Did you recently buy an oven and have no idea about the dos and don’ts? Not to worry, because this guide will have you figure out everything in just a few minutes.
You have to be careful with putting certain things in the oven though, because there are some things that can’t go inside.
You’re probably thinking that this is about plastics, just like the shopkeeper warned you.
You cannot put cardboard in the oven, just like how you can’t put most plastics in there either. The cardboard can burst into flames after it gets too hot, creating a potential hazard to you and your family.
If a fire erupts inside your oven, it can not only ruin your kitchen range but can also potentially ruin all your electrical and mechanical systems.
Add to it the risk of the fire spreading and you’ll see how one blunder makes everything go downhill.
Don’t panic though because we have all the necessary info needed to avoid such situations.
Can You Put A Pizza Box In The Oven?
To put it simply: no. Your desire to have a warm slice of pizza can result in a very disastrous outcome.
Since cardboard is basically just a heavy form of paper, it does not take much to ignite it.
The maximum temperature that it can withstand without burning is 427 degrees which does not give it enough strength to remain intact in an oven.
Even a lower temperature can result in the cardboard catching fire because of the closed conditions and the heat staying for longer durations.
Why Can’t You Put Cardboard In The Oven?
For starters, you shouldn’t be putting cardboard into the oven because of the risk of it going up in flames. So much can go wrong with your intention of just reheating it once.
Moreover, your food will not be properly heated if it is in a box. Cardboard tends to absorb all the heat, leaving your food almost as cold as it was before putting it in the oven.
On rare occasions where the food does get warm, it’ll end up being extremely soggy because all the heat is blocked by the cardboard, especially from the bottom.
Your food will also absorb the vapors emitted by the cardboard, making your food have a weird papery taste.
Imagine spreading some sauce and pepperonis over a slice of cardboard; that’s exactly how you’re going to feel!
What Can You Use Instead Of Cardboard?
You might be thinking that tossing your cardboard box in the oven once in the blue moon won’t do much harm. Why risk it though, when there are so many alternates available? Let’s have a look at the possible options:
- Use Cookie Sheets
Commonly available in every household, cookie sheets can be a great tool to distribute the heat evenly.
It doesn’t matter if your pizza needs just a warm-up or an entire defrosting heat cycle; a cookie sheet can survive both, that too quite efficiently.
Your pizza crust will come out as crispy as ever, without having any fire hazards.
Next time you’re in a rush to heat your food, remember that a cookie sheet can always come to the rescue!
- Baking Pans Or Glass Dishes
While they may not be able to heat up your entire pizza at the same time, baking pans and most glass dishes serve as a great alternative for when you don’t have any flat cookie sheets.
Casserole dishes also are a popular choice for the same purpose, being the perfect fit for frozen food like nuggets or sausages.
If you want to heat frozen gravies or other food items that might double up during melting, a pan or a casserole dish becomes very useful in eliminating the mess.
- Aluminum Foil
Aluminum foil can be a life-saver when you don’t want to get the dishes dirty, or all your clean pans are dirty.
All you have to do is line the oven rack with foil and place your pizza directly over it.
You can also wrap your meal in aluminum foil and put it in the oven, in case of sandwiches or other similar items.
Be sure to do the lining before you turn the oven on though because once pre-heated, the rack will be very hot. You also need to be careful when taking out your food because foil can get very hot.
- Invest In A Pizza Block
If pizza is your go-to dish at all times then buying a pizza block could be an end to all your heating problems.
The ceramic sheet can both cook and reheat your pizza without any spillage in the oven.
- Oven Rack
If you have none of the alternates available, you can just count on the oven rack itself.
Since a pizza slice is flat and has low risks of toppling over, your rack can perfectly hold your pizza until it gets nice and crispy.
You may want to keep checking it at regular intervals though because the cheese and other toppings might bubble and start dripping on the base of your oven.
Final Word on Putting Cardboard in the Oven
Placing a cardboard box inside an oven is a seemingly harmless thing that we all have unintentionally done at some point.
Now that you know of its hazards though, you can also judge that if you were successful in the past, it’s probably because you got lucky.
Don’t take any further risks because there are many ways of heating a pizza without cardboard!
