toaster oven until just heated through! leave it in too long, and it will get dry!

I always use my comal or cast-iron skillet. the heat should be high enough so that nothing sticks to the cooking surface, thus you won't need to wash it! My comal never leaves my stove unless I'm seasoning it (once ever few months).

A trick I picked up from watching the cooks at the local taqueria: They take a handful of tortillas, dip the stack in water quickly (about halfway or less, you don't have to get the whole tortilla wet), then they throw them individually on the grill top. After about 30 seconds or so they flip them. I've replicated this by just dipping each one really quickly in water and then throwing it onto a cast iron pan. The steam from the water seems to heat the entire tortilla pretty evenly. I've only tried this with corn tortillas, but I suspect it'll work with flour too.

My mexican friends all taught me to heat them on a fry pan -- or comal -- and I do to this day. There's really nothing much to clean afterwards.

BTW, microwaving any form of bread product is a no-no -- ruins the texture.

You all got it right in my book--a cloth towel that has been moistened very well always does the trick for me to heat tortillas in the microwave. Paper towels don't stay as moist as cloth and might be too thin, which is perhaps why you're getting bad results.

Sometimes I do them in the skillet, but they often cool down by the time I get them to the table, which is another reason why i usually go with the wet towel method.

I have a gizmo that works great and is for the microwave.

Looks like a large round potholder, is made with an internal pocket. I believe that some Mylar-like material is quilted within it. For a few tortillas about 15 seconds it all it takes. For a thick stack it works best to give it a blast of microwave and take the tortillas out and, I don't know exactly how to describe this but... split the deck and put them back in back-to-back, or perhaps invert the stack from the middle..?. and give another blast of microwave. Sounds complicated but works great. They turn out soft and steaming.

Mine is made for corn tortillas and the smaller flour tortillas, the big burrito-size flour tortillas won't fit within it.

The bad news is I cannot tell you how to get one - it was a gift from a former girlfriend.

Another was is over the flame of a gas burner. Flip them over a few times with tongs and stack within a towel.

My mom puts some water in a skillet turned to medium, places a mesh spatter screen over it, and steams the tortillas on top of the spatter screen. It works pretty well. It helps to place a lid over the tortilla while it's heating.

I use one of the cast iron skillets I always have sitting out on my stove. Pile 4 - 6 tortillas in the pan on very low heat with a bit of melted butter or oil, and flip them every 15 seconds or so to get each tortilla some time on direct heat. They keep each other warm this way and it's much better than microwaving. It's not messy at all so I just wipe out the pan... cast iron can't be cleaned with soap anyways.

Put the tortillas on a plate. Flip another plate upside down on top of it. Microwave as you would normally. The tortillas steam with the moisture that's already inside them and the plates contain that steam. I gave up heating them any other way once I learned this trick.

microwave? never! use your cast iron w/ a bit of oil rubbed on w/ a paper towel.

I would say, the ghetto way or the way Rick Bayless does on his show, turn on the stove and let the flames kiss your tortillas.

Or, heat up a non-stick skillet and toss that sucker on there.

Another, small wet napkin, wrap the tortillas in cloth, toss in a bowl, cover with plate, 30 seconds to a minute.

I always just place them on top of the stove. Of course, this was totally fine when we had a gas stove; now my husband hates when I put them right on the electric (it smokes A LOT). The end product is a nice, crispy tortilla. Until my husband buys me this:http://www.surlatable.com/product/stovetop pepper-tortilla roaster.do?keyword=roaster&sortby=ourPicks we are stuck with this method. :)

If you are just heating up a few, the absolutely BEST way is to put individual tortillas DIRECTLY on the stove burner for a few seconds until warm, then flip. This enhances the flavor of the tortilla, is not as much of a fire hazard as you would expect, and never results in tough tortillas.

If you are heating a bunch, use the contraption foxx was talking about. I have one and it works well (and quickly) for a larger amount of tortillas. You can find them here http://www.latortillaloca.com/tortilla_warmers.htm

Put the cloth-wrapped tortillas in a bamboo steamer and steam for a minute or so.

I find the easiest (and tastiest way) is unfortunately using a pan. A little bit of oil wiped on with a paper towel or cloth gives just enough nonstickness to the pan, and the tortillas come out soft and tasty (even straight from the freezer).

