Chloe Zhang
The plastic thing in pizza boxes, often white and with three or four legs, is called a pizza saver, pizza table, or pizza tripod. Its purpose is to prevent the lid of the pizza box from collapsing and touching the pizza. This keeps the cheese and toppings in place during delivery and allows customers to pull slices apart without touching them. Pizza savers are usually discarded after use, but some people find other uses for them, such as egg holders or phone holders.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Pizza saver, package saver, pizza stack, box tent, pizza nipple, pizza table, pizza tripod, pizza lid support |
| Inventor | Carmela Vitale of Dix Hills, New York |
| Patent | Filed on February 10, 1983, and issued on February 12, 1985 |
| Purpose | Prevent the top of a pizza box from collapsing, keep the cheese and toppings in place during delivery, enable customers to pull slices apart without touching them, keep the cheese from sticking to the top of the pizza box |
| Appearance | Small tented piece of plastic with three or four legs extending from a central circle, often white |
| Temperature resistance | Able to resist temperatures as high as 500° F |
| Cost | Made from FDA-grade plastic that costs "at most a penny" according to Bob Conrad, owner of Shadow's Ridge Inc. |
| Reuse | Some people reuse them as egg holders, phone stands, or for transporting cakes and pies |
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What You'll Learn
The plastic thing in pizza boxes is called a pizza saver
The pizza saver was invented by Carmela Vitale of Dix Hills, New York, in 1983. Vitale dubbed her invention a "package saver" and filed a patent for it on February 10, 1983. The patent was issued on February 12, 1985, and lapsed in 1993 due to a failure to pay maintenance fees. Vitale's invention became a standard across the United States, included in takeout pizzas to prevent the lids of pizza boxes from sagging and sticking to the cheese and toppings.
While some people may consider the pizza saver a waste of plastic, it serves a practical purpose in maintaining the integrity of the pizza during delivery. Additionally, some people have found secondary uses for the pizza saver, such as using it to prop up their phones in the kitchen or as a toy table for Barbie dolls. Despite its usefulness, some pizzerias have eliminated the use of plastic pizza savers by returning to the traditional method of baking a bread ball into the centre of their pizzas to support the box.
Overall, the pizza saver is a small but essential invention that has become a common feature of pizza delivery, ensuring that customers receive their pizzas in pristine condition.
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It stops the pizza box from collapsing in the middle
The plastic thing in pizza boxes is called a pizza saver, pizza table, pizza tripod, pizza stack, box tent, or pizza nipple. It is a small plastic object with three or four legs that is placed in the centre of the pizza to prevent the pizza box from collapsing in the middle and touching the pizza. This is especially important when multiple pizza boxes are stacked on top of each other, as the hot steam can make the cardboard soft, causing the boxes to bend and ruin the pizzas. The pizza saver also keeps the cheese and toppings in place during delivery and enables customers to pull slices apart without touching the pizza.
Carmela Vitale of Dix Hills, New York, was issued a patent for the "package saver" in 1985, although she submitted the patent request in 1983. The patent lapsed in 1993 for failure to pay maintenance fees. The pizza saver is made of one piece of plastic and can resist temperatures of up to 500° F. It is placed in the centre of the pizza before the box lid is closed for delivery and is typically discarded by the customer. Some people have found secondary uses for pizza savers, such as using them to prop up their phones in the kitchen or as egg holders when turned upside down.
While some people may see pizza savers as unnecessary plastic waste, others argue that they are successful in keeping cheese, toppings, and grease off the top of the pizza box, making it possible to recycle the pizza box lid. Additionally, without the pizza saver, the steam-soggy lid could sag down and touch the pizza, potentially ruining it.
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It prevents the pizza toppings from sticking to the box
The plastic thing in pizza boxes is called a pizza saver, pizza table, pizza tripod, or pizza stool. It is a small plastic object with three or four legs that is placed in the centre of the pizza before the box is closed for delivery. Pizza savers are designed to prevent the box from collapsing in the middle and touching the pizza inside. This, in turn, stops the pizza toppings from sticking to the box and keeps the pizza intact.
Pizza savers were invented by Carmela Vitale of Dix Hills, New York, in 1983. Vitale, a resident of Long Island, noticed that the steam from hot pizzas could cause the cardboard box lids to sag and stick to the cheese and toppings. She designed a small, tented piece of plastic with three arms extending from a central circle to hold up the lid of the pizza box. Vitale's patent for the package saver was approved in 1985 and the device soon became standard across the United States.
The pizza saver has since become an essential tool for pizza delivery, ensuring that pizzas arrive to customers in good condition. In addition to preventing the pizza toppings from sticking to the box, pizza savers also help to keep the cheese and toppings in place during transport and make it easier for customers to pull slices apart. While some people have criticised the use of plastic in pizza savers, others have found secondary uses for them, such as egg holders or phone stands.
Overall, the plastic pizza saver is a simple yet ingenious invention that has revolutionised the pizza delivery industry and helped to keep pizzas looking and tasting their best.
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Pizza savers are made of plastic and have three or four legs
Pizza savers, also known as pizza tables, pizza tripods, or pizza lid supports, are small plastic objects placed in pizza boxes to prevent the lid from touching the pizza. They usually have three legs, but sometimes four, and are placed in the centre of the pizza. They are commonly white in colour.
Pizza savers were invented by Carmela Vitale of Dix Hills, New York, in 1983. She dubbed her invention a "package saver", and it was granted a patent in 1985. The device is designed to keep the lid of the pizza box from sagging and touching the cheese and toppings, which can cause them to stick to the cardboard. This keeps the pizza intact and in good condition when it reaches the customer. Pizza savers also help to keep the toppings in place during delivery and make it easier to pull slices apart.
While some people may see pizza savers as unnecessary plastic waste, others have found secondary uses for them, such as using them upside down as egg holders or to prop up phones in the kitchen. Some pizzerias have eliminated the use of plastic pizza savers by baking a bread ball into the centre of their pizzas instead.
In recent years, there have been creative marketing campaigns centred around the pizza saver. In 2018, Boston Pizza in Canada turned the pizza saver into a patio set for a promotional campaign, adding miniature plastic chairs alongside the table. In 2020, Pizza Hut Hong Kong and IKEA collaborated on a side table called the SÄVA, which resembled a pizza saver in both design and packaging.
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They are usually thrown away but can be reused
The plastic thing in pizza boxes, officially called a "package saver" or "pizza lid support", is typically thrown away by customers. However, some people have found ways to reuse them. For example, they can be washed and used as phone holders, enabling you to read a book hands-free while eating. They can also be turned upside down and used as egg holders or used by children as tables for dolls or action figures. In 2018, Boston Pizza ran a promotional campaign in Canada that turned the plastic savers into patio sets, adding miniature plastic chairs alongside the table.
The pizza saver was invented by Carmela Vitale of Dix Hills, New York, in 1985. It is a small piece of plastic with three legs, sometimes four, that sits in the centre of a pizza box to prevent the lid from sagging and touching the pizza. It also keeps the cheese and toppings in place during delivery and makes it easier to pull slices apart. While some people have found creative ways to reuse the plastic savers, others view them as unnecessary and bad for the environment. Some pizzerias have eliminated their use by returning to the old method of baking a bread ball into the centre of the pizza.
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Frequently asked questions
It's called a pizza saver, pizza table or pizza stool.
It stops the lid of the pizza box from collapsing and touching the pizza.
Carmela Vitale of Dix Hills, New York invented the device in 1985. Claudio Daniel Troglia of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was issued a patent for a similar device in 1974.
Yes, it can be washed and reused as a phone holder, or to transport other foods such as cakes and pies.
