Even for people who love to cook, the microwave is a basic mealtime necessity. It can revive leftovers in minutes, but as anyone who as ever suffered through a dinner of soggy microwaved pizza can attest, some items are just better reheated in the oven — think breads, fries and crispy coated foods, like chicken fingers. That said, almost everything else is fair game for this ubiquitous machine. And if you play to its strengths you can reheat most dishes with great results.

By Angela Carlos for Food Network Kitchen