How to microwave leftover food correctly

Leftovers are a great way to save money on lunch and reduce food waste.

But having yesterday's dinner the next day never usually tastes quite as good as when the meal was fresh. Some parts of the dish will be hotter than others, and the intense heat will have likely dried the meal out.

But according to the Daily Mail, there is a way to make sure your leftovers heat up evenly - so if you've just been bunging your meal in the microwave and hitting start, you've been doing it wrong.

A viral image on Imgur reveals a secret hack that will make sure all of your food is the same temperature next time you reheat leftovers.

Above a picture of spaghetti bolognese teased into a doughnut shape, the caption claims that if you make a circle in the middle of your leftover meal, the dish will reheat much more evenly.

The very quick trick works because microwaves send radio waves from all sides, rather than heating from above or below like conventional ovens.

Is this the correct way to reheat leftovers? Photo / Imgur, omgpolly

Therefore the outer edges will cook first and the most quickly.

Most people tend to pile their food on their plate so that the densest part of their meal is the centre - which means the middle of their dish often ends up colder than the other parts of the meal.

But making a well in the middle of your food will ensure the meal heats up more evenly. Flattening out your leftovers to create a larger surface area with no dense parts will also help.

This article was first published on Daily Mail and is republished here with permission.