then nukes it for a minute. I used more rice than the person in the video, so I took a gamble and went with two ice cubes (although my ice cubes were also smaller than the ones in the video).

If you want to try this at home too, make sure your rice is safe to eat first: How Long Can You Keep Leftover Rice in the Fridge?

Credit: Ashley Abramson

After a minute in the microwave, the ice was still totally intact. (Fun fact: A quick Google search taught me that’s because of the hydrogen bonds in the frozen water, which prevent the water molecules from rotating and, in turn, from absorbing microwave energy.) And the jasmine rice? Well, it was perfect — hot, but not dry, almost as though I had just cooked it for the first time. I’ll definitely be keeping this game-changing hack in my back pocket.Here’s more than you ever wanted to know about reheating rice: Is Precooking Rice for Meal Prep Safe? Here’s What You Need to Know.

Recipes to Use Up Your Leftover Rice

Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)
Spicy Thai Chicken and Brown Rice Bowls
Brown Rice Bowl with Chard & Nutty Tomato Romesco Sauce
Turkey Burrito Bowls with Cilantro-Lime Rice

Ashley Abramson

CONTRIBUTOR

Ashley Abramson is a writer-mom hybrid in Minneapolis, MN. Her work, mostly focused on health, psychology, and parenting, has been featured in the Washington Post, New York Times, Allure, and more. She lives in the Minneapolis suburbs with her husband and two young sons.

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