Do you love eating a hot slice of pizza on those cold
nights in bed or when you’re watching a movie? Or do you like ordering it when
you have friends coming over because you know that pizza is such a
crowd-pleaser?
Either way, I think we can all agree that
pizza is an amazing and delicious meal to have all-year-round. But, once
that pizza has spent the night in the fridge, it can go from fab to drab. So,
heating it while it’s still in the box is the easiest way to go, right?
Well, yes and no. I want to show you what can happen if you put it in an oven and how to do it safely. I’m also going to talk about some of the best alternative ways to heat a cold pizza.
Is It Dangerous to Heat Cardboard in an Oven?
First, let’s get the main question out of the way. Can you heat your cardboard pizza box in the oven? — Yes, you can. As long the box fits inside, you can heat your pizza in the oven. But how safe is it?
Well, if you don’t do it right, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. For example, if you set the temperature on your oven too high, the cardboard might actually catch on fire.
Not only can heating pizza in an oven be dangerous, but it will also change the taste of your food. Most cardboard pizza boxes have a thin layer of paper inside that keeps your pizza warm for a longer time.
But, since the paper is so thin, it heats up much faster than the box, and your pizza can taste bitter or burnt. What’s more, the paper is coated with some chemicals which get released when you heat the pizza this way.
How to Safely Heat up Your Cardboard Pizza Box in the Oven
As I’m going to show you a bit later, there are a couple of ways you can heat your pizza without using the cardboard or the oven. But, if your heart is set on heating it up in the box, you should know how to do it safely.
First, if you’re heating up the whole pizza, and not just a couple of slices, preheat your oven. The safest temperature for heating is 170℉–250℉.
You can leave the box in the oven for about 10–15 minutes, just make sure to check it every few minutes. Be careful when taking it out of the oven because the cardboard will get hot.
How to Store Leftover Pizza
If you want your pizza to taste as fresh as possible for a long time, there are a couple of things you can do. First, you can put your slices in a resealable bag and put it in the fridge.
Also, you can cover the pizza with some plastic wrap and paper towels. Just make sure it’s tightly wrapped to avoid drying it out.
If you have a lot of pizza and don’t know what to do with it, repeat the previous step and put it in the freezer. By doing so, you’ll be able to preserve your pizza for about six months.
But, even before you put the pizza in the fridge, wait for it to completely cool down. If you put a hot pizza in the fridge, it will just become soggy and wet, and nothing will be able to save it.
How to Heat up Your Pizza
There are a couple of ways you can heat up your pizza that won’t potentially burn down your house. First, let’s talk about ovens.
Oven
If you want to heat your pizza in an oven, you can just put it on your oven rack. Preheat your oven to around 350℉ and leave it in for 5–8 minutes. The pizza will come out tasting as fresh as the day you ordered it.
Another great trick for heating your pizza is to wrap it in aluminum foil. Wrap every slice individually and put it in the oven at 400℉ for about ten minutes. If you use aluminum foil, your pizza will be crisp and taste delicious.
The only downside to using an oven to heat your pizza is that it will raise the temperature in your room. If it’s the middle of summer and you have no air conditioning unit in your home, I recommend trying another method.
Toaster Oven
Heating your pizza in a toaster oven is pretty much the same thing as doing it in a regular oven. The only difference is that you won’t be able to heat more than a couple of pizza slices at the same time.
First, cover them with some aluminum foil and preheat your toaster oven to medium heat. You can also put some holes in the foil to let the moisture out.
Pan
For this next trick, all you need is a burner or hot plate and a pan. Put the pan on the burner and preheat it over a medium temperature. Then, place your slice inside and cover it with a lid.
If you don’t have a pan lid, you can use aluminum foil again. By covering your pan with a lid, the cheese will become nice and bubbly, and the tomato sauce will be the perfect temperature.
Another trick I picked up works great if you’re a cheese-lover. Grate some parmesan cheese over your pizza to make a little skirt. It will give your pizza that crunch, and it will taste amazing.
Grill
Next, I wanted to talk about a method that might not work for everyone but is a winner in my book. If you have a grill, preheat it to a medium temperature and leave the pizza on it for about 6–8 minutes.
By putting the pizza on a grill, you won’t have to worry about your cheese getting a rubbery texture. Also, the bottom crust will get nice char marks to give it some extra flavor. Unlike with the pan, you can set your entire pizza on the grill and let it heat up all at once.
Microwave
Last but not least, I have to talk about the microwave. Now, this is the easiest and most convenient method of heating your pizza. There are two ways you can do this. First, you can just put your slice on the microwave plate and heat it up for a minute at medium power.
You can also put a paper towel between your pizza and the plate. By doing so, the towel will absorb some of the water and grease, and your pizza won’t come out tasting like a wet, soggy mess.
Another method you could try is to fill up a microwave-safe dish with 2/3 of water. Put your slice on top of the dish and set your timer for a minute at medium heat. Again, if you take this extra step, your pizza will taste a lot more crispy and less soggy.
- Rotating tray turns continuously to assure even baking.
- Top and bottom heating elements bake foods from both...
- Timer signals end of cooking time and automatically...
- Saves as much as 60% in energy compared to a...
Bottom Line: Putting Your Pizza Box in the Oven Isn’t a Good Idea
There you have it — all of the ways to store and reheat your pizza. As you’ve seen, heating your pizza while it’s still in the cardboard box isn’t such a good idea. Not only will come out tasting bitter, but it can also potentially start a fire in your home.
If you can, try each of these methods to see which one works best for you. My favorite way of heating pizza is putting it in the pan because it’s so easy. You won’t compromise the crispiness and taste of your slice, and the pizza will taste as fresh as the day you got it.
Related article: Can You Put Cardboard in a Microwave?
