Every pizza lover wondered if it was possible to reheat cold pizza in the oven without pulling it out of the box. We all sometimes feel too lazy to follow all the rules adopted in the world of pizza lovers in order to warm it up.
This article will enlighten you in all matters regarding reheating leftover pizza and whether you can put the cardboard box in the oven.
Is it a Good Idea to Heat Pizza box in the Oven?
Well, can you put a pizza box in the oven? Let’s clarify right away. No, you can’t put the box in the oven, when there is high heat. There are many reasons for this. Yes, a pizza box is well suited for its transportation, nothing leaks out of it and it does not tear if it is made with demanded quality. But this does not mean that it can be put in the oven, microwave, toaster oven, air fryer or any kind of oven.
Let’s start with the fact that paper can simply ignite. We all remember chemistry lessons from school, or at least some basics, like the ignition temperature of paper. And cardboard, maybe it will surprise someone, is made of paper.
You will not only have an entirely burnt pizza and its packaging, but you can also ruin the oven or even start a fire that will require immediate extinguishing with a fire extinguisher or even call the firefighters; your neighbors will be extremely unhappy, and you will also be left with a lot of damage.
Fire is a very serious matter and if it is not immediately noticed can lead to a real tragedy, so always handle the oven with care, let alone you should think carefully before allowing the oven to come into contact with flammable objects.
You may be wondering, what if we set the lower temperature? Maybe then everything will work out? No, even if you don’t start a fire, if there are several reasons why heating in a cardboard pizza box is still dangerous under low heat.
What Makes Up Pizza Box
Let’s analyze what the average cardboard pizza box consists of, which you will find in most fast food establishments and pizzerias.
Regular cardboard pizza boxes are made of corrugated cardboard, which consists of several layers of paper pressed and smeared with glue. This makes the box suitable for keeping food warm and prevents the pizza from getting soggy. Detailed information about the pizza box is presented by Food & City. Further, each pizza-selling outlet orders its own design, which is printed in ink.
A wide range of requirements apply to hot pizza boxes, which are also used, for example, for packaging large flat pies:
Thermal resistance
Pizza in a pizzeria is packed hot, and the box should be keeping pizza warm for up to 1-2 hours. This means that the material must be resistant to high temperatures for a sufficiently long time.
Strength
The density of the cardboard and the rigidity of the structure must be such that the box does not deform when stacked, since the delivery person, as a rule, delivers several orders at once. In addition, the bottom of the pizza box should not sag under the weight of the pizza, and the side walls and corners that hold the pizza box should also not be deformed.
To increase rigidity, the bottom and the lid are usually made as a single unit, and the lid has additional valves along the entire height of the sides.
Fat resistance
Since such products contain oils and fats, the cardboard pizza box should not be soaked with them throughout its structure. The outer surface of the package must not be oily or greasy. That’s why pizza boxes have anti-grease layer.
When heated in a hot oven, some parts of the box may melt, allowing harmful chemicals from the box and ink to integrate into your food. Of course, this is not a very good idea. You will almost certainly get poisoned and get various degrees of health problems, not to mention the fact that the pizza will taste disgusting.
By itself, the box may not combust under high temperatures. But contact with oil will cause a fire. Almost all types of oils, fat or margarine ignite when in contact with a dry cloth or paper or cardboard. Of course, the desire to enjoy a warm pizza with stretchy cheese is very strong, but it is still better to refrain from the risk of fire.
Low Temperature
Of course, if the box does not contain ink, metal clips, or plastic parts, you can warm the pizza in the box, but to do this, you will have to make sure that there is substantional amount of pizza on the box and the oven temperature is very low. 170 degrees Fahrenheit will be the most right temperature. But keep an eye on your precious pizza, if you see the cheese start bubbling, it means the pizza has warmed up.
Can paper packaging be heated in the microwave?
Paper bags
Paper packaging, especially printed packaging, should not be heated in the microwave. It is highly flammable, and heated paint emits harmful fumes that can get into food. Even a popcorn bag can catch fire if overexposed.
Why can’t pizza be reheated in the microwave?
Experts agree that pizza should not be heated in the microwave, as this loses the taste of the product. …
Here’s what Susan Westmoreland, culinary director of GoodHouseKeeping, has to say about reheating pizza in a box: what not to do because, in addition to being a fire hazard, pizza can taste like cardboard.
After the pizza has warmed up for a few minutes over medium heat, you can add a few drops of water and cover with a lid or a sheet of foil, the steam will return the freshness and taste to the pizza.
How to reheat frozen pizzas in the oven?
How to reheat pizza in the oven
- First, you will need to cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil or baking paper.
- Second, you need to put the pizza on the wire rack, then the pie will be saturated with steam and warm up well, and not fried, and you won’t have to deal with a soggy mess.
- The correct time for warming up in this way is about 10-15 minutes.
You can see information about our best commercial pizza ovens here.
How to defrost pizza in a pan?
Reheating pizza in a pan in order to get hot pizza will require a list of actions:
- Put a deep frying pan on a small fire and wait until it heats up on the stove.
- Put a few slices of pizza in it so that they lie in one layer, or you can place the whole pizza inside it.
- Cover the container with a lid.
- Set a low heat and heat the dish for 3-4 minutes.
How to defrost pizza properly in the microwave?
