Whether you have an outdoor gathering, a cozy movie night, or a house party, pizza will always be a staple food to share that is enjoyed in all kinds of social gatherings.
Pizza is best consumed while hot and fresh, just before the crust becomes stiff or soggy and the toppings go cold and stale. Besides, who would want cold pizza anyway?
However, keeping it warm throughout your gathering for longer hours can be tough.
Although you can reheat pizza to make it warm again, you can still use several methods to maintain its warm temperature without reheating.
Fortunately, this article shares simple tips and tricks to keep your pizza warm for an extended time.
Learn how to keep pizza warm outdoors, indoors, in cars, and even without an oven.
With these foolproof tips, you never have to eat cold pizza again.
In summary, the article teaches the following:
- How To Keep Pizza Warm For A Party
- How To Keep Pizza Warm In An Oven
- How To Keep Pizza Warm Without An Oven
- How To Keep Pizza Warm In Car
- How To Keep Pizza Warm When Outdoors
Contents
How To Keep Pizza Warm For A Party
There are several ways to keep your pizza warm at a party. You simply need a few things to help you maintain its heat.
Try doing the following methods:
Buffet Warming Trays
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Warming trays used at buffets or catering services are built to keep food warm.
It is a metal serving pan that is also called a chafing dish. You can use it to maintain a consistent temperature and prevent food from drying out.
Check out Amazon for some examples of warming trays.
Food Warming Plate
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A food warming plate looks like a tray that can fit several plates for warming.
It is an electric tray that can be placed on tables or countertops while warming your food. You can adjust the heat settings with its control knob.
Warmer plates for food are available on Amazon.
Slow Cooker
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Another great addition to your kitchen appliance is a slow cooker or crock pot.
It is generally designed to cook food slowly at low temperatures and stay warm for hours. You can also use it to keep your pizza hot by using the warm setting.
Here are some examples of slow cookers from Amazon.
How To Keep Pizza Warm In An Oven
Aside from warming trays and plates and slow cookers, you can also use an oven to warm up your pizza.
If you have a special gathering at home and have an oven, you can use it to keep your pizza warm for longer.
The process requires only aluminum foil and a baking sheet.
Follow these easy steps on how to keep pizza warm in an oven.
- Preheat the oven to at least 200°F (93.33°C).
- With Aluminum Foil
- Wrap your pizza in aluminum foil to hold the heat inside.
- Heat the wrapped pizza for at least 5 minutes or more.
- Turn off the oven and leave it in to maintain the heat.
- With Baking Sheet
- If you don’t have aluminum foil for wrapping, you can simply place the pizza on a baking sheet and let it heat up for 5 minutes or longer.
- Turn off the heat.
- Leave it in the oven to stay warm before eating.
- With Pizza Box
- If you don’t have a baking sheet, you can keep your pizza warm in the oven with its box. This step applies to delivered pizzas in a box.
- While preheating, open the ventilation holes of the box to let out the steam and moisture while warming.
- Before placing the pizza box, turn the heat down to 140°F, the safest temperature without burning the box. Don’t worry about burning the box since pizza boxes will only catch fire if the temperature is more than 400°F.
- Place the pizza box in the middle rack while ensuring it does not touch the side and back walls of the oven.
- Heat it for 5 to 10 minutes or more and leave it off to keep it warm before serving.
If you are looking for ways to reheat leftover pizza for the next day, follow these steps on how to reheat pizza in an oven.
How To Keep Pizza Warm Without An Oven
Don’t have an oven or other kitchen appliances mentioned above? There are still two more conventional ways to keep it warm with simple kitchen tools.
Follow these methods below:
Microwave
Warming your pizza in a microwave is the fastest and easiest method. However, it is not the most optimal way to warm it since it can cause it to become soggy with all the trapped moisture.
Moreover, it will only rewarm your pizza for a short time and cannot retain heat like an oven, warming plate, or slow cooker.
So if you have to use a microwave, you need to heat the pizza for a few seconds and serve it right away.
Nevertheless, this is the next best option if this is the only appliance you have. Here’s how to use a microwave to warm up your pizza.
- Slice the pizza into the number of slices it can fit in the microwave.
- Place the pizza on a microwave-safe plate.
- Fill a microwave-safe cup with water. This trick allows the microwaves to be absorbed by the water instead of the pizza, resulting in a lesser soggy pizza.
- Place the pizza and the cup of water on the microwave plate while making sure the cup of water is secure to avoid it from spilling accidentally into the pizza.
- Heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The time depends on the microwave model and temperature used.
- To avoid overheating, check the pizza every 30 seconds.
This method is similar to reheating pizza leftovers in a microwave.
Non-Stick Frying Pan
A preferable alternative to a microwave is a frying pan. Not only can it warm your pizza with better results, but you can also leave it in the pan with a lid for continuous warming.
You don’t need to serve it right away since you can keep it warm for an additional 30 minutes.
