Over the years, pizza has transitioned from being an exclusively Italian diet and is now a dish appreciated in various parts of the world.
But, what makes a great pizza?
Indeed, pizza would not be such a coveted dish without its soft dough, delicious toppings, and the pizza stone.
The most popular way of preparing this dish is by baking it. But as we all know, the taste will ever be the same as baking conditions vary.
But most importantly, the stone on which pizza is baked has a great influence on the overall taste of this savory delicacy.
That’s why in this post, we shall investigate some of the best pizza stones in a bid to help you choose the appropriate one for you.
[Shortage of time? Don't worry! See the table below and choose one from it. We've spent 17 hours researching the best of the best products and found these.]
Image | Name | Comment | Size | Editor's Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Best Pick! | 16 x 14.25 x .25 inches | |||
  | Runner-up | 16 x 14 x .25 inches | |||
  | Best for Oven | 16 x 16 x 3.3 inches | |||
  | Best for Grill | 18.5 x 18 x 2.3 inches | |||
  | Cheapest | 15 x 12 x 0.6 inches |
A Word About Pizza Stones
The world would not have pizzas if it did not first have a pizza stone, a variety of the baking stone.
A pizza stone is a portable surface used to bake pizzas. It is mostly made of stone or ceramic. Sometimes, it is made of metal also.
In recent years, salt stones also have made their way into the market. These are the least popular of the pizza stones.
Ideally, the stones should be cleaned using a dry brush and plain, warm water only. That is because the ones with the pores absorb detergent and transfer it on the baking dough.
Our 10 Best Pizza Stones Reviews
1. NerdChef Steel Stone Review - High Performance Baking Surface for Pizza
The Neapolitan-style pizza crust usually requires a high temperature professional wood-fired oven. Or, you can make it at home with Nerdchef Steel Stone. The steel enhances the cooking speed by 20 times and creates the most beautiful, crispy and blistered crust.
The stone is sand-smoothed and seasoned well with organic flaxseed oil ensuring that the pizza slides off easily without sticking onto the surface.
This is our best pick among the 10 best baking stones and is made in the USA, thus, making it easy for service and exchange if the need arose. Having said so, the Steel Stone is made out of solid premium steel and is a guaranteed, unbreakable equipment.
It comes with holes that make it easier to hold, reposition, or move by hand if required.
The stone will get darker with each pizza and the remnants of the burnt ingredients give the pizzas a depth of flavor and character.
It could also be used as an ice cream stone with the mere addition of a handful of dry ice below it.
The stone is 16 inches x 14.25 inches x .25 inches in size and weighs 16 pounds. It is very heavy. Do not underestimate its weight or handle it carelessly.
Highlights of the Product
2. Baking Steel - The Original Ultra Conductive Pizza Stone
This Baking Steel pizza stone is made from ultra-conductive steel. This type of steel is an excellent conductor of heat and enables extremely quick cooking.
It bakes a pizza 18 times faster than traditional stones and pans. The metal's high heat conductivity also plays a vital role in creating the extra thin and crispy pizza crusts that most people love and want.
It is our runner-up of the list and can handle a very high temperature without cracking. The stone has been pre-seasoned and smoothed to perfection to add to the pizza making experience. The dough doesn't stick on to it and slips off easily when done. Made in the USA, it is easy to contact the makers for service and replacement if ever needed.
The original, ultra-conductive steel stone is made of solid premium steel and is guaranteed not to break. It is easy to clean and does not require a lot of maintenance.
Additionally, it can be used as stovetop griddle or an ice cream made with dry ice beneath it. It is normal for this stone to get darker with each baked or grilled pizza. It is not a flaw.
The stone is 16 x 14 x .25 inches in size and weighs 16.05 pounds. It is very heavy. Do not undermine the stone's weight or be careless around it.
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3. Old Stone Oven Round Pizza Stone Review
Whether you're slamming a frozen pizza onto this stone or making one from scratch, this Old Stone classic makes restaurant-quality bread and pizzas with a crunchy, chewy crust. It is the best pick for oven as it can withstand a temperature of up to 2000 Degrees Fahrenheit.
This 16-inch equipment is perfect to make a family-sized pizza and bake bread and cookies on.
Made out of cordierite, the stone absorbs and transfers heat evenly, enabling even cooking. It's specially designed heat core plays an important role in eliminating soggy centers. It is extremely durable and does not crack easily. The stone is created from a combination of lead-free clay types.
The pizza stone is created from the identical firebrick material inside blast furnaces and kilns, duplicating an old stone oven's results of crispy crust. The stone can be used to make pizzas, roast meats, warm or bake bread, and vegetables, etc.