I've always heated mine directly on the burner (gas or electric). It softens the tortilla, but gives it a nice char at the same time. I do agree with bgreen that heating them directly on an electric burner creates some smoke, but I don't mind, because it doesn't fill my apartment unless I'm making a bunch at a time, and (weirdo alert!) I kind of like the smell of the smoke on my hands when I'm finished.

I use a flat cast iron skillet with only the slightest rise on the edges. I confess to adding a bit of manteca because I like the taste of them that way.

A friend of mine taught me to just place them over the burner on low (gas stove) for a few seconds, flip for a few more seconds, and done. Still nice and soft but warm, with minimal effort.

I know the answer to this! Heat it up directly on the burner! I've only ever done it on a gas stove, but if you have an electric, it would probably work to let it heat up before throwing the tortilla on. Makes it taste very fresh and delicious! A friend of mine used to buy uncooked tortillas at Costco (I think that's where she got them from) and would cook them in a pan before each meal and those were amazing. I've never found them, though.

I have lit one or two on fire... nothing out of control or anything, but just keep an eye on it.

depends on what I'm doing with them, either a pan or i put some water in a fry pan and a put a cooling rack over it and steam them real quick.

In the house I always heat them on a dry skillet or griddle pan (electric stove, otherwise I would forgo the pan altogether), but my favorite is when I grill (which is 5-6 days a week from now until snow falls next winter) I put them right on the grill above smoldering charcoals. The tortillas get a nice golden brown and are really the best tasting with this method in my opinion.

I've always been partial to a comal which lives on my stovetop, but in a pinch (OPK) I go for the straight flame. Quick singe makes them dreamy.

I think it's a prefernce thing though. Folks that heat in the microwave do so for the uber-soft tortilla. I like them warmed, crisp on one side and soft on the other. They hold a taco together much better that way. And it's how my mama did it ;)

I agree with the "right on the gas burner" approach. The absolute easiest and best way!!

I like to heat them up in a skillet, but I've also found that for corn tortillas putting them in a tortilla warmer (we use this one http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=752&f=36099&q=tortilla&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1) and microwaving them gets them to not be so tough.

Here in Mexico we use either the "gas burner" method or the skillet or comal. After heating them we wrap them with cloth. This is when eating tortillas on the side.

leeza's way is my favorite way to heat corn tortillas but many prefer the slightly burnt flavor of the gas burner.

For corn tortilla tacos, we put a little oil on a skillet so we can handle them better. This also prevents tacos from falling apart.

Flour tortillas always go directly on the burner of our gas stove -- we lived in a condo with an electric stove for five years and I was SO excited for "real" warmed tortillas when we moved into our current place. As far as corn tortillas go, I just nuke 'em with a moist towel in our tortilla holder like my Mexican nana does, although the comal method works well, too, when you're warming up a smaller pile.

in my cast iron skillet, dry. they puff up and toast (while staying soft enough to roll up) so nicely!

I've always just kind of spun them around on a cast iron griddle, no oil or anything and thus no cleanup. If you kind of use your fingertips to keep it moving, it doesn't stick at all.

Rick Bayless suggests wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving for a minute or two.

For flour tortillas, I use my gas stove. I turn on a low flame then put the tortillas directly on the stove. After a few seconds I'll flip with tongs so it's sufficiently warmed through and puffed up a little. Don't turn up the stove too severely, you don't want to torch it (:

For corn tortillas, the best way is just to heat them up on a flat griddle (or a skillet, if that's all you have). If you want a tasty tortilla, this is the way to go, and honestly, it would take mere seconds to wipe the skillet out once you were done!

Microwaving tortillas just sounds horrible ): At least.. from this Californian's perspective! We take tortillas very seriously!

Yeah, heating them on a comal, or a dry skillet if you don't have a comal. It really takes no time, and you can usually do 6 at a time, that is 3 stacks of 2 tortillas. The comal should be HOT, and you cook each side until its cooked. Usually takes about a minute to do 6 tortillas, or less depending. This is how everyone in my mexican family cooks them.

Right on the stove top works too if you are only doing a couple.

Bare tortilla on the electric burner works best for me. Place a small metal cooling rack on the burner first...helps prevent flame-ups.
I keep one cooling rack just for that purpose. I also use it under a saucepan when I need a very low heat.

In the oven (I use toaster oven), wrapped in tinfoil.

Roll up the wet papertowel/tortilla layers. Like a very skinny tube. If that's not soft enough, put the rolled up combo in a ziplock bag. Never come out tough for me.

