There’s a new Costa Coffee drive-through in town, so I decided to treat my family. Unfortunately, I got stuck in traffic on the way back, and everything had gone cold by the time I got home.
Fortunately, this wasn’t the first time my takeaway food had gotten cold, so I knew exactly what to do. I used the reheating methods outlined below to heat up my Costa safely without ruining the taste or texture.
How does Costa heat their food?
Costa Coffee heat their food in a Merrychef e2 high-speed oven. These ovens use a combination of convection/grill, smart airflow and microwaves to heat food 10-12x faster than a conventional oven.
I’m going to presume that you haven’t spent £5,500 on a Merrychef oven for your home kitchen, so here’s how to heat your Costa with traditional kitchen appliances.
How to heat up a Costa Toastie
In a frying pan
My favourite way of reheating cheese toasties is in the frying pan. First, preheat the pan over a medium heat. Spread a little butter on both sides of the toastie and heat in the pan for a few minutes per side or until the cheese has melted and it is steaming hot (75°C).
This method won’t work for the Costa cheese-topped toasties because the cheese would stick to the pan.
In the air fryer
Another great way to heat up a costa toastie is in an air fryer. Wrap the toastie in foil (don’t wrap it tight if it’s a cheese-topped toastie) and place in an air fryer at 160°C for 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted and it is steaming hot (75°C)
If you don’t have an air fryer, use a preheated oven and increase the time instead.
If you don’t have any foil, you can use an oven-proof dish with a lid.
In the microwave
Reheating the cheese toastie in the microwave will make it a bit soggy, so it’s not ideal. It will be hot and edible, though. Wrap the toastie in some kitchen roll and put it on a microwaveable plate in the microwave. Heat in 30-second intervals until it is piping hot (75°C) throughout. Time will vary depending on the output of your microwave.
How to heat up a Costa Bacon Roll or Sausage Bap
These reheating methods will work for the Costa Bacon Roll and the Costa Sausage Bap.
In an air fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 180°C. Remove the meat from your bap and place it in the air fryer basket for 2 minutes. Add the top and bottom of the bap to the air fryer in a single layer, then heat for further 30 seconds. Reassemble your sausage bap or bacon roll and enjoy.
In the microwave
Put your bacon roll or sausage bap on a microwaveable plate. Take a sheet of kitchen roll and run it under the tap to soak it. Lay the kitchen roll on top of the bap (don’t wrap it underneath). Microwave in 30-second intervals until it is piping hot (75°C).
How to heat up a Costa Panini
This method works with Costa’s mozzarella and tomato and tuna melt paninis. It also works fine for reheating the Costa chicken fajita wrap at home.
In the oven
The best way to heat up a Costa panini is in the oven. Wrap your panini in foil and then place it in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, then return to the oven for 2-3 minutes to add crunch back to the outside of the bread.
You can also do this in an air fryer, adjust the times as you usually would.
In the microwave
If you don’t want to wait for the oven to preheat, you can heat up your panini in the microwave. Remove all packaging and place your costa panini on a microwaveable plate. Damp a sheet of kitchen roll and drape it over the panini. Microwave for 1 minute. Return to the microwave in 30-second bursts until it reaches an internal temperature of 75°C (steaming hot inside).
How to heat up Costa mac and cheese
These are your best options for reheating Costa Creamy Mac and Cheese or Costa Vegan Macaroni Cheeze.
In the oven
Costa’s mac and cheese meals are oven-baked mac and cheese, so the best way to reheat them is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 180°C. We know that Costa heat their mac and cheese in its box in the high-speed oven, so we don’t need to transfer it. Bake for 15 minutes. Optional & Optimal: cover the box with foil for the first 10 minutes.
This method will also work in the air fryer, reduce the time accordingly.
In the microwave
You can heat Costa mac and cheese in the microwave to save time, but the pasta shells on the outer edge may go hard. Microwave for 1:30, then check if the pasta is piping hot (75°C). If not, return to the microwave in 30-second bursts until it is.
If you liked this post, then maybe you’d find our guides on reheating Gregg’s sausage rolls and steak bakes helpful too.
FAQ
Can you freeze a costa toastie?
You can freeze a costa toastie as long as you put it in the freezer (or fridge) within 2 hours because, after that, you risk bacteria growing on it. You can reheat them straight from frozen in a frying pan over a gentle heat.
Can you freeze Costa food?
You can freeze most costa food as long as you put it in the freezer (or fridge) within 2 hours of it getting to room temperature. As a general rule, defrost in the refrigerator before reheating.
Can you eat Costa toasties cold?
You can eat Costa toasties cold. Sure. Have you never eaten cold pizza before? Don’t eat a Costa toastie that’s been left out all night, though. You must put cooked food in the fridge within 2 hours of reaching room temperature to prevent harmful bacteria from growing on it.
What ovens do Costa Coffee use?
Costa Coffee use a high-speed oven made by MerryChef. MerryChef’s ovens use a combination of microwave, convection and impingement (focussed airflow) heating to heat food up to 80% faster than traditional ovens without the negative effects of microwaves.