Its legs or raised edges at the bottom lifts it off the ground making it easier to lift. The stone heats evenly and retains enough heat to keep the pizzas warm for a while after they are out. It also tolerates thermal shock. Uncooked pizzas can be transferred from the refrigerator to the oven without it cracking.
The stone is 16 x 16 x 3.3 inches in size and weighs 10.45 pounds.
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4. CastElegance Pizza-Stone for Best Crispy Crust Pizza
Cast Elegance's thermarite pizza stone is perfect for those thin, crispy crust pizzas that you frequent your local pizzeria for. It is our best pick for grill.
Made out of thermarite, it is among the few stones that are made from this mineral. Thermarite is what you get when you engineer and toughen cordierite, one of the best materials that pizza stones are made of.
It is designed to last really long thanks to its enhanced durability, premium thermal shock resistance, and great strength. It is one of the best as it absorbs moisture from the dough, making it crispy.
This Cast Elegance stone can go from ice to fire in no time and not crack. Thermarite protects the pizza from the extreme heat, making sure that the food does not burn but blisters to perfection.
It does not require seasoning or conditioning before using it. Certified by the US FDA, RoHS, European Union, and the German Food-Code Safety-Standards, this stone is crafted with intense heat that vaporizes organic matter and creates a premium, professional pizza stone that does not emit any odor when heated.'
The stone is 18.5 inches x 18 inches x 2.3 inches and weighs about 8.45 pounds.
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5. Unicook Heavy Duty Ceramic Pizza Grilling Stone
This Unicook heavy duty pizza stone does not smell. It can withstand a temperature of up to 1450 Degrees Fahrenheit and has an excellent thermal shock resistance. This is the cheapest among our 10 reviewed stones. It has made its way into the list with its excellent heat resistance and the power of withstanding thermal shock.
It is also the perfect equipment to bake bread and cookies on at home. The stone distributes heat evenly aiding optimal cooking.
Unicook Heavy-Duty is much more efficient than metal stones. It draws out the moisture from the dough, making the pizza crusts crispy and avoiding sogginess at the core, which often occurs with metal pans.
The stone is 15 x 12 x 0.6 inches and weighs 6.5 pounds.
Little Advise for optimal use of the Cheapest Pizza Stone: It is advisable to sprinkle cornmeal or flour on the surface before placing the pizza to create a non-stick stone. Allow the stone to completely cool off before attempting to wash it. Never wash the stone with detergent or soap because its pores will absorb the cleaning agents and leave its aftertaste on subsequent pizzas. It must be hand washed with plain, warm water and air dried after cleaning.
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6. Solido Rectangular Pizza Stone
This Solido rectangular pizza stone has been through incredible, extensive tests before making it into homes for the perfect pizza each time.
It is a great stone to make pizzas, cookies, biscuits, and different types of bread on.
This stone has a much bigger surface area compared with most other round stone or pan and yet fits all standard ovens perfectly. The Solido stone's exclusive heat spiral evenly heats the stone and stores the heat in the center ensuring that it cooks well in the middle just as much and flavorful as the edges.
It also works aptly for readymade or frozen pizzas The Solido pizza stone blends its unique heat spiral with its beautifully crafted feet beneath. This aids in keeping the stone balanced, adding easy movement and superior grip.
In fact, with its heat spiral, this Solido stone turns your standard oven instantly into a pizzeria oven. The packaging also includes some delicious pizza recipes, pro tips, some tricks, and instructions how handling and maintaining the rectangular stone. The stone can withstand a temperature of up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. The stone measures 16 x 14 x 1.1 inches with a weight of 13 pounds.
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7. Lodge Cast Iron Baking Pan and Stone
The Lodge 14 inch cast iron pizza stone is just right for those who prefer homemade pizzas over those available at local pizzerias. This pan is pre-seasoned so as to produce great pizzas each time. Hence, it is seasoned with a 100% vegetable oil without any synthetic coatings or chemicals. The more times the cast iron stone is used, the better seasoning it will get each time.
With every stone and pan, Lodge brings with it it's century-old experience. Having been around for over 120 years, the company's legacy of crafting cookware out of cast iron is unparalleled. It is renowned for its great quality design, longevity and durability, and versatility in cooking.
Made in the USA, if the need were to rise, it is easy to contact the makers for service and replacement. The original, cast iron stone is guaranteed not to break. It is really easy to clean and low on maintenance.
While most stones cannot be cleaned with soap or cleaning agent, this cast iron stone can either be washed with mild soap or simply wiped. The stone can withstand intense and extreme temperatures. The stone is 16 inches x 15 inches x 2.5 inches and comes at a weight of 7.72 pounds.
