# Left pizza on counter overnight? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 22, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410 "2017-11-22T16:02:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lickety\_Split\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/67e7ee/32.png) [@Lickety\_Split\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lickety_Split_1)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/21 "2017-11-22T19:27:29Z")
If you eat it, you are taking a chance–a significant one–of ingesting bacterium which could make you ill. Anytime a food stuff with meat and cheese is left at room temperature for more than a couple hours, bacteria begins to grow and multiply. This ALWAYS happens, btw, there are no exceptions. What matters, however, is if your immune system will be able to effectively assimilate and destroy any of that bacteria that is harmful to your system. This is why it is a Golden Rule of ALL restaurants and places of business who serve food to follow the “40-140” rule: Never leave food for more than 1 hour ABOVE 40 degrees or BELOW 140. I would personally not eat it. It is not worth it. It would only be worth it if you were starving and the pizza was the only food available. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/22 "2017-11-22T19:36:07Z")
Killjoy. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/23 "2017-11-22T19:56:37Z")
> [@Lickety\_Split](#): > > This is why it is a Golden Rule of ALL restaurants and places of business who serve food to follow the “40-140” rule: Never leave food for more than 1 hour ABOVE 40 degrees or BELOW 140. The USDA/restaurant safety rule is 2 hours, not 1. (ETA: Actually, it looks like it’s 2 hours, but 1 if the temp is above 90 degrees.) ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/24 "2017-11-22T19:59:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Actually, I daresay some pizzas are even better reheated (if you reheat them in a cast iron pan with a little bit of oil–these are the pizzas that aren’t crispy enough to begin with. I’ve had several pizzas that were so-so fresh but just spectacular reheated that way.) I was coming back to say this very thing. It’s sort of amazing how good it is. I always have leftover homemade pizza, and we reheat it this way. ---
**Author:** ![Lickety\_Split\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/67e7ee/32.png) [@Lickety\_Split\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lickety_Split_1)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/25 "2017-11-22T20:07:00Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The USDA/restaurant safety rule is 2 hours, not 1. (ETA: Actually, it looks like it’s 2 hours, \*\*but 1 if the temp is above 90 degrees.) \*\* hence the 1 hour rule, so as to not have to take chances on room temp, variations. (my parents owned and ran two restaurants when I was a kid…where I worked hundreds of hours.) thanks, though. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/26 "2017-11-22T20:18:38Z")
I thought it was a 4-hour rule, not a 1 or 2 hour rule. But yes, OP, you really shouldn’t eat it. Even if you microwave it, it won’t be safe. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/27 "2017-11-22T21:35:53Z")
I’d eat it, depending on the kind of pizza. What kind is it? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/28 "2017-11-22T21:39:39Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I’d eat it, depending on the kind of pizza. What kind is it? Ask the roaches that were crawling on it all night. Just watch out for the ‘capers’. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/29 "2017-11-22T21:40:27Z")
> [@Lickety\_Split](#): > > \*\* > > hence the 1 hour rule, so as to not have to take chances on room temp, variations. > > (my parents owned and ran two restaurants when I was a kid…where I worked hundreds of hours.) thanks, though. The rule in the restaurants I worked at and whatever the hell test we had to take was 2, hence my contribution. Of course, those places didn’t have room temp approaching anywhere near 90F. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/30 "2017-11-22T21:40:48Z")
