This Hack Will Help Heat Your Hot Pockets Perfectly
Hot Pockets are a staple of the college student and young professional diet. Created in 1983 and a nostalgic lunch item for many an '80s or '90s kid, you can now find Hot Pockets in a range of flavor combinations beyond the traditional pepperoni and cheese or ham and cheese varieties, from sriracha steak to buffalo chicken. But, whether you love or hate them, there's one thing everyone can agree on when it comes to Hot Pockets — heat them incorrectly and you end up with an ice cold brick of frozen goo, a burning inferno of lava-like sauce and melted cheese, or a mixture of both. If you're lucky, you'll walk away with no more than a burnt tongue for your efforts.
Yet, this doesn't need to be the case. You can enjoy your Hot Pocket at a deliciously warm temperature that's consistent all the way throughout the Hot Pocket's, well, pocket. What you don't want to do? Follow the manufacturer's instructions. According to the Hot Pocket box, you're supposed to either bake your Hot Pocket in a 350-degree oven, unwrapped, on a baking sheet, for 28 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees (but who has 30 minutes?) or heat it in the microwave on high for 2 minutes, if you're cooking one Hot Pocket only. Anyone who's ever cooked a Hot Pocket knows that these methods are not successful.
Instead, you want to follow this secretive hack that comes to you via Reddit.
Shake that Hot Pocket, baby
According to Lifehacker, one Redditor who goes by ArcadiumStadium posted a Hot Pocket hack that's been proven to work. They say to "microwave the item for 75 percent of the suggested time. Take it out of the microwave, hold it at both ends, and shake it so the hot filling on each end mixes with the colder filling in the middle. Put it back in the microwave and cook for the remaining time. (Or just cook it in the oven for the remaining time to add a little extra crispiness.)" It's so simple! How did no one else think of this?
This particular Reddit post has since been deleted, but the question of how to perfectly heat up a Hot Pocket lives on, with others adding their input. Some Redditors recommend defrosting your Hot Pocket before you cook it, then popping it in the toaster oven or even a deep fryer. Others have similar methods to the original, but without the shaking. Regardless, we like ArcadiumStadium's simple and to-the-point version best.