Jessica DeMay

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Pizza Stone for Your Kitchen

Choosing the right tool for cooking pizza is essential if you are looking for excellent results. You must consider the material, the seasoning and the maintenance of your pizza stone. This instrument is sometimes underrated, but it is fundamental for cooking perfectly golden pizzas in a few minutes.
Ooni Baking Stone
Best Overall Stone
Ooni Baking Stone
Pampered Chef Pizza Stone
Extremely Robust
Pampered Chef Pizza Stone
Emile Henry Pizza Stone
Easy to Use
Emile Henry Pizza Stone

A good pizza stone can make all the difference in your homemade pizza. Learn how to choose the best one for your kitchen with this ultimate guide.

If you're a pizza lover, investing in a quality pizza stone can take your homemade pies to the next level. But with so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for your kitchen. This ultimate guide will help you understand the benefits of using a pizza stone, what to look for when shopping, and how to use and care for your new kitchen tool.

Understand the Different Types of Pizza Stones

Pizza stones come in a variety of materials, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. The most common types of pizza stones are made from ceramic, cordierite, and cast iron. Ceramic stones are affordable and easy to find, but they can crack if not used and cared for properly. Cordierite stones are more durable and can withstand high temperatures, but they can be more expensive. Cast iron stones are the heaviest and most expensive option, but they retain heat well and can be used for other cooking tasks besides pizza. Consider your budget and cooking needs when choosing the type of pizza stone that's right for you.

Consider the Size and Shape of Your Pizza Stone

When choosing a pizza stone, it's important to consider the size and shape that will work best for your kitchen and cooking needs. If you have a small oven or only plan on making personal-sized pizzas, a smaller stone may be sufficient. However, if you want to make larger pizzas or multiple pizzas at once, a larger stone may be necessary. Additionally, consider the shape of the stone - round stones are traditional but may not fit well in a rectangular oven, while rectangular stones may be more versatile for different types of pizzas.

Look for Stones with Good Heat Retention and Distribution

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a pizza stone is its ability to retain and distribute heat evenly. Look for stones made from materials like ceramic, cordierite, or cast iron, which are known for their heat retention properties. Additionally, thicker stones will generally retain heat better than thinner ones. A stone that distributes heat evenly will ensure that your pizza cooks evenly and has a crispy crust.

Check for Durability and Ease of Cleaning

When choosing a pizza stone, it’s important to consider its durability and ease of cleaning. Look for stones that are made from high-quality materials that can withstand high temperatures without cracking or breaking. Stones that are dishwasher safe or easy to clean with soap and water will save you time and effort in the long run. Avoid stones that require special cleaning methods or are prone to cracking or chipping, as they may not last as long or provide consistent results.

Decide on Your Budget and Make Your Purchase

Once you have considered the size, material, and cleaning requirements of your pizza stone, it’s time to decide on your budget and make your purchase. Pizza stones can range in price from under $20 to over $100, depending on their size and quality. Consider how often you plan to use your pizza stone and how important it is to you to have consistent, high-quality results. Don’t be afraid to invest in a higher-end pizza stone if you plan to use it frequently and want the best possible results. With the right pizza stone, you can enjoy delicious homemade pizza that rivals your favorite pizzeria.

Best Overall: Ooni Baking Stone

"Perfect for making delicious and crispy crust pizza"

Ooni sells professional pizza ovens and all of them come with baking stone included. If you don't have an Ooni pizza oven, you can still have top-quality pizza results by buying Ooni baking stone separately to use in your oven or barbecue.

This baking stone is made of quality cordierite stone, which makes it extremely durable. It is, therefore, perfect for making delicious and crispy crust pizza. The stone can withstand high temperatures up to 1 800 degrees Celsius.

Cordierite is a compound mineral and its major component is silica. It has melting point of between 1200-1450 degrees Celsius. Ooni baking stone has a rough surface for better heat distribution. When used in a barbecue, it should be placed on the outer side of the grill so that it is heated indirectly from all sides.

Material: Cordierite

Dishwasher safe? No

Best for the oven: Pampered Chef Pizza Stone

"More robust than any other stoneware"

Pampered chef pizza stone is made with a new StoneFusion material, making it way more robust than any other stoneware. You can pre-heat, broil, and even put it in the dishwasher, and it only gets better with time. The more you use it - the more it will develop a nonstick seasoning, so the darker it looks, the better it cooks! A nonstick seasoning will develop as you use it—the darker it looks, the better it cooks! 

Material: StoneFusion

Dishwasher safe? Yes

Easy to use: Emile Henry Pizza Stone

"The Emile Henry Pizza Stone will help you make beautifully golden pizzas"

If you are looking for a fancy product for fancy pizza results, Emile Henry pizza stone is what you need. It has a more delicate ceramic and is better to not use directly on a heat source, but it is perfect to use on a barbecue grill. The Emile Henry Pizza Stone will help you make beautifully golden pizzas.

Material: Clay

Dishwasher safe? Yes

Best for Focaccia: FibraMent Oven Pizza Baking Stone

"Crustier bread, crispier pizza crusts and golden focaccia"

Available in different shapes, FibraMent baking stones are the answer to your pizza craving. 

Sometimes, ovens and grills at home can generate unwanted temperature fluctuations with hot and cold spots. FibraMent baking stones are designed to hold and transfer heat homogeneously. The consistent heat means crustier bread, crispier pizza crusts and golden focaccia.

