Tin Foil instead of Boxes. Cheaper. Is this good?

[movvid]

We want to switch to the round 8" Tin Foil Containers w/ card boad lid for our personal size pizzas. This is 50% cheaper than the boxes. Does anyone have experience in doing this? Does it keep the pizzas warm and not soggy? We’re also delivering these personal pizzas on a 10-20 min drive from our store so sturdiness is also a factor. Maintaining the quality of our pizzas is obviously our top priority.

I remember a pizza chain serving personal pizzas in these tin foil containers but I wasn’t too impress of the quality, but perhaps it’s because they reheated the pizzas in these containers and sell it the following day.

Thanks in advance !

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

Our experience has been that the foil containers tend to promote more steaming of the pizza due to the fact that the foil doesn’t absorb any moisture as cardboard does, plus, while the aluminum effectively reflects heat back to the pizza, it also provides little, if any insulating value, plus, if the foil is exposed to cold air, as might happen during the colder months, the humidity within the container will quickly condense to water, making for a wet, soggy pizza. There are some pretty good paperboard/fiberboard containers available that might work better in this application. You don’t need the ovenable trays/pans unless you want to be able to bake the pizzas in the pan. If your regular supplier doesn’t carry then, check your Commercial Yellow Pages for a local BAKERY SUPPLIER, or here are a few manufacturers;
Best Brands <www.bestbrandsllc.com>
International Paper <www.internationalpaper.com>
Ivex Packaging < www.ivexpackaging.com>
Murnane Packaging <www.murnanecompanies.com>
Package Products Tel: 412-766-1234
Southeastern Paperboard Tel: 800-229-7372
If they will not sell directly to you, ask for the name of a distributor in your area.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

 

[movvid]

Thanks Tom for the great feedback!! So you’re suggesting to avoid the tin foil. And any paper material container would work best since it absorbs moisture? We’re currently using the generic star pizza box that they sell at Restaurant Depot but we’re looking for a cheaper alternative that will still keep our pizza fresh and warm.

 

[Tom_Lehmann]

Yes, the aluminum foil plates don’t absorb anything, and they can be a major contributor to condensation (wet and soggy bottom) on the pizza. Most of the paperboard/fiber plates have at least some capacity to absorb some moisture, but more importantly, they are not as good at conducting heat (they have a better insulating value) so they seldom contribute to a wet, soggy pizza due to moisture condensation. I’d suggest seeing if you can find a plate that meets your needs, then give it a test drive to see if it works for you. You don’t need, or want all the fancy bells and whistles, I’d go for just a plain old press board plate, this would be similar to the cheap paper plates that you can buy in te supermarket, but of a heavier weight and not as flimsey. If you pick up a package of sweet rolls from your local supermarket, they will be sold in either this type of pan or an aluminum foil pan. You can tell by looking at the plastic bag to see what is on the bottom of the rolls.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor