Can you put cardboard in the oven?

When you order a pizza to go, you may have let it sit too long and need to heat it up before eating it. Or you may have bought a store-bought pizza and aren’t sure whether or not you should remove the cardboard bottom before popping it in the oven.

Another cardboard conundrum: You have takeout food that came in a cardboard box that needs to be heated up.

So can you put the cardboard in the oven? You may be able to put cardboard in the oven at low temperatures, but it is not recommended as cardboard is combustible and there is always the possibility that it will smoke, burn or catch fire if left in the oven at higher temperatures. .

Knowing when it is or is not safe to put the cardboard in the oven will definitely help you in the kitchen.

We’ve covered everything you need to know about whether or not you can use cardboard in your oven, and what alternative options there are to use instead of cardboard below. So keep reading, curious cooks!

Is it safe to put cardboard in the oven?

Some people put cardboard pizza boxes, cardboard pizza bases, or cardboard takeout boxes in the oven to heat food or keep it warm, and while this may be fine under the right conditions, it’s not considered especially safe. .

If you need to keep something warm, for example a pizza in a cardboard box, you can put it in the oven without turning it on.

The insulation alone will help keep the pizza warm until you need it. You can also turn it up to a low temperature, say 150°F, for a few minutes if needed.

We recommend that you avoid putting the cardboard in the oven at higher temperatures if you have a good alternative available.

Cardboard is a combustible material, and since the oven is a high-temperature environment, there is a high chance that cardboard will ignite and burn if it is left in the oven for a long period of time, which is really not for nothing. what to be so long

Those who have had success using cardboard in the oven will have seen that food acts as a barrier between the cardboard and the resist.

Cardboard is much more likely to catch fire if placed directly on the resistor, but if left in the oven for a long time it could also burn.

So while some people claim they do this often, it’s not worth the risk, and you don’t want a smoky kitchen from leaving the cardboard in the oven too long.

What is the flash point of cardboard?

The flash point of cardboard is 427°F, so if you put it in the oven and the oven reaches this temperature or higher, the cardboard will most likely catch fire.

Even before this point is reached, if the cardboard stays below 427°F, there is still a chance that the cardboard will catch fire from dry heat, or catch fire, depending on the type of oven you have and of air humidity.

Why you shouldn’t put cardboard in the oven

Whether you want to heat up pizza, frozen food, or Chinese takeout from the night before, there are a few reasons you might want to consider popping cardboard in the oven.

To explain why this might be a bad idea, here are the reasons why you shouldn’t put cardboard in the oven!

1. Fire hazard

One of the most obvious reasons why you shouldn’t put cardboard in the oven is that the cardboard could catch fire, not only ruining the food inside, but also posing a huge fire hazard in your home.

Cardboard can catch fire at 427°F, and there are some foods that need to be cooked to just below this temperature. The risk of the cardboard going up in flames is too high, and not really worth it.

Even if the cardboard does not catch fire, there is still a chance that it will smoke and burn.

Older ovens have a higher chance of cardboard igniting, since the elements are more exposed, and newer ovens greatly reduce this possibility, since the elements are covered.

It may never happen to you that cardboard catches fire in your oven, but just the possibility of it doing so should stop you from even trying.

2. Chemicals in the carton

Some cardboard boxes, especially pizza and take-out boxes, have an anti-grease coating, which helps prevent grease from seeping from the cardboard box onto your lap or other surface.

This layer is very useful for takeout and pizza, but it is made of different chemicals or materials such as wax or even plastic.

When heated in the oven, there’s a chance these chemicals could melt or leach into your food, and there’s really no telling how dangerous that can be.

If you notice a coating on the cardboard box you want to put in the oven, it’s best to avoid it altogether, although it’s never a good idea.

3. Increased cooking time

Some foods are designed to be cooked with some paper or cardboard on top, and these would be specially treated to be used in the oven at certain temperatures.

However, cardboard items, such as the round bottom of a store-bought pizza, are not made to be in the oven, and their use could increase cooking time and slow down the rate of cooking.

Using this cardboard crust in the oven could prevent the pizza from developing a crispy crust, and the crust could become soggy and unappetizing.

4. Altered flavors

Even if you’re lucky and the cardboard you put in the oven doesn’t catch fire, there’s a chance the cardboard will smoke or burn, or even leach chemicals into your food, and this could change the flavor of your food quite a bit. .

The ink and chemicals used in the cardboard could be accentuated when heated, and these odors and flavors could become part of the food you’re heating or cooking, completely ruining the overall flavor.

If you want your pizza to taste like pizza, avoid putting it in the oven with cardboard!

carton types

There are many different types of cardboard that you can find to put in the oven to cook or heat food.

They are all different, and some may do well in the oven, while others should not come in contact with heat at all.

Knowing the difference between these types of cardboard, and how they can act in the oven, can help you know when it might be a possibility, and when you should avoid the oven altogether.