Whatever you do, if you drank copious amounts of alcohol the night you bought the pizza, and decide you want to heat up a couple slices as a late night snack, _remove the slices from the box first_. Otherwise it can end badly, especially if you fall asleep on the couch while waiting for said pizza. Smoke detectors make amazing alarm clocks, by the way. A friend told me about this. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/31 "2017-11-22T21:48:11Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I thought it was a 4-hour rule, not a 1 or 2 hour rule. It’s always been 2 hours as I’ve known it (minus the one caveat, I guess.) The 4-hour rule I’ve heard was in cooking foods, that you should get them from 40-140F within 4-hours. You hear it quoted every so often in barbecue/smoking forums. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/32 "2017-11-22T22:02:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > It’s always been 2 hours as I’ve known it (minus the one caveat, I guess.) The 4-hour rule I’ve heard was in cooking foods, that you should get them from 40-140F within 4-hours. You hear it quoted every so often in barbecue/smoking forums. A related question: what’s the “rule” about refrigerating hot or warm foods? I see on the web that perhaps you shouldn’t saran wrap hot food and shove it into the fridge. In fact, my brother, whom is a certified chef, has advised me that when I make chili to plunge a bag of ice into to the pot prior to sticking it into the fridge after I’ve taken it off the heat. He says that it preserves the texture much better by rapidly cooling it rather than allowing it to cool very slowly. I always do this, my chili is always really good, but I don’t know if what he says is true or not. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/33 "2017-11-22T22:08:22Z")
I’ve personally always been taught to get the food cold as fast as possible so, yes, it would go from being hot straight into the fridge (and all that stuff about never put hot food into the fridge is some leftover advice from an era where fridges weren’t as good). The ice bag would help chill it more efficiently and faster. (Note, this is not a rule I follow in my personal kitchen.) No idea about the texture stuff or anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/34 "2017-11-22T22:39:10Z")
Reheating the pizza might kill any bacteria in it, but it won’t necessarily destroy any toxins that the bacteria might have produced meanwhile. On the other hand, the nastiest toxins are produced by anaerobic bacteria like botulism, which won’t grow in food sitting on a counter. And most pizza toppings are salty enough that bacteria are only going to grow very slowly in them. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/35 "2017-11-22T23:19:14Z")
Okay, here’s what you do with leftover pizza. Put it in a nonstick skillet. Don’t add anything. Cover it; I use a pizza pan, but anything that makes a tight seal will do. Heat it on medium heat until the crust is browned and the cheese is gooey and bubbling. _Buon appetito!_ ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/36 "2017-11-22T23:46:16Z")
The rewards far outweigh the risks. Go for it. mmm ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/37 "2017-11-23T00:30:26Z")
Generations of college students can’t be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/38 "2017-11-23T21:41:12Z")
My old roommate always stored the left over pizza in the oven. Still in the box. It was eaten the next day. I’d estimate usually within 18 hours. 8 pm pizza was eaten for lunch the next day. Never had any GI problems after. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/39 "2017-11-23T22:09:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The USDA/restaurant safety rule is 2 hours, not 1. (ETA: Actually, it looks like it’s 2 hours, but 1 if the temp is above 90 degrees.) And the real rule, which is too complicated to be a restaurant rule, is that it depends on both the food and the temperature. Food that isn’t salty or sweet of sour spoils very quickly at 90F. It keeps pretty well at 60F. Not as well as it keeps at 40F, but food spoils slowly in a cool room. And foods that are very salty (like most pizza) or dry (like most bread) or very sweet (like jelly) or sour (like pickles) keep pretty well even at warmer room temps. Maybe not so well that a restaurant wants to risk it, but if there aren’t any immune compromised people eating it, and if your kitchen is cool at night, it’s not all that dangerous. I don’t like leftover pizza, but I wouldn’t have any concerns if my pizza-loving family members ate it. I left some bean soup out overnight by mistake recently. I put it in the fridge the next morning and ate it over the next week. That’s much riskier than pizza, as it’s an excellent medium for bacteria. So I did bring each serving to a vigorous boil before I ate it. And even so, I wouldn’t have served it to someone with health issues. But it looked and smelled fine, it tasted great, and I didn’t get sick. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410/40 "2017-11-23T22:09:07Z")
In my experience it was always OK unless the cat had found it. Little furry git could open the box and have the cheese off in seconds :rolleyes: 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-pizza-on-counter-overnight/802410.md?page=3)