- First, you should defrost the product for 8 minutes.
- Then put it in the microwave and turn on the “Defrost” mode for 5-7 minutes.
- You can also defrost pizza in the refrigerator and then put it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes at 800 watts.
How do reheat pizza in the oven so that it does not dry out?
- Place cold pizza slices on a baking sheet and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Place them on the lowest oven rack and set the temperature to 275 degrees. Let the pizza bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Now you can have a delicious meal and be sure that you’ll have your pizza warm.
Alternatives to Cardboard Method
Aluminium foil
This method should work fine, and at least it’s better than heating an entire pizza box in the oven.
- You just need to spread the pizza slices evenly over the piece of foil and heat it in the oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Using Aluminium foil is a great trick to make your pizza stay warm for almost 3 hours.
Pizza Stone
You can reheat pizza on the stone. Pizza stones can be used many times. Among other things, when heated, they do not ignite and evenly transfer heat to your dish. You can easily look up a Youtube video that will show how this great method of using a pizza stone works.
This method will help preserve the crispy crust and is completely safe, as the pizza stones require less heat than, for example, the aluminum foil method. A pizza stone will reheat your pizza nice and even.
The only downside here is the higher price and the fact that pizza stone is quite time-consuming, as cooking time is longer than with aluminum or tin foil.
Some other cooking methods to be used in heating pizza include the cast iron skillet, the toaster oven, and air fryers.
How to heat pizza in a pan?
This method is used very often, since it is very effective in returning the original taste and juiciness to the dish. You can compare the pans with us: Pizza Pan With Holes Vs No Holes
- Heat the pan without adding water or oil.
- Put the pizza slices on its surface, sprinkle with grated cheese and cover with a lid.
- So that the edges of the cakes remain tender, they can first be moistened with water.
- Warm-up time – from 4 to 8 minutes.
However, it is better to eat such pizza right away, as the dish dries out quickly after a while.
Best way to heat pizza in the microwave?
- In order not to overdry the dish, it is advisable to slightly moisten it with water and then put it in the microwave.
- On average, 1-2 minutes is enough to warm up the pizza, but it is recommended to check readiness regularly, without waiting for the timer to end.
- After the dish has warmed up, leave it in a dark place for 5 minutes – this will allow the excess moisture to evaporate.
- Also, sometimes a napkin is laid out on a plate in which the pizza is warming up (it will help get rid of excess moisture). And if you want the sides to remain juicy and soft, put a glass with a small amount of water (about half of the volume) inside the microwave.
FAQ
Can I put a pizza box in the oven at 170?
Yes, you can. But be careful anyway. Putting a pizza box in the oven overall is not the best idea you can come up with.
So can you put a pizza box in the oven to heat it?
Theoretically, yes, you can, but make sure that the oven is not above 200 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s okay to reheat pizza in its box in your oven, providing you use the right temperature setting as discussed above. You can see information about our best commercial pizza ovens here.
Although, reheating leftover pizza in the box will not heat the pizza evenly. Thus, you can easily overdry it or, on the contrary, get a soggy pizza.
After all, you don’t even see your pizza, so you have to pull it out every time to check if the cheese has melted or if it has not gotten burnt.
Are the pizza boxes moisture resistant?
Steam comes out of the hot dish, some of which condenses on the inside of the box. The cardboard must be resistant to such exposure and, in addition, excess steam can be removed. To do this, additional holes are made on the back and side walls of the pizza box (depending on the design).
Can I store my leftover pizza in its cardboard box?
We highly recommend not storing it in the box. To get started, take a food container, put aluminum foil or a napkin on its bottom, and put the pizza in it (you should also lay a napkin between each piece).
Cover the container with a lid or wrap it with cling film. In this case, the pizza must be completely cooled to room temperature. Before heating, it is worth removing the greens, and lettuce leaves.
Pizza is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days – if you want to increase this period, you can try to freeze it – but we strongly do not recommend doing this! It will come out rubbery and the topping would be tasteless.
Why pizza boxes are square shaped?
There are several reasons for it.
It is much more convenient to transport square boxes. The stack of square boxes is much more stable, nothing falls and does not turn over.
Getting a pizza out of a square box is just easier. After all, otherwise, its sides would fit snugly against the sides of the box. Free space allows you to deftly wield both a spatula and your hands.
Due to the fact that there is a small air gap remaining in the box, the pizza stays warm and fresh longer.
Final thoughts can you put a pizza box in the oven
can you put a pizza box in the oven? The sole purpose of cardboard boxes is to transfer the pizza from the oven to your table. The heating pizza box is not the best idea, keep in mind that there is a fire hazard. Besides, most boxes consist of chemicals in their design, which is not good for your health. You can at best store leftover pizza in its cardboard box, though it still would be better to remove it and store it in some tableware.
And the box can change the taste of your pizza, which will not only ruin your dinner and day but can also affect your health due to chemicals that may have entered the dish.
Let us know! We love hearing customer feedback on our blog posts.
Hi, I used aluminum foil when reheating the pizza as you suggest, but no luck, I tore the foil when I took the pizza out of the oven
hi Flora, aluminum foil is a great way to reheat pizza. I have one secret on how to reheat pizza in the oven on aluminum foil without tearing it: use foil in 2-3 layers. Then the layer will be dense and will not tear.