I throw them onto a non-stick frying pan, no spray, no oil----totally dry. Let them soften a bit, flip, soften, remove. PERFECT warm tortillas.

Use La Tortilla Oven!

http://www.thekitchenoutlet.com/product.php?productid=1852&cat=1

I found one at our local Mexican grocery store for about $2 and it works fantastic, about 30 seconds for 2 burrito size tortillas or a stack of taco size tortillas and you're good to go. Plus, they stay warm inside this too.

Either directly on the burner or on a asador grill works the best for me. I cook two at a time on the grill , turning the top one over after flipping them. Tortillas need to cook and rise up, just warming them doesn't do that. They really do have a better flavor this way.Asador grills are affordable also.

regardless of tradition, i think the best way is on a grill (charcoal), but of course that is generally limited to when we're grilling our dinner.

past that, i usually use a toaster oven, but would use cast iron or another good, heavy pan on the stove if i didn't have a toaster oven...

i do corn and flour directly on my gas burners but if you have electric buy a comal, a thin cast iron pan or any cast iron pan.

If I heat my tortillas on a skillet with no oil, about 20 seconds for each side over high heat, I never bother washing them. It's the easiest and best-tasting way, from my experience.

NOT THE MICROWAVE!!! Right on top of the grate of your gas stove with the flame at a medium heat.

It depends: If you're eating in the kitchen you can keep a "comal" (griddle) in warm and lay 2 or 3 at a time, the con is that you have to keep getting up to get the warm and lay more cold ones. If you have a feast on the d-room table waiting for soft tacos: wrap the in a kitchen towel and heat them up in the microwave 15 seconds/tortilla.
My best advice is that you buy fresh tortillas from a mexican market if you can. If you have no other option but to buy the bagged ones at the supermarket probably the warm griddle is your best option, with those tortillas it doesn't matter what you do they'll get tough and chewy. You couls also make your own, just enough to get you through the week (1-2 dz.), with these ones you cannot only make tacos but sopes and chalupas as well becuase they'll be thick enough. Suerte y buen provecho!

When I was a child my abuelita would put her handmade (yum!) flour tortillas directly on the electric buner to reheat them up - and nothing else tastes as good. Although occasionally I use the cast iron skillet...
Corn tortillas (we never had those in the house, don't know why) - I usually stick in the toaster oven. You can use the regular oven as well. But microwave? yuck.
(And the smell and taste of charred tortilla brings back so many childhood memories - true comfort food :)

20 seconds in a flat plate sandwich press, it cooks both sides and you can tell it's ready when the steam coming out the sides changes.

i use a regular toaster. the tortillas fit almost exactly into the slots, and they always come out perfect on the lowest setting. very easy and fool proof.

If you want to heat them in the microwave, you can keep doing the damp paper towel thing, but we also sprinkle a bit of water onto the tortillas themselves before we wrap them up and pop them in the nuker.

I'd also reduce your time to 20 seconds max.

I've always used a comal (it lived on the stove in my house growing up). I cringe at the idea of using the microwave. How are you going to get the slight char that way? I'm doing my best to work up to my grandmother's status, whereby I'll be able to flip the tortillas on the comal without burning the tips of my fingers. I suppose this will involve killing a lot of nerve endings.

If you have a gas stove, just place them one-by-one directly over the flame for a few seconds and flip. Easy-peasy.

I like the idea of using a cooling rack over an electric stove top. There's an appliance (some call it roti grill) available at Indian stores. Its a cooling rack with a handle, as shown here: http://cookingmedley.blogspot.com/2006/05/proud-owner-of-roti-grill-thanks-to.html

The easiest and BEST way to heat a tortilla is in a gadget called La Tortilla Oven. It's a double sided round insulated pocket that you simply slide up to 15 tortillas into and microwave for 1 minute.....and it keeps your tortillas fresh & warm for up to 1 hour! No dried out edges, no sticking together like in the plastic or ceramic warmers or from wetting your tortillas. It's simply fantastic! I also use mine to microwave cook baked potatoes, and even to steam veggies! And, you can keep items from the oven or comal fresh and warm in the Tortilla Oven as well.
It's eco-friendly as it is reuseable (no crumpled tin foil), and is washable and drip dry. I couldn't live without mine! I bought one for everyone in my family for Christmas gifts.
You can find them here:
http://www.tortillaoven.com/