Thinking of hosting a pizza party at home and not sure how to keep the pies warm until the guests arrive? Well, you’re in luck because that’s precisely what I’ll be discussing today. There are several ways to keep the pizzas warm for a few hours.
In my experience, however, the most effective way to keep pizzas warm for up to 3 hours is by using aluminum foil. Individually wrapping the slices in foil to keep the heat contained for a longer period. You can also keep it warm in your oven. Set your oven to the lowest temperature and pop your pizza in it.
There are a couple of more tricks as well to keep your pizza warm for hours. In this blog post, I’ll be explaining everything – from the most basic or the most unorthodox way to keep pizzas warm for a party. Let’s get started!
Best Ways to Keep the Pizza Warm for a Party
If your goal is to keep the pizzas at the right serving temperature for guests at a party, here are my suggestions:
1. Aluminum Foil
Aluminum foil is a simple and effective way to keep your pizza warm. To use it, simply wrap the pizza in a piece of aluminum foil, making sure to seal the edges tightly to trap the heat inside. The foil acts as a barrier to prevent heat loss, keeping the pizza warm and fresh for a longer period of time.
Next, preheat your oven to 400F and leave the foil-wrapped slices in it for 8-12 minutes. You can keep the pizzas wrapped in foil until you are ready to serve. Aluminum foil provides excellent insulation. So it will keep the pizza hot for up to 3 hours.
The advantage of this method is that you can purchase pizzas ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to heat them up in the oven. This is especially effective for thin-crust pizzas as it results in a crispy texture.
However, it’s important to be cautious if you haven’t tried this method before. Leaving the pizzas wrapped in foil for too long can dry out the crust.
2. Keeping the Pizza Warm in the Box
If your pizzas get delivered way before time, don’t worry. You can use the pizza boxes to keep the pies warm for 2-3 hours. Set your oven to the lowest temperature possible, which is around 170-200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Then open the lid of the pizza boxes to let the steam ooze out. Wait for half a minute and cover it. If the box has cutout vents, open them. This is to keep the pizza from getting soggy from steam buildup.
Next, place the box inside the oven and leave it like that. You can turn off the oven when it starts getting too hot. The heat contained inside the box will easily keep the pizza warm for 30-40 minutes.
It’s important to note that while cardboard boxes are flammable, they won’t catch fire unless the temperature exceeds 400F. To ensure safety, do keep a close eye on the oven and never leave it unattended.
Also, make sure to keep the box far away from the heating elements to prevent any unwanted fire hazards.
3. On the Oven Rack
If you are not confident about leaving the pizza box inside a hot oven, simply remove the pizza and place it on a pizza pan. Put your oven on the “warm setting” and place the pizza on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Don’t let it sit in the oven longer than 30 minutes, or it will start to dry out.
4. Insulated Bag
Ever wondered how pizza delivery stores use to keep the pizzas warm during transportation from the restaurant to the customer’s location? The answer is insulated bags. The insulation helps to trap heat inside the bag, preventing it from escaping and keeping the pizza warm and fresh.
Insulated bags are specially designed to maintain the temperature of hot food items for a longer period of time, which is why they are commonly used in the food delivery industry.
If you are looking for a zero-hassle way to keep your pizzas warm during a road trip picnic, or outdoor party, I’d highly recommend investing in an insulated bag.
5. Heated Seats and Blanket
Yeah, I know it sounds like a rather odd choice of apparatus for this purpose but whatever works, right? Apparently, a lot of people use heated seats to keep their takeaway pizza warm.
If it’s a long drive from the restaurant to your place, you can also wrap the boxes in a blanket or heavy towel and then place them on the heated seats.
Caution: Wrapping the boxes in a blanket or towel can cause steam buildup. Most pizza boxes have vents in them, which allows the steam to escape. However, if your pizza boxes don’t have them, undo the lid, let the steam escape, cover it back, and then wrap the boxes.
6. Pizza Stone
If you happen to own a pizza stone, feel free to use it for keeping your pizza warm and crispy for your pizza party. The stone helps to maintain a consistent temperature, ensuring that the pizza stays hot and crispy. It also wicks away moisture from the dough, preventing the pizza from becoming soggy.