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8. Old Stone Oven Rectangular Pizza Stone
Whether you're kneading the dough and making a pizza from scratch or want to simply slam on a frozen pizza, this Old Stone rectangular classic brings home restaurant-quality pizzas and bread with a chewy, crunchy crust.
The stone can handle a temperature of up to 2000 Degrees Fahrenheit and not crack. This stone is perfect to make those family-sized pizzas or bake cookies and bread on.
It is made from cordierite, a mineral that absorbs and transfers heat evenly, ensuring even cooking.
Also, it has a specially designed heat core that plays an important role in keeping the centers from getting soggy. The product is durable and is created from a blend of lead-free clay types.
Old Stone-Oven Rectangular Pizza-Stone is created from the firebrick material that is identical with the inside of kilns and blast furnaces, duplicating their results of the crispy crust.
The stone can be used to make pizzas, bake bread, roast vegetables and meats, and for other purposes. It's raised edges at the bottom lifts it off the ground. This makes it easier to lift.
The stone is 16 inches x 14 inches x 0.8 inches and packs a weight of 10 pounds.
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9. Emile Henry Flame Top Pizza Stone Review:
This Emile Henry flame top pizza stone is a black beauty and perfect for those high-temperature cooks and bakes.
Additionally, it is safe to use on charcoal, gas, and natural wood grills and can withstand up to 750 Degree Fahrenheit temperature. It can be used in all kinds of ovens or under the broiler too.
This pizza stone is a product of France and crafted out of natural materials only. It is manufactured using Emile Henry's proprietary Flame technology - a rare tech in cookware. The pizzas can be directly cut on the glazed side of the stone without scratching or damaging the surface.
It is scratch proof and the micro-crazed glaze greatly contributes to producing well baked crispy crusts.
Because the pizza stone can tolerate extreme high oven temperatures of up to 9000 Degree Fahrenheit, it can successfully turn a simple, barbecue grill into a fun, outdoor pizza oven. It has handles that make it easy to carry around. This stone is really easy to clean and is dishwasher safe.
It doesn't come with the added baggage of hand wash only or not being able to use soap or other cleaning agents. It comes with a 10-year guarantee against manufacturing defects when used in a household environment.
The stone is 16.2 inches x 14 inches x 2 inches in size and weighs 5.73 pounds.
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10. Culinary Couture Pizza Stone for Grill & Oven
It is specially designed to produce a very crispy pizza crust each time. While it is one of the best and satisfies the fussiest pizza crust lovers, it does more than just cook. It is a great equipment to reheat leftovers too. Reheating ensures no loss in the food's freshness or taste, making it one of the best baking stone.
With this stone, you can do more than just bake pizzas. Use this round, durable stone to experiment with your other favorite recipes like baking bread or cookies, and roasting chicken as well as shrimp, and vegetables to perfection.
Apt for both grills and oven, this pizza stone can be used all year round. It can be left on the oven's bottom rack during the winter or can be brought out on the piping hot, barbecue charcoal or gas grills in the summer.
Made from the premium quality cordierite material, this pizza stone is sturdy and permits baking up to a 1000 Degree Fahrenheit. The stone is very durable and doesn't break. We ensure to pack all our pizza stones in secure, high-grade packaging, reinforced with the polyethylene foam. The stone is 15 x 15 x 0.8 inches and weighs 9 pounds.
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Types of Pizza Stones
1. Stone
The most popular kind of pizza stones are the ones made out of stone. These are bad conductors of heat and prevent the pizza dough from burning. They are also porous and absorb the moisture from the bread resulting in crispier crusts. This kind of stone is used for most conventional pizzas.
2. Ceramic
Another popular and cost-effective type of pizza stones are the ceramic ones. These are made out of clay and are fired in a kiln. The heat spreads evenly on the ceramic surface ensuring that the pizzas bake evenly and have crispy crusts. They are not too difficult to maintain either.
3. Cast Iron
Cast iron pizza stones are a pretty popular choice among many pizza makers. Iron is an incredible conductor of heat and bakes the pizza quickly and evenly. It can be used in an oven or on a grill. It is easy to clean and is extremely durable because of its strong metal.
4. Cordierite
The cordierite stones are more durable and expensive. They are made from Cordierite, a mineral that can handle rather high and low temperatures. It has the ability to go from a lower to a much higher temperature without the risk of damage. This ensures that these stones last longer than most others.
Why Use a Pizza Stone
Civilizations have been using stones to cook or bake their bread on for centuries.
