Pizza is one of the foods that we can’t seem to get enough of. It’s made with a dough foundation and different toppings. If you order pizza, it comes packed in a box. So, can you put a pizza box in the oven to reheat your pizza?
You should not put a pizza box in an oven. It’s made of various grades of cartons and dyes, and it may catch fire at a specific temperature, around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, you may end up with a charred pizza or risk burning your kitchen down.
What if you lower the temperature below 400 degrees Fahrenheit? The chemicals infused in the cardboard may be released into your food, so it’s still not safe.
Let’s find out more about how you can reheat your pizza safely.
Is It Safe To Put a Pizza Box In the Oven?
No, it’s not a good idea.
The first reason is that the pizza box is prone to catching fire. The second is the chemicals that may bleed into the pizza you’re about to eat. This is due to the substance that makes up the cardboard pizza box.
This pizza box consists of three layers of corrugated cardboard. Using three layers of cardboard is intentional since it helps incubate the pizza and keep it warm for as long as possible.
The box also contains strategically placed openings to allow airflow to prevent the pizza from becoming soggy due to the heat it produces. In a way, this ventilation also contributes to the pizza’s freshness by lowering the risk of food poisoning.
The box also has branding details with colors and pictures on top. All of these colors may seep into your meal as the box heats up, posing the danger of contamination.
There is also another danger when the cardboard has any plastic or metallic parts. Plastic melts and metal parts can cause burns if you touch them.
What Temperature Can a Pizza Box Handle In the Oven?
In low temperatures below 400 degrees Fahrenheit, a pizza box may be in a safe zone. You’re more likely to spark a fire if you go any higher. The cause of the combustion is not the cardboard itself but the oil used in making the pizza. The oil acts as the fuel to start the fire.
Aside from the risk of fire, there is the threat of the cardboard constituents activating and evaporating to mix with the meal; the temperature is unknown because these elements consist of varied materials with different dissipation speeds. The anti-grease layer is the first one to start disintegrating first on heating.
However, a pizza box can be kept safe at temperatures below 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Still, you should avoid placing it in the oven because we don’t know how quickly the dyes and other cardboard ingredients may evaporate.
How To Reheat a Pizza Box In the Oven Safely
The best alternative you have to reheat your delicious pizza is using a pizza stone or aluminum foil. However, if you must use a pizza box, this is how you do it.
First and foremost, suppose your oven has no temperature settings; you are better off using the two options above. But if it does, you may proceed.
- Set the temperature in the range of 150 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Preheat the oven for about ten minutes.
- Place your pizza inside the pre-heated oven and set the time to a maximum of 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove the pizza box and eat.
The pizza cheese topping will form bubbles by that time, and the crust will have a brown hue. That is how you know that your pizza is ready.
All in all, here are a few tips that will help you get the best out of this experience:
- Always preheat the oven.
- Set a low temperature.
- Use a closed oven.
- Never leave your pizza in the oven past 30 minutes.
- Ensure that the pizza inside the box is substantial, not less than half.
- If you can, use alternative methods.
Reheating a Pizza On a Pizza Stone
A pizza stone is the best way to reheat a pizza as it may not cause a fire. You’ll also not worry about pollutants contaminating your delicacy.
Pizza stones are preferred because they keep the pizza dough’s integrity—it does not become crispier or soggy.
The stone is frequently porous, allowing the crust to warm up evenly. Even after you take it out of the oven, the pizza will stay warm for a while since the stone takes longer to lose heat.
Here is how you heat your pizza using a pizza stone:
- Heat your pizza stone by placing it in the oven and turning it up to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let the pizza stone heat up for about 20-30 minutes before putting in the pizza.
- Place your pizza on the stone and switch off the oven.
- Let it warm up in the oven for a while, and then remove it once you see some bubbles forming on the pizza.
Perhaps the only downside when using a pizza stone is that you need to have about an hour for the entire process. The warming of the stone alone takes half an hour, so the other half would be left to warm the pizza.
But since you are not cooking the pizza any longer, it’s quite okay if you are not in a hurry. If you are, use the following method.
Reheating a Pizza in Aluminum Foil
Reheating pizza using aluminum foil is best if the pizza is completely cold such as frozen pizza. The other great thing about using foil is that it can keep your pizza warm for even three hours past the warming time. You just have to keep the foil closed.
The foil’s reflective surface keeps the heat trapped inside; thus, the pizza slices remain warm for long.
Here is the process you may use to heat your pizza using foil:
- Start by heating the oven to up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- As the oven heats, wrap the pizza slices in aluminum wrap. It’s best to wrap the slices individually. Nevertheless, when you place a pizza as a whole, ensure ample space between the slices. You shouldn’t stack them as the cheese from one piece will bind with the other slice creating a pizza sandwich.
- Place your pizza pieces into the oven.
- Bake them for around 10 minutes and remove them when you notice bubbling of the cheese.
If you keep the pizza slices within the foil wrappings, they can stay warm for up to 3 hours.
On the flip side, the main issue with using foil is that it cooks the crust a bit, getting a bit crispier. So if you don’t mind your pizza a little bit overcooked, then this is not an issue.
Can You Reheat a Pizza In the Microwave?
Yes, you can reheat pizza in a microwave. But if you do not want the taste and texture of your pizza compromised, then microwaving your pizza might not be ideal. It is, however, a fast method that will have you enjoy a slice in under a minute.
Another downside of using a microwave to reheat your pizza is that it makes the crust soggy. But there is a hack that has worked for a few people.
Place a glass of water in a microwave-safe glass beside your pizza slice. Then proceed to heat it for 45 seconds. The results should be a firm crust and uncompromised toppings, just as it was delivered the previous day.
You should never place aluminum foil inside a microwave, as it is a potential fire hazard.
Ideally, using an oven is the best option, but suppose you live in a dorm with no oven—you can use the glass water hack to reheat pizza in a microwave and enjoy it warm.
Final Thought
It’s simply not a good idea to put a pizza box in the oven. There’s a risk of a fire breaking out, and then there’s the risk of the cardboard chemical components leaking into the pizza.
Using aluminum foil and a pizza stone are safer solutions. They are both secure and straightforward ways to reheat a pizza.
If you insist on placing the box in an oven, keep the temperature below 150 degrees Fahrenheit and never above 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, never put the box in the oven for more than 15 minutes at a time.
Microwaving is another simple option. Place a glass of water next to the slice as it heats up to keep the crust crisp.
With that, you now have three options for reheating your pizzas and enjoying them hot and fresh.