Making a big batch of rice at the beginning of the week is an easy way to meal prep, as
this grain is the perfect base for so many delicious meals. From stir fry to curry, there's
a ton of dishes that you can make around a base of rice, and have a deliciously different
dinner each day.
Fresh rice is soft and pillowy, especially when it's fresh out of a specialty cooker.
But it can often be tricky achieving this same fluffy texture when reheating it for
leftovers. When it comes to reheating foods, normally the easiest way is to pop a plate
into the microwave and give the dish a quick zap. Sometimes, rice just loses something
when it's reheated, though, and that's a bummer.
It turns out that there's a trick to getting super fluffy rice out of the microwave, and
it's so simple and easy, you'll wonder why it took so long for you to do it. According
to a viral video on TikTok, all you need to do is put an ice cube in the middle of your
rice before you put it in the microwave. Wait, an ice cube in rice? Yes, doing so will create
steam that makes your leftover dish feel fresh again.
America's Test Kitchen caught wind of this trend and gave it a shot, noting a mysterious
phenomenon: The ice doesn't actually melt. In a seemingly strange bit of science fun,
the ice cube stays mostly intact because the molecules are so closely packed together that
they don't vibrate when the microwave is heating things up.
"Wow! That looks delicious! But where did that food come from?"
"The future!"
For all you science obsessives out there, here's what Paul Adams, science research editor
at America's Test Kitchen, had to say:
"In this hack, the rice gets hot […], and the heat from the rice warms up the surface
of the ice cubes, so they melt a little bit. Then that liquid water released from the melting
ice can be boiled by the microwave, so it turns to steam, and steams the rice."
So that's how the steaming works, but why doesn't the ice melt? Mental Floss also wrote
about how this hack works, with a focus on the hydrogen bonds in the ice cube. They said,
"The rigid hydrogen bonds in ice prevent the water molecules from rotating. This means
the bonds don't absorb a lot of energy from the microwave, which allows the ice to retain
its solid form as the surrounding food heats up."
Now that you're an expert on the science of this, you're in great shape to try out this
rice reheating method and see the action happen. Keep in mind, though, that if you're heating
up a large amount of rice, you might need an extra ice cube or two. And seriously, it
really is that easy!
We must, however, add something important: before you try out this ice cube hack, it's
important to make sure to check for the signs that your rice hasn't gone bad yet.
You might have heard that you can get food poisoning from rice, and while that's a possibility,
you can absolutely eat leftover rice as long as you store and heat the rice safely. Keep
your rice and leftovers tightly sealed. However, if the rice has been left out at room temperature
for more than two hours, you should throw it away, according to the USDA.
But how does rice cause food poisoning? When it's cooked, NHS UK explains that spores of
Bacillus cereus can still survive, and bacteria will grow if you leave rice at room temperature
for too long, which is why you should put away your rice quickly.
When you're reheating your rice, the temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
That means reheating your rice for three to four minutes, and you can also reheat your
rice by adding a couple of tablespoons of water and placing a lid on your food. If you
don't have any ice cubes handy, this is another option to make your rice fluffy again.
If you have eaten rice with Bacillus cereus bacteria, NHS UK says that the symptoms last
around 24 hours and describe them as "relatively mild." Still, if you think that your health
and safety is at risk, contact a medical professional.
"Doctor." "Doctor." "Doctor." "Doctor." "Doctor." "Doctor." "Doctor." "Doctor."
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