The pizza stone is a more contemporary version of these stones. Currently, it is mostly used to bake pizzas in an oven or on a grill as the name suggests.
Made out of different materials, these stones are a convenient invention. Once the pizzas are placed on these stones, they can be easily transferred into an oven without the risk of burning one's hands.
They also ensure that the wet, uncooked dough does not stick to the surface as it is not placed directly on the grill or baking pan. These stones have more uses than just be the base for a pizza. People bake other flatbreads like the tortilla, pita, and quesadilla on it. They can be used as a roasting platter for proteins and vegetable for a crispier outer. Some people also bake cookies on these stones.
Benefits of Pizza Stones
There are many benefits of using the best pizza stones.
For starters, these stones can be used in a variety of ways for varied purposes. However, as the base for pizzas too these stones are packed with benefits. They are easy to clean with a towel or little warm water and require no additional scrubbing. They heat and cook the pizza evenly. Most stones absorb the moisture from the pizza dough, resulting in crispier crusts. Whether used in an oven or on a grill, the pizzas cook faster on them than on regular pans. Finally, the dough doesn't stick to the stone once done and is easy to serve.
How to Choose the Best Pizza Stone For Grill
Pizza is a beautiful blend of succulent ingredients, the right techniques, and the precise pizza stone. Different kinds of pizza stones will produce distinct results. So, is there a way to choose the best one for grill? Indeed! There are various aspects to consider before picking the perfect stone for the perfect grilled pizza:
The stone must be able to handle extreme temperatures. The burning coal or wood in grill ovens can generate up to 1000 Degrees Fahrenheit.
Opt for one made of cordierite or thermarite. The latter is created by specially formulating cordierite, a mineral that can endure a very high heat.
The stopper or "non-spill" stones can be a great accessory to your pizza making process. They're usually round stones with a raised edge, which acts as a stopper and keeps the pizza from slipping off the base.
Black pizza stones are also becoming a popular choice among many pizza chefs and home bakers. The black glaze on the stone ensures a heightened heat generation, cooking the pizzas almost 50% faster than regular stones.
Thick pizza stones can also make for a perfect pizza story. Most stones on this list are thicker, but "thick stones" are usually a Å to 1 inch thick and are appropriate for the heat a grill produces.
How to Choose the Best Pizza Stone for Oven
Man's most amazing culinary invention - the pizza - has been around for a few centuries now.
Whether it is a variation of the ancient Middle Eastern flatbread, or the ancient European one, the art of baking pizzas in the conventional oven is as old as the delicacy itself.
Baking in an oven is not the oldest and most traditional way of making pizzas, but it also the most preferred style globally. While most stones are perfect for the oven, here are few pointers that might help you choose the best baking stones for the oven:
The size of your stone and oven is critical. Sometimes, people invest in stones that are bigger than their ovens. This mismatch can be pretty painful because pizza stone is an expensive equipment. It is better to always measure the insides of your oven before buying a stone. The stone should be a few inches smaller.
Pizza stones come in round and rectangular shapes. While it is okay to use either, rectangular ones have a larger area and come handy if you want to hold them. The stone's thickness plays a vital role in making a pizza. The thicker the stone, heat will spread evenly to cover its surface. This enables even cooking.
Tips For Properly Utilising the Pizza Stone
Every pizza lover owns at least one pizza stone if not more. While the general instructions of usage are pretty commonly known, there are some specifics that people sometimes tend to forget. Missing out on these tips can come at a cost. Pizza stones are not very cheap, after all.
These tips and the pizza stone reviews should help you to optimally utilize your pizza stone:
The stone must be seasoned with oil, rice flour, breadcrumbs, or corn flour. Oiling is the most preferred method. This prevents the dough from sticking to the natural, unglazed stones. However, excess oil will smoke up the stone's top layer It is important to preheat the stone.
If the pizza dough is placed on a preheated stone, the crust tends to become crispier. It is not advised to rush the heating. Always place the stone into the cold oven. If the cold stone goes into a preheated oven, it will crack because of the sudden increase in temperature. It is best to let the stone heat along with the oven.
Final Verdict
While all the stones mentioned in the list are great, some are slightly better than the rest.
In the first place, however, is the NerdChef Steel Stone. It is the best pizza stone and is highly recommended by our experts. It is a keeper and worth every penny.
Why try many other stones before arriving at the one best suited for your needs? Invest in the NerdChef Steel Stone and indulge in those delicious, homemade pizzas with the Neapolitan-style pizza crust that will give your local pizzerias a run for their money.
We wish you a great time baking and making pizzas for every occasion, every day.
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