Here’s how you can a stone to prevent your pizza from getting cold:
Place the stone on the middle rack of your oven and preheat to 200F for 35-40 minutes. Then turn off the heat, and slide the pizza onto the stone.
You can leave it inside the oven for as long as needed. Pizza stones have tiny holes that trap the heat and circulate it, keeping the pizza hot and fresh for up to an hour. To prolong the warming period, if needed, wrap the slices in foil and then place them on the stone.
7. Skillet or Frying Pan
Don’t have an oven? No worries. You can still achieve the same results using your good old-fashioned skillet. It’s not ideal but it will get the job done. If you don’t have a skillet either, use a stainless steel frying pan.
Here’s how it’s done:
- Put on skillet/frying pan on high heat for a minute or two. Sprinkle some water on it. If it sizzles and evaporates quickly, it’s ready.
- Then place the pizza in the pan, turn down the heat to medium and let it warm up for 2 minutes. Constantly check the bottom to make sure it’s not burnt.
- Cover the pan with the lid and turn off the gas.
This should keep the pizza warm and crispy for at least half an hour.
8. Portable Oven
These convenient kitchen companions allow you to enjoy hot and delicious pizzas anywhere, anytime. Plus, they don’t just stop at pizza. You can use portable ovens to heat up your favorite side dishes for the perfect lunch spread at a picnic or outdoor party.
Before firing up your portable oven, be sure to read the instructions for your specific brand. Most models allow for easy heating and maintaining of temperature, so your pizzas stay warm and ready to eat.
To ensure the best results, consider wrapping your pizza slices in aluminum foil before preheating your oven to a temperature between 340-400°F. In just 10-20 minutes, your hot and fresh pizza will be ready to enjoy!
9. Microwave
This method is far from ideal but in a pinch, you can use a microwave to keep the pizza warm for a crowd. The trick is to use the right heat setting. Follow the steps below to warm up your pizza in a microwave for an impromptu get-together or office party:
- First, grab yourself a large microwave-safe dish.
- Place the slices onto the dish. Don’t overcrowd the dish. Make sure they are at least a few inches apart.
- Now take a microwave-safe bowl and fill 2/3rd of it with water. The water will keep the pizza from getting too chewy.
- Put both the bowl and the dish in the microwave.
- Microwave the pizza for 1-minute intervals at 50% power.
Techniques for Maintaining Crispy Crust
Think it’s impossible to have a crispy slice of pizza hours after it’s been baked? Think again! With a few simple tricks, you can enjoy that crispy crust for as long as you want.
Tip #1: Use Pizza Stones or Perforated Pans for Reheating in the Oven
Stones have microscopic holes all over their surface which will absorb some of the steam from the base. On the other hand, perforated pans will allow the steam to escape when they are in the oven. Either way will ensure the crust doesn’t go soggy due to steam buildup.
Tip # 2: Reheat at a Higher Temperature
Reheating the pizzas at a higher temperature (400F) will also help crisp up the crust nicely. However, you need to keep a close eye on the pizza. 8-12 minutes are usually enough. If you bake it for too long, the crust will dry out or worse, burn!
Tip # 3: Check for the Vents in the Pizza Box
Corrugated pizza boxes have holes in them which allow the steam to escape, keeping the pizza crispy for a longer period. If your box doesn’t have vents, cut out a few holes.
Related FAQs
How long can you keep pizza warm in the oven?
You can keep the pizza warm for up to 30 minutes in the oven on the warm setting or at the lowest temperature setting.
Can I put a pizza box in the oven to keep it warm?
Yes, it’s perfectly safe to put a pizza box in the oven to warm up the pizza. Set the oven temperature to 170 and place the box in the oven.
How do you keep pizza warm without drying it out?
The trick is to set the oven to the lowest temperature and not leave it inside for more than 30 minutes.
Wrapping the individual slices in aluminum foil and then heating them in a 400F preheated oven for 8-12 minutes is also a great way to keep pizzas warm without drying them out.
In Conclusion
Whether you’re hosting a small pizza party at home or the office or bringing over a dozen boxes for a picnic, the tricks mentioned above will help you keep your pizzas warm and delicious for hours. And even if they go cold by the time the guests arrive, you can always reheat them in a jiffy in your oven or microwave. That’s all for today. Ciao!
