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Everyone loves leftover pizza- I mean, what’s not to love? Waking up the next day with a leftover half box of pizza can be like Christmas morning! However, if you’re like most people, you’ve been putting pizza boxes in the microwave wrong this whole time.
It’s easy to do – place the pizza box on the turntable and cook it for a few minutes, right? Wrong. However, doing this can cause your pizza to taste terrible. This is because most pizza boxes are made of cardboard, which can start to burn in the microwave.
This blog post will teach you how to properly microwave a pizza box so that your pizza tastes delicious every time!
So, Can you put a pizza box in the microwave?
No, we don’t recommend it. Here’s why – When you put a pizza box in the microwave, the cardboard can start to burn. This can give your pizza a bad taste and be a fire hazard. After 1 minute in the microwave, cardboard can catch fire.
Additionally, the chemicals in the cardboard (PFAS) can be released into your food. These chemicals include things like fluorinated chemicals, bleaches and dyes, which can be harmful to your health.
Most pizza boxes are made of recycled materials, which might sound appealing for the environment, but not so great if you’re eating them.
Some pizza boxes also contain tiny particles of metals which can cause sparks in the microwave. If these particles come into contact with food, they can contaminate it and make it unsafe to eat.
Cardboard pizza boxes are intended for delivery, and many important considerations are made when manufacturing the container.
Cardboard pizza boxes are designed to be:
- Durable for stacking and carrying pizzas
- Convenient for storing and reheating pizza
- Cheap to manufacture
- Retain warmth
- Prevent grease stains
- Be easy to open to devour or share your pizza.
- Be heat resist up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius)
Pizza boxes go through a lot to get your pizza from the pizzeria to your doorstep, but they were never meant to be placed in the microwave.
For these reasons, we recommend avoiding putting pizza boxes in the microwave.
So, what’s the best way to reheat your pizza?
We recommend taking the pizza out of the box and placing it on a plate or piece of parchment paper. This will ensure that your pizza tastes delicious and has no weird cardboard flavors.
Then cook it in the microwave. We know- just placing it directly in the microwave can cause your pizza to get soggy. But we have a few tips to ensure that your pizza tastes delicious!
How to Reheat delicious pizza in the microwave:
First, you need to find a microwave-safe plate that is large enough to fit your pizza. If you can’t find a dish, use a paper towel or piece of parchment paper.
Next, fill a glass of water halfway, place it alongside the plated pizza, and cook for 30-60 seconds or until the cheese is melted.
The water molecules will cause the moisture in the air to condense on the plate, which will prevent your pizza from drying out and becoming weirdly chewy.
This also helps to cook the pizza more evenly. Your pizza will be fresh and hot, just like the day you got it!
Reheating your pizza without a Microwave
Here are some alternative methods for reheating your pizza:
– Oven:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pizza on a baking sheet or aluminum foil and heat for about 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. You can also place it directly on the oven rack for a crispier crust.
– Stovetop:
Place the pizza in a frying pan over low heat. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
– Toaster oven:
Place the pizza on a baking sheet and heat for about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is crisp. If you only have a few slices, you may only need a few minutes.
-Pizza oven:
If you have a pizza oven, you can reheat your cold pie on a pizza stone in the oven until the cheese starts to bubble. This should be relatively quick, depending on the temp of your over. 5-10 should do it. Keep an eye on the crispy crust, so it doesn’t start to burn.
-Air fryer:
If you have the time, this option might rule them all. It makes delicious crispy pizza. Place the pizza in the air fryer and cook for about 5 minutes or until the pizza is thoroughly heated.
Most air fryers cannot accommodate a whole pizza, but several slices should work well and leave you with hot crispy pizza.
Tips on Heating Pizza
- If you are reheating multiple slices of pizza, stagger them so that each slice has a chance to heat evenly.
- If your pizza has toppings like vegetables, they may cook faster than the cheese or crust. You can cover the toppings with a damp paper towel (in the microwave) or foil (in the oven) to prevent them from overcooking.
- For a crispy crust, place the pizza on an oven wire rack while it reheats. This will allow hot air to circulate and prevent the bottom of the crust from getting soggy.
- If you want to add a little moisture back into your pizza, you can place a cup of water in the microwave with your pizza. Just be sure to remove the cup before eating!
If you follow these steps, you will have delicious, reheated pizza that tastes just as good as when it was first delivered! Just remember- no cardboard boxes in the microwave!
And now that you know how to reheat your pizza correctly, there’s no excuse for eating cold pizza ever again! Although… that’s totally ok, too. We won’t judge!
Bon appetit!
Do you have any tips for reheating pizza? Let us know in the comments below! And be sure to check out our other blog posts like pepperoni peepers for more food tips and tricks!