# Do you store leftover pizza in the oven? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 28, 2017, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384 "2017-01-28T13:07:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/61 "2017-01-30T11:07:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Well, it depends on the timescale… That’s your answer to everything. ---
**Author:** ![Krouget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b38774/32.png) [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/62 "2017-01-30T14:10:49Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It never once occurred to me to store pizza in the oven, much less with a flammable box around it. Leftovers (pizza or otherwise) go into the fridge, or the garbage; not out in the warm where they can start to rot. This was my immediate thought. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/63 "2017-01-30T15:36:11Z")
I misread the thread and thought the question was: do you store leftover pizza in the _fridge_, not oven. Who the heck would store a flammable greasy box in an oven? That’s a disaster waiting to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/64 "2017-01-30T15:51:05Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Before this thread, I’d never heard of storing boxes of leftover pizza in the oven. This. It flies directly in the face of [recommended food safety practices:](https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/leftovers-and-food-safety/!ut/p/a1/jVJdb8IgFP0te2jfEGqd0SXN0hkbP6bGdWrty4ItpV1q6YDauF8_6F7U6CaEAPecw4V7gCEMYFjgQ0axzFiBc70Pux9oibpWf4Ami77lofF8vVxMBwPU8x8VYfsHYW7fqb_RXPSffnJHgjafDWYUhiWWKciKhMGAEglwIWrCBQwSxmIgcELkESQ4kkCkhEgF6Bho0BQXcZ4VFAY5SSQ7KJ3Sx-BECjcwPL8MslQfz22_M5rMbbToXBKuVOuXcLsc6r00Z7vGmq1b7OyeehgnCeGEtyquwqmUpXgykIHqum5RxmhOWhHbG0jBzwI70uSRdD7NL8ckgkeOMAWreEScmuzMKHYs80BiB-F0NR3W2bIge2sP-JubBt7G305Hm-n65X249CjFM9c11alOk9OwbNew2p4eOnUiMtGqRIzVJQ5NUHPaXsm4xLleaYaeJSuzqFmdWkHiKmr-oQZODLvknVimoXPTrpUpZULC4Lw6sNyvgu9XN_HHINwd64cfPEoGrA!!/#2) > [@USDA](#): > > Within 2 hours of cooking food or after it is removed from an appliance keeping it warm, leftovers must be refrigerated. Throw away all perishable foods that have been left in room temperature for more than 2 hours. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/65 "2017-01-30T15:57:23Z")
I’ve put pizza, in the box, in the oven on its lowest setting (200℉, well below the auto-ignition temperature of paper or cardboard) to keep it warm while waiting for my wife to come home or while I’m actually eating it, but any leftovers immediately get wrapped in foil and put in the fridge. Besides the racks inside it and the cast-iron stuff we keep in the drawer underneath, I don’t “store” anything in the oven, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Emergency911](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/43a26b/32.png) [@Emergency911](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emergency911)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/66 "2017-01-30T16:59:19Z")
I am a cold pizza for breakfast fan, so it goes in the fridge. We will put a pizza in the oven to keep it warm when we get home and have to put groceries away or what ever. The rule in our house is the oven light goes on when something is in there. Not only reminds you that something is in there, but reminds you to shut the oven off when you are done with it. Would also like to mention that if you have kids that can walk, always check the oven before turning it on. Same for the dishwasher, washing machine, dryer etc. Some kids have a funny way of putting things in places they shouldn’t go. I have cleaned melted crayons out of the oven AND dryer. once put a load of whites into the washer when there was a red sock in the bottom and washed several action figures in the dishwasher. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/67 "2017-01-30T17:39:50Z")
What magical ability does an oven have to preserve pizza? Or are you just putting it in the oven because you don’t want to go to the trouble of taking the remaining slices out of the box, which is too big to put anywhere else. Take the leftover slices outta the box, you lazy slobs, and store then in a container (or wrap them up) and keep them in the fridge until needed. After removing the pizza from the box, I then unfold the box flat, then re-fold it to fit in recycling. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/68 "2017-01-30T20:26:58Z")
I ‘store’ leftover pizza in the garbage. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/69 "2017-01-30T20:54:50Z")
I have an old oven with a pilot light that keeps the whole works at approx 80 degrees at all times. If I left pizza in there overnight, it would be a biology project in no time. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/70 "2017-01-30T21:15:13Z")
No, that’s nuts and it can go bad in there. Refrigerator, box is tossed. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/71 "2017-01-30T21:59:15Z")
> [@Sahirrnee](#): > > Leftover pizza used to sit out on the counter or table. > > Then we got a cat. > > Now it goes in the oven. We have very curious dogs so we do the same. If there are 1-2 slices left, then yes, it goes in the fridge. More than that? Leave it in the oven. And no, I don’t turn on the oven if I know the pizza box is in there. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/72 "2017-01-30T22:42:26Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It never once occurred to me to store pizza in the oven, much less with a flammable box around it. Leftovers (pizza or otherwise) go into the fridge, or the garbage; not out in the warm where they can start to rot. Yep. I have friends who keep theirs in there for the evening (they are obsessed with cooling everything completely before putting it in the oven) and I feel it’s a little oogy even if it’s only been a few hours. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/73 "2017-01-30T22:54:33Z")
My great uncle would leave leftover sausage and biscuits from breakfast in the oven. I’m sure it came from having lived without a refrigerator. Still, they were in a metal pan, which could easily be cooked. I also remember choir camp, where this one enterprising guy would buy pizza at the appointed time, and sell it to others for a $1 a slice. He kept the leftovers under his bed and would sell them cheaper after a day, or even give it away for free if no one would buy it. We do keep our pans in the oven. But all but one is oven-safe, and there is no way you could use the oven without taking at least some of the pans out, and the one that isn’t oven-safe is in front and thus obviously the first one you’d remove. I would never store actual food in there, unless I kept the oven on to keep it warm. I do not keep food in the “danger zone.” As for reheating pizza–comes out fine in the oven at low heat. Just don’t use a microwave. Though, admittedly, I’ll probably eat a lot of cold pizza, too. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384/74 "2017-01-30T23:01:03Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Yep. I have friends who keep theirs in there for the evening (they are obsessed with \*\*cooling \*\*everything completely before putting it in the **oven** ) and I feel it’s a little oogy even if it’s only been a few hours. Bolding mine. Do they also insist on heating everything thoroughly before putting it in the fridge? 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-store-leftover-pizza-in-the-oven/778384.md?page=3)