Can You Heat a Pizza Box in The Oven?

2023-03-20 18:45:34

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Can You Heat a Pizza Box in The Oven?

Can you really bake a pizza in a microwave? This question has been asked over and over again, but no one seems to know the answer. Is it possible or not?

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Microwaves are great at heating food, but they don’t seem to be able to cook anything else. In fact, microwaving food can cause serious health problems because it creates dangerous levels of radiation.

Pizza boxes are usually made from cardboard, which is porous and absorbs moisture. When heated in a microwave, the moisture inside the box evaporates into steam, causing the box to expand. As the box expands, it pushes against the walls of the microwave, creating friction and eventually overheating the box. The result is a burnt crust and soggy insides.

Placing a Pizza Box in the Oven

One of the easiest methods to keep a pizza warm would be to simply throw the entire pizza, along with its packaging, into the oven. However, there are some very specific steps you must take before doing so.

First off, you should never use an oven to reheat pizza within a cardboard box. Doing so could cause the box to catch fire and smoke in the house.

If you do it wrong though, you might get yourself in trouble. For example, if you place the pizza directly onto the oven rack, then you could burn the pizza itself.

You may also think that because those frozen pizza boxes you buy have cardboard underneath them, you can put your cardboard pizza box in the oven, however, that’s actually not the case.

You see, those cardboard boxes aren’t just plain cardboard. They’re often coated in various chemicals and other coatings that can be flammable. So think carefully before placing them into the oven!

Remember that you don’t want to actually try to bake the pizza. Keep the container well away from the heating element in this situation as well.

You can also just throw the pizza box into the oven while it is off and use the enclosed and insulated space to hold the heat of the pizza inside. You may be surprised at how well this works to keep heat from escaping from your pizza.

How to Safely Put a Pizza Box in the Oven

If your oven doesn’t have a “warm” setting (170 degrees F) then it’s probably not a good idea for you to place the pizza box inside the oven at all. Unfortunately, it’s a common misconception and one which can quickly lead to bigger problems if you’re not careful.

If you’re just keeping it warm for about five minutes, this will work perfectly fine. Just make sure you’re careful with both the time and temperature settings for the oven.

However, just remember that you don’t really know what that box might be made out of and it could be leaking all kinds of nasty stuff into your pizza.

If you do decide to try keeping your pizza warm using the box in the oven, please only ever set your oven between 150 – 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The recommended range is between 150 – 200 degrees, and the max is 250 degrees.

We also recommend that you don’t leave your pizza in the oven at this temp for very long. 10-15 minutes should be your goal.

Here are some key tips if you decide to give it a try:

Try using the closed oven while it is off to retain the warmth of the pizza
Keep your temperature very low – 150-200°F
Be mindful that your pizza box might have chemicals that could affect your food
Never leave the cardboard box in the oven for more than 30 minutes
Always preheat the oven first

Can I Put A Pizza Box In The Oven?

is it safe to heat a pizza box under low temperatures

No, you cannot put the whole pizza box into the oven. This is because the maximum temperature a pizza box can withstand before burning is 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 Celsius). Anything above this temperature will cause the box to burst into flames and burn down the house. However, if you reduce the temperature to below 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 Celsius), then you should be fine. In this case, the pizza box will take longer to cook, but it won’t burst into flames.

What Makes Up A Pizza Box?

A normal pizza box consists of 3 layers of corrugated cardboard. Each layer is made up of sheets of paperboard glued together. These sheets are cut to size and folded to make a box. The box is then printed on one side with ink and designs. The square shape is designed so that people can easily carry them around. Food & City provides additional details about the pizza box.

Is It Safe To Put The Entire Box Into An Oven?

Because it fits doesn’t mean it should suffice. Pizza boxes have an anti-grease coating that is closest to the pizza and this coating is vulnerable to disintegration upon heating.

These chemical compounds will then find themselves in the food you eat which could then lead to health problems. The designs and inking chemicals can also melt when heated which would leak out onto the pizza changing the flavor and ruining the pizza.

Can Pizza Cardboard Combust?

The pizza cardboard itself doesn’t burn when placed under high heat; instead, the combustion is caused by animal fat or vegetable fat that contains carbon.

Oils like cooking oil, soya oil, and margarine burn when they come into contact with rags, papers, or cardboard.

This is another reason to keep your pizza box out of the oven even if it’s only heated to a low temperature. The fats in the pizza can cause a fire.

Is It Safe To Heat A Pizza Box Under Low Temperatures?

The safe temperature is any temperature below 400 degrees Fahrenheit because this temperature is safe for both the cardboard and the ink used on it. However, it is not completely safe for the designs and inks on it. You should consider researching if you’re unsure. Also, make sure the cardboard does not contain any metal pins or plastic parts before preheating it.

This method is not recommended because the cardboard may catch fire. Use this alternative instead.

Can You Put Cardboard Wrapped In Foil In The Oven?

This is also similar (to) putting bare cardboard inside an oven. If you assume that wrapping the aluminum foil around it will prevent burning, then your assumption is wrong!

The aluminum is also subdued (to) heat permeability. This (is) even more dangerous than putting cardboard alone. At a (very) high temperature, the cardboard (will) smoke up and cause a (fire) inferno.

But Frozen Pizzas Come With Cardboard, Doesn’t That Make It Safe?

Pizza cardboards are very different from regular cardboard because they contain chemical additives. Your frozen pizza cardboard consists of designs made with ink and various chemicals. The cardboard is also designed to protect your pizza during transportation and to keep it from breaking apart. WikiHow explains how to cook frozen pizzas.

Why Is It Not Recommended To Put A Pizza Box In The Oven?

is it safe to put the entire box into an oven

Fire Hazard:

There’s a very high chance that your pizza box could catch fire if you’re careless about how you store it. You should keep an eye out for any flammable objects near your pizza boxes.

Irregular Heating

Since the pizza is enclosed within a box, there is an increased chance of burning or undercooking the pie. The box prevents you from seeing the cooking process and you might end up with a burned pizza.

Chemicals:

The chemical ingredients within the box may dissolve and leak into your pizza. These chemical substances could include the ink used for printing designs or the thin chemicals within the box. Consistent consumption of these chemicals can lead to long-term illnesses such as cancer.

Change in Food Taste –

The cardboard, inks, and chemicals that seep into your pizza can cause changes in taste, as they start tasting metallic instead of organic taste.

Bottom Line

Heating a pizza in an oven is not recommended, but if you must do so, make sure to keep an eye on it closely. Lower the temperature and watch the pie carefully as it is only one degree away from burning your home down.

Final thought

There are many ways to cook food. Some foods need to be cooked on a stovetop, while others need to be baked. The same thing applies to cooking a pizza. You can bake a pizza in an oven, but you cannot heat up a pizza box in the microwave. Microwaves are used to heat up water, which is why microwaved pizzas taste so bland. They lack flavor because there isn’t enough moisture inside the pizza box.

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Maya Khan

Written by Maya Khan, a food writer and former chef holding a degree in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education. Maya leverages her extensive culinary background, having worked in professional kitchens for years, to inform her expert product reviews. Her articles have been featured on renowned platforms, Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, and more. In our quest for thoroughness, recipe testers Emily Reynolds and Michael Anderson dedicated hours in the test kitchen, putting each pizza oven through its paces. To add another layer of culinary wisdom, we consulted former pizzaiolo and food writer Christopher Smith. Christopher is a respected figure in the food industry, with his work gracing the pages of publications like Serious Eats, Thrillist, and The New York Times' Dining section.