Can Paper Towel Go in the Oven?

Using paper towels in the kitchen is commonplace – they are indispensable for cleaning up spills, drying dishes, and more. However, when it comes to heating and cooking food, you need to exercise caution with paper products. Ovens and microwaves work very differently from regular stovetops and expose paper to much higher temperatures.

So, can paper towel go in the oven? The short answer is no. Paper towels are highly flammable and can easily catch fire when exposed to oven temperatures. Putting them in the oven creates a serious fire hazard. There are other oven-safe alternatives you can use instead.

Why Paper Towels Are Not Oven-Safe

Paper towels are designed to be highly absorbent and disposable – not oven-safe. There are a few reasons why they should not go in the oven:

• Extreme temperatures – Oven temperatures typically range from 350-450°F. Paper products ignite at 451°F. The dry heat of an oven can cause paper towels to ignite once that threshold is crossed. Even at lower oven temperatures, accelerated drying increases fire risk.
• Heating elements – Ovens have electric or gas heating elements that reach much higher temperatures than the set oven temperature. If paper towels come into direct contact with these elements, they can instantly catch fire.
• Unexpected oven behavior – Ovens can malfunction and get hotter than expected. Paper towels left in the oven overnight or unattended increase the risk of overheating accidents.
• Recycled materials – Many paper towels contain recycled content or chemicals that react dangerously when heated. Metal shards or other unknown elements buried in the fibers pose hidden risks.

Ovens provide intense dry heat, powerful heating elements, potential for unexpected high temperatures, and hidden risks with recycled content. This combination makes paper towels completely unsafe.

Key Takeaway: Paper towels should never go in the oven due to extreme temperatures and fire hazards. The risks far outweigh any potential benefits.

Can Wet Paper Towels Go in the Oven?

If paper towels are unsafe in the oven due to their flammability, does getting them wet first make a difference?

Wetting a paper towel lowers the risk by increasing humidity and removing surface oils. However, as soon as the water evaporates in the oven, the fire hazard returns.

A slightly damp paper towel might survive very brief oven exposure under 200°F to cover a baking dish. However, heat would quickly steam away moisture leaving it prone to igniting. Constant vigilance would be essential.

There are also better options that can withstand higher oven temperatures. Relying solely on the moistness of paper towels to prevent oven fires is not wise. Once dried, fire danger rapidly escalates.

Key Takeaway: Wet paper towels lower – but do not eliminate – fire risk at low oven temperatures. However, heat rapidly evaporates moisture, so constant monitoring would still be essential.

Why Would Paper Towels Be Used in the Oven?

If paper towels clearly present fire risks in the oven, why do people consider using them there in the first place? There are a few reasons someone may think paper towels can serve useful oven purposes:

Lining Pans

A paper towel laid in a baking pan theoretically provides a protective barrier that absorbs grease and prevents sticking. Food can then be easily lifted out of the pan after cooking without leaving a mess behind.

Solution: Parchment paper, waxed paper, or aluminum foil. These materials are oven-safe to over 400°F.

Substitute Baking Sheet

Lacking a proper baking sheet, someone might think layering paper towels on an oven rack can suffice to hold food.

Solution: Use a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil in place of a baking sheet. Foil withstands high oven temperatures.

Keeping Food Warm

After baking or air frying foods, people may tent paper towels over top to retain heat and moisture.

Solution: Instead, transfer food to a clean plate after cooking. Paper towels can then be used externally once food exits the oven. Tent foil or an inverted bowl over food instead to retain heat.

Perceived benefits around lining, baking, and keeping food warm drive paper towel usage – despite fire risks. Thankfully there are reusable, oven-safe alternatives that perform the same functions without safety concerns.

Are There Any Safe Uses for Paper Towels in the Oven?

We’ve established that paper towel has no safe place inside a hot oven due to fire risks. But could they possibly be used in an off oven as a drying solution?

After all, igniting paper requires high temperatures – so what about harnessing gentle oven warmth instead?

As an experiment, paper towels were placed on racks inside a cold oven overnight after a rainstorm soaked laundry had no remaining dryer time. The next morning, they exited merely warm – not at all crisp or browned.

So yes – utilizing the ambient warmth of an off oven, without additional heat, does slowly dry damp items without fire risk. The key factors allowing this are:

• Oven must stay completely off
• Do not use paper towels above partially warm oven racks
• Monitor frequently and remove immediately if any scorching occurs
• Do not leave unattended for long periods

This technique leverages an oven’s insulation by creating a small warming closet. It provides gentler, ambient air drying than possible externally.

However, the margin of error remains slim. Any activation of heat can still rapidly escalate fire risk. Also note, this should only be done for emergency drying purposes – not routine food preparation tasks where oven operation becomes necessary.

When Paper Towels Are Safe In An Oven

So in very limited cases, paper towels can utilize idle oven warmth for low temperature drying needs. But caution is mandatory given flammability, and operation risks must be avoided.