1. Cardboard bases for frozen pizza

Almost all the pizzas you buy in stores come with a cardboard base. To many of us, it would seem that this cardboard base should act as a support for the pizza in the oven, but this is not true.

This cardboard base works as a support for the pizza and prevents it from falling everywhere when stored in the store, and when you have it at home in the fridge or freezer.

You should not put this cardboard base in the oven together with the pizza, as it is very likely that it will burn and start to smoke, or even catch fire in more serious cases.

In addition to throwing away this cardboard base, you can use it to put the pizza in the oven and take it out once it’s cooked.

2. Pizza boxes

You might be tempted to stick a pizza box in the oven to warm up your pizza to go, rather than transfer each slice to a new plate.

Although this may be fine in some circumstances and may not cause a fire in your kitchen, it is still not recommended.

There is no way to control the temperature of the pizza carton in the oven, and when it reaches a high temperature, it will start to burn, and will definitely ruin the pizza inside!

Many pizza boxes are also printed, and this printing is done with different inks. These inks will heat up in the oven and could burn more quickly, or even transfer an off-flavor to your pizza.

It’s best to avoid the situation entirely and transfer the pizza to an oven-safe dish to warm it up.

3. Takeaway boxes

Many takeout boxes have a greaseproof coating, and this coating is made of different chemicals, which can end up leaching into your food when it’s heated in the oven.

There is also the possibility that your cardboard takeout box could catch fire if the oven temperature is too high.

It is best to place the contents of the takeout container in an ovenproof dish and heat it that way.

You can be sure that by heating or reheating food this way, there are no chemicals leaching into the food, and it will be safe to eat!

What to use instead of cardboard

It’s easy enough to say that you should avoid putting cardboard in the oven altogether, but you still need some sort of base or stand to heat pizza, take-out, and other foods in the oven without using cardboard.

These are some of the options that you can use instead of cardboard in the oven:

1. Pizza Stones

A pizza stone is a great option to use in place of a pizza box or cardboard base.

They are usually made of ceramic or stone, and provide the pizza with an even heating surface that helps produce a crispy crust. The porous base of the stone helps to remove moisture from the dough.

2. Pizza Pans

Pizza pans are usually round in shape and are ideal for reheating take-out pizza or cooking store-bought pizza. They are usually made of aluminum or something similar, and they also help give the pizza a crispy base, cooking it evenly throughout.

Most of these pizza pans have holes in the bottom, or are perforated, to allow the pizza to cook with direct heat from the bottom, which also helps the pizza cook faster.

However, this increases the chance that part of the pizza will leak through the holes.

3. Baking pans

A baking sheet or casserole is ideal for heating different types of take-out food or ready meals. You can also place pizza slices on the baking sheet and heat them in the oven that way.

If you don’t want to clean the casserole or baking pan after reheating it, you can line it with aluminum foil, which you can throw away later.

There are many ramekins and pans of different sizes, so you can find the one that best suits your needs.

4. Baking sheets

A baking sheet or cookie sheet can be used for almost any food that comes in an oven-safe container, or for a pizza or smaller pizza slices.

Just like with a baking sheet, you can line the sheet pan with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier afterward.

5. Aluminum foil

If you have no other option, you can use aluminum foil to reheat takeout or pizza.

Just fold and shape the foil to fit what you’re reheating, and when the food has heated up, you can throw the foil in the trash without worrying about cleanup.

Just remember that aluminum foil doesn’t offer much support, so you have to be careful when transporting food to and from the oven, especially when it’s hot.

6. Directly on the grid

There are some foods that can be baked directly on the rack, such as ready meals that come in a pre-packaged pan, and possibly pizza, but keep in mind that pizza may spill ingredients down the rack, which can be difficult to clean up afterwards.

Placing food directly on the rack could also leave grease on the bars, which is another potential fire hazard, and which will only make your oven dirty over time if not cleaned properly.

This should be your last resort!

Final thoughts

Although many people have put cardboard in the oven and have not had a disaster, there is still a strong possibility that cardboard exposed to the high temperatures of an oven could catch fire, or even start to smoke.

The flash point of carton is 427°F, which is easily reached when cooking or reheating food.

There are plenty of other options for cooking or reheating food without using cardboard, so it’s not worth the risk of cardboard burning or catching fire.

Related questions

Can you wrap the cardboard in aluminum foil and put it in the oven?

Wrapping the cardboard in aluminum foil and then putting it in the oven can cause the cardboard to catch fire, especially if it reaches temperatures of 427°F or higher.

Can I put a pizza in the oven without a tray?

You can put the pizza in the oven without a tray, directly on the rack, but this could cause some of the topping to fall through the racks and into the bottom of the oven. However, most of the time this should be fine.

Can I cook the pizza on a baking tray?

Pizza can be cooked on a cookie sheet, and the crust can be wonderfully crispy this way. It may not provide the same results as a pizza stone or pizza pan, but it will still cook just fine!