Moreover, it will make your crust warm and crispy without going soggy.
Here’s how to use a frying pan to warm up your pizza.
- Use a non-stick frying pan to maintain the quality of the crust without breaking.
- Heat the pan on high heat.
- Place the pizza slices on the pan when the pan is hot enough.
- Put a few drops of water on the side of the pan. Make sure it does not come in contact with the pizza. The drops of water allow the pizza to be heated with steam with a melty cheese topping.
- Cover the pan with a lid and warm it for a few minutes.
- Check if the pizza is warm enough by poking it.
- Turn off the stove’s heat.
- You can leave the pizza in the pan covered with a lid to keep it warm for half an hour or serve it immediately.
You can also use this method if you need to reheat leftover pizza on a skillet or pan.
How To Keep Pizza Warm In Car
Need to pick up pizza from the store or plan to bring one to a gathering?
You are probably worried it will become too cold when you arrive at your destination. Not to worry!
There are several techniques you can do to keep it warm for a long drive.
Be prepared for your next pizza run, and ensure you have the following items ready in your car.
Thermal Or Insulated Bags
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A thermal bag is also known as an insulated bag or hot bag. It is a thermally insulated container designed to keep cold items cold and hot items hot. This bag is usually square or rectangular in shape.
It comes in various sizes, including small, medium, and large. Have a thermal bag ready in your car to extend the heat of your pizza.
Heating Pad With Car Plug Adapter
Heating pads are car essentials typically used for back pain and cramp relief. It is a portable heating pad with a car plug adapter outlet to make it work while driving.
Moreover, it looks like a small, rectangular or square blanket pad that you put on your back, shoulder, or lap for muscle relaxation.
Instead of putting it on your body, you can use it to cover the pizza box.
Turn the heating pad on, adjust it to your desired temperature, and cover the pizza box with it to keep it warm.
Car Heater
If your car has a heating function installed, you can turn it on to prevent the pizza from cooling down fast.
However, it may get a bit hot for you, especially on hot summer days. If you don’t mind the extra heat, you can use this as a last resort while driving.
Seat Warmer For Car
If your car has a seat warmer, you can at least warm the pizza box without overheating it.
Seat warmers can be installed and plugged into the car adapter. It usually has heat levels that you can choose from.
Thick Blanket Or Jacket
Not interested in buying the car accessories above? Use a thick blanket or winter jacket to cover your pizza box while driving. It serves as temporary insulation to keep it warm longer.
How To Keep Pizza Warm When Outdoors
Whether it is a backyard party, camping trip, or picnic setting, you can keep your pizza warm outdoors with a few simple gadgets.
As long as you have an outdoor outlet, you can still use a warming tray, warming plate, or slow cooker for an outdoor gathering.
If you have a car, you can also use a thermal bag, heating pad, car heater, and seat warmer to keep your pizza warm while outdoors.
Don’t forget to use a thick blanket or jacket as well to retain the heat outdoors before eating.
Using aluminum foil also helps retain heat. The trick in this method is to wrap the pizza while it is fresh and hot.
If the pizza is cold already, reheat the pizza again before wrapping it in aluminum foil.
Instead of wrapping an entire pizza, you can individually wrap the pizza slices with aluminum foil.
In this way, the heat for the other slices won’t be released every time you open the foil.
In addition to these useful methods, you can get ready for your next outdoor gathering with portable warming tools as well. Here are some examples of portable equipment you can use:
Portable Mini Oven or Microwave
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A portable oven is a small heating device that is also used as a car food warmer.
It can be plugged into a car adapter outlet or an outdoor wall outlet to make it work.
Some portable ovens have automatic temperature control to keep your pizza warm for hours.
Portable Mini Gas Stove
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A portable gas stove is one of the most common camping equipment for cooking or heating food outdoors.
Warming the pizza in a stove and pan is similar to the steps outlined above when warming pizza on a non-stick frying pan.
You don’t need an electric outlet since this is gas-powered.
Portable Electric Lunch Box or Food Warmer
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A portable electric lunch box is similar to a portable oven since you need an outlet to make it work.
It can be plugged into a car adapter or any electrical outlet.
It typically looks like an ordinary lunch box made from stainless steel and comes with an insulated bag.
Never Settle for Cold Pizza Again
No matter the setting, there will always be a way to warm your pizza.
Whether it is a kitchen appliance, portable equipment, or a simple thick blanket from your home, it can help retain your pizza’s heat and freshness.
If you don’t mind adding a useful kitchen appliance, opt for warming trays and plates.
If you prefer something portable without needing electricity, use a portable mini gas stove or thermal bag.
On the other hand, a simple thick blanket or jacket is the most convenient and on-hand item to help prolong the pizza’s heat.
For those with cars, add a car gadget such as heating pads and seat warmers for a warm pizza every time.
No worries if your pizza gets cold, here is the best Way To Reheat Pizza.
Which method have you tried to warm up your pizza? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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