Alternatives to Use Instead of Paper Towels

We’ve covered why paper towels don’t belong in ovens, and what perceived benefits drive people to try. Thankfully there are reusable materials that can serve similar needs without fire risk.

Parchment Paper

Parchment paper is cellulose coated in silicone to withstand temperatures up to 420°F. The coating prevents scorching. Many brands claim oven-safe ratings between 420°F and 500°F.

Use parchment paper for:

• Line baking pans
• Prevent sticking
• Quicker cleanup
• Place pizza directly on it

Wax Paper

Wax paper is cellulose coated in wax. It withstands higher oven temperatures than standard paper. Cheap, readily available, and compostable.

Use wax paper for:

• Line baking pans
• Cook bacon (becomes translucent when hot enough to bake food)
• Wrap leftovers

Aluminum Foil

The workhorse of the kitchen. Heavy duty foil is best for oven use. Withstands high heat and locks it in for baking, grilling and easy clean up.

Use aluminum foil for:

• Make tent foil pouches
• Grill sandwiches
• Line pans
• Full coverage oven liners

In summary, parchment paper, wax paper, and aluminum foil make excellent reusable, oven-safe alternatives to paper towels for food preparation tasks requiring linings, coverings, or wrappings. All withstand temperatures above 400°F without issue.

Can Paper Towels Go In The Microwave?

We’ve covered ovens – but what about microwaves? Microwaves work very differently by using radiation to vibrate water molecules for quick heating. Does this difference make paper towels microwave-safe?

Standard paper towel rolls do not contain metallic additives and generally won’t ignite or spark in the microwave as long as exposure stays under 2 minutes. The low moisture environment still makes extra caution warranted. Here are some tips:

• Use plain white paper towels without prints or absorbent chemicals
• Pre-dampen paper towels before microwaving
• Allow heat to release and towels to cool before removing
• Double check your paper towel brand for microwave safety

One scenario where paper towels excel in the microwave is covering splatter-prone foods. Laying one atop pizza or soup contains pops and splashes so your microwave stays clean. Just keep heating times brief and make sure to avoid any smoking or burning.

So in moderation, paper towels can serve useful purposes in the microwave such as covering foods, provided safety precautions are followed. Still, microwave-safe paper plates may be the better solution rather than risking paper towels.

Paper Towel Alternatives For Other Uses

Beyond the oven and microwave, paper towels serve a myriad of other kitchen duties like drying hands, dishes, and countertops as well as dusting, polishing, cleaning, and wiping up spills. Thankfully there are reusable alternatives that reduce waste!

Consider using:

• Beeswax food wraps instead of plastic cling wrap
• Cotton floursack towels for dusting and polishing
• Cloth napkins instead of paper ones
• Microfiber antibacterial cloths for cleaning
• Bamboo paper towels that are reusable and compostable

FAQs

Are paper towels oven-safe at low temperatures?

No. Even low oven temperatures below 300°F can still rapidly ignite paper towels once moisture evaporates. Direct contact with heating elements also increases risks regardless of set temperatures. Do not use paper towels in the oven in the expectation that low temperatures make them safe. Utilize parchment paper or aluminum foil instead.

Can you put a paper towel under a pizza in the oven?

It’s best not to put paper towels anywhere inside the oven, even under a pizza. Instead, use parchment paper beneath the crust, or bake the pizza directly on the oven rack. The rack conductivity actually improves crust crispiness. Parchment catches drips. For easiest cleanup, put a baking sheet lined with foil on the bottom rack before preheating.

What temperature do paper towels burn at?

Paper products ignite between 424°F and 475°F. However, materials like vegetable oils, butter, and cheese begin burning at lower temperatures and can ignite otherwise heat-resistant paper. The intense direct and ambient heat inside an oven accelerates ignition, so paper towels should be considered unsafe for practical purposes.

Conclusion

Can paper towel go in the oven? No. Ovens provide intense dry heat that will rapidly ignite paper towels even at temperatures below paper’s 451°F ignition point. Potential exposure to heating elements or flammable foods impose further hazards. Only non-combustible materials like aluminum foil or parchment paper belong in hot ovens.

In a cold oven, paper towels could utilize ambient warmth gently for very low temperature drying needs. However constant monitoring is essential and risks rapidly return if any oven heat activates. For day-to-day cooking tasks, reusable parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil make much better – and safer – alternatives.

Outside the oven, consider more sustainable options than paper towels for jobs like wrapping, wiping, or food prep. Reusable microfiber cloths, beeswax wraps, and unpaper towels provide environmentally friendly solutions while maintaining convenience.

Just remember – paper and ovens don’t mix! When baking, grilling, or reheating, keep the paper towels off heat and utilize oven-safe materials like foil or parchment paper instead.