Material: Mixed Raw Materials

Dishwasher safe? Yes

Ready to use: Pizzacraft Thermabond 22” Stone

"Does not require any seasoning or conditioning"

Pizzacraft Thermobond normally sells professional pizza baking stones. However, this rectangular pizza stone is made for home use and it's a sure bet for any pizza enthusiast. It is formulated to eliminate thermal shock breakage, promotes even heat distribution and retention, and guarantees consistent cooking on the oven or grill. It does not require any seasoning or conditioning; this pizza stone is ready to use for perfect results.

Material: Cordierite

Dishwasher safe? No

Best Cast Iron: Lodge 15" Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan

"Doesn't bend or warp at high temperature"

Perfect for restaurant-style crusts! This baking stone is naturally seasoned and always give the best results from the very first using. The material doesn't bend or warp at high temperature. 

 It provides excellent heat distribution and retention for consistent, even cooking. 

Material: Cast Iron

Dishwasher safe? No

Best Pizza Steel: The Original Baking Steel

"Ready in a few minutes with impressively crunchy results"

This baking steel is very resistant and already seasoned, and ready to use. Steel conducts heat very fast and can be even better than a pizza stone if your oven can't reach high temperatures.

Cooking temperatures vastly influence the taste and texture in your cooking experiments. Your pizza will be ready in a few minutes with impressively crunchy results

Material: Steel

Dishwasher safe? No

How To Use a Pizza Stone

Using a pizza stone is very easy: first, you need to preheat your pizza stone to around 500 F. Then, carefully place your pizza on the pizza stone and bake it in the oven until the cheese on it looks lightly browned. Finally, remove the pizza, turn off the stove, and wait for the pizza stone to cool down before brushing it off.

How To Use a Pizza Stone for the First Time

If you are using a baking stone for the first time you may need to wash it (not all pizza stones need washing, so read carefully the instructions). After washing it, preheat it in the oven at 500 F.

How To Clean a Pizza Stone

Depending on the material, every pizza stone has different ways to be cleaned. Most of the baking stone is made of a porous material, such as ceramic or stone, making the pizza stone absorbing whatever substance you rinse it with. This could impact the food's favour, as too much moisture can affect the pizza crust crunchy texture.

First of all, before cleaning it, wait for the pizza stone to cool down. You can use a brush with water to eliminate the food leftovers from the baking stone. Brush it until it looks clean, paying attention to not scratch your stone. Never use soap or chemicals to clean it. Certain pizza stones can also be washed in the dishwasher, but be careful not to add soap.

After you cleaned your pizza stone from any food and oil leftovers, rinse it and let it dry in a warm place, allowing all the water to evaporate.

How To Season a Pizza Stone

The best way to season your pizza stone is by using it. The older it gets, the better results you will get. Most of the pizza stones don't need seasoning before usage. However, some special treatment if you are using them for the first time. Just make sure to read the instructions for your stone.

To season a pizza stone, you can put a thin layer of oil on it, using a towel of a piece of paper. Bake the stone while the oven is preheating; otherwise, the stone may crack, and bake it at 425 F for about an hour. After that, your pizzza stone will have a perfect seasoning and will be ready to use after wiping it dry.

What Material Is Best for a Pizza Stone?

Ceramic

Ceramic pizza stones have perhaps the best value for money. Made from clay and fired in a kiln, these stones are excellent at conducting high heat evenly, making them great at baking pizza. When properly cared for, ceramic stones can last for many years.

Clay is best for achieving a crispy, but it takes a while to preheat. Ceramic heats evenly but cracks easily if not properly preheated.

Cordierite

Slightly more expensive than ceramic, but even more durable than the ceramic stones, Cordierite is a mineral known for handling extreme temperatures well. It’s the same material used to make kiln shelves, and it’s thermal shock resistant. It means you can take a cordierite stone from a low temperature to a very high temperature without the risk of breaking it. These stones can handle all the heat your oven or grill can dish out and still keep cranking out pizzas year after year.

Steel

It is a new material for pizza baking stones. Steel is very flexible to be used for cooking many different kinds of food other than pizzas. 

While they radiate heat less evenly than ceramic or cordierite stones, pizza steels can achieve higher temperatures. Steels can also be used in combination with pizza stones for those of you who don’t have a top-mounted broiler in the oven. The best part is that baking steels are nearly indestructible. Not only will they stand up to any amount of heat you subject them to, but they’ll also easily survive accidentally dropping on the ground. On the other hand, baking steels require a little more maintenance than stones, as you’ll need to season them from time to time to prevent rust.

Why Buy a Pizza Stone?  

A pizza stone is one of the keys to making a perfect pizza, or at least, results will taste like a pizza cooked in a wooden oven. The stone conducts and holds the heat in the oven, which sometimes have some temperature fluctuations. The pizza stone so keeps the temperature steady, even when you introduce a cold ingredient. 

This fact helps the pizza cook more evenly and allows the bottom to get crisp.

Your pizza will result in crunchy and cook homogeneously. 

Plus, you can use your pizza stone for cooking food other than pizzas, and the results will be delicious. The porous material used for the pizza stone will absorb flavours. The most you will use it with a different kind of food preparation, the more your food will