Can Pizza Boxes Go in the Oven? (Other Ways to Heat Pizza)

If you pick up a whole pizza, but by the time you get home, it’s already cold, you probably want a fast way to reheat it.

Also, when a family member is late for dinner or if you’re hosting a party, you must know how to keep pizza warm without creating smoke and setting your oven on fire.

While slices can be heated individually, reheating the entire pizza is the easiest way to get the pizza hot again.

People always ask this common question about whether it’s a good idea or not to place your cardboard pizza box in the oven.

Putting a box in the oven and having it catch fire or fill your house and kitchen with heavy smoke is probably something you’ve heard about and want to avoid.

Most pizza lovers are curious if you can safely and reliably bake the pizza box in the oven and whether or not you have any other options for warming the pizza.

In this guide, we’ll share whether or not it’s safe to put pizza boxes in the oven and explain how to keep pizza warm.

Can You Put a Pizza Box in the Oven?

No, you cannot put a cardboard pizza box in the oven when the oven is turned on and at a high temperature because the box can catch fire.

A pizza box can be used to keep a pizza warm in the oven at a low temperature, but a pizza stone or tin foil is preferable.

When a pizza box is heated in the hot oven, the anti-grease layer of the box closest to the pizza disintegrates.

These toxins will subsequently end up in your food, potentially causing health problems for those who ingest these substances. Not only that, but they taste bad.

When heated, the chemicals in the graphics and inks may melt, affecting the taste of your pizza and possibly destroying it.

Another problem is that when heated to a high temperature, a pizza box can catch fire or release harmful toxins and chemicals into your pizza, so it should never be used to reheat pizza in a hot oven.

By design, most cardboard pizza boxes don’t catch fire until they are exposed to about 400 degrees F; the boxes are unreliable, though. We cannot be certain about the quality of a cheap cardboard box.

Also, if the pizza box catches fire, not only is the pizza damaged, but the oven may catch fire which is a significant fire hazard for the home.

Clearly, the materials used to construct the takeout pizza box are not designed to withstand the high temperatures of the oven.

There is more to these cardboard boxes than meets the eye; they’re not just cardboard. They are frequently coated with flammable chemicals and other substances.

It is likely that the pizza boxes at your favorite restaurant are decorated with various colors and patterns.

The printed text and graphics are made with toxic substances like ink which can leach into food.

How to Safely Put a Pizza Box in the Oven?

Put the pizza box in the oven only if your oven has a warm setting which is at a temperature of approximately 170°F.

It’s generally a bad idea to put a cardboard pizza box in a hot oven, even if it’s only at a low temperature.

Sadly, this is a common misconception that can quickly lead to more serious issues if people are not careful.

Keeping it warm for a short period of time will suffice. The oven’s temperature and time settings should be used with caution.

Although you don’t know what’s in that box, it’s important to remember that it could leach a variety of harmful substances into your pizza.

If you do decide to use the cardboard box in the oven to keep your pizza warm, never heat your oven above 200°F. The ideal temperature range is between 150°F and 200°F.

In addition, you should not bake your pizza at this temperature for an extended period.

Heat the pizza box for an absolute maximum time of 10-15 minutes.

Caution: Even at a low temperature, the box can begin to disintegrate into your pizza.

Other Ways to Heat up Your Pizza

The easy way to heat your pizza is in the microwave. However, the pizza can be a little bit soggy compared to oven-heated pizza.

However, when heating a couple of slices at a time, the microwave is the quickest and most efficient pizza reheating method.

The next best options are the oven and the stove.

In the oven, you need to set the temperature to 350 F. Place the pizza on a pizza stone, aluminum tray, or foil and heat it for 10 minutes until the cheese starts to melt.

On a stovetop, place the pizza (whole) or pizza slices into a skillet. Heat it on medium heat, cover it with a lid, and heat it for a few minutes. It’s possible to add a few drops of water into the skillet to prevent the pizza from drying out.

Can You Reheat Pizza in the Cardboard Box?

No, you cannot reheat the pizza in a cardboard box because the box may catch fire.

The only way to safely put the pizza in the oven is while the oven is placed on the lowest setting or the “keep warm” setting.

It’s possible to use your oven’s warm setting for pizza in a box, but only for a short time.

Avoid the temptation to try to heat up the pizza. In this case, keep the box well away from the heating elements.

First and foremost, never reheat pizza in a cardboard box in the oven, only keep it warm. The pizza can be kept warm with very low heat, but this has its limitations.

The cardboard box could catch fire if you do it incorrectly, and smoke will fill the kitchen.

However, you may think that because you buy pre-frozen pizzas with cardboard under them, you can put your cardboard box into the oven, but that’s not the case. The frozen pizza packaging is different.

While the oven is off, you can simply place a pizza box inside and let the pizza heat up in the closed and insulated space.

This method keeps the heat from escaping from your pizza, and you may be surprised at how well that works.

How to Reheat Pizza Without its Box?

Reheating the pizza without its box is the best and safest way to keep it tasty.

A pizza stone is a fantastic way to keep pizza warm while also being a much safer option. This choice will make your pizza taste so much better, plus you won’t have to worry about starting a cardboard fire in the oven.

The top method for reheating or keeping pizza warm is to use a pizza stone. It’s not perfect if you’re ordering a lot of pizza, but if you’re only ordering one or two, it’s a fantastic option.

A pizza stone heats up quickly and preserves the integrity of the crispy crust. While putting the box in the oven is a quick and easy solution, we all know how quickly quality may deteriorate.

When you’re just using the pizza stone for warming purposes, it won’t necessarily make your crust crisper, but it won’t allow it to decrease in quality or become soggy.

Those pizza stones will stay warm for a long time, keeping your pizza warm in the meantime.

Pizza stones are porous, and the heat is circulated through those tiny pores that are not visible to the naked eye.

As a result, your pizza will stay nice and warm without needing to be cooked anymore.

The second-best method is to use aluminum foil. Using aluminum foil to keep pizza warm is a cheaper way to do it.

You might be surprised to learn that you can use a high oven temperature for a short period, and your pizza will be ready to eat quickly.

The foil’s insulation keeps the pizza warm for an extended period. There may be some extra crisping on your crust, but that’s all there is to it.

The great thing about this method is that you don’t even have to warm up your pizza before using it. You can heat cold pizza too.

This method works well for reheating pizza that has been sitting in the fridge for a while. You’ll probably need some prep time to wrap all that pizza.

Conclusion

So, can you put a pizza box into the oven? No, you cannot because pizza boxes are not heat-proof.

Also, the cardboard pizza box has an anti-grease coating closest to the pizza that is susceptible to disintegration when heated.

This melted cardboard and the graphics on the box will taint the pizza’s taste and end up all over the food, creating a gooey mess.

These toxins will subsequently end up in your food, potentially causing health problems. When heated, the chemicals in the graphics and inks may melt, affecting the taste of your pizza and maybe spoiling it.

The best alternative to using a pizza box in the oven is to reheat the pizza on a pizza stone or on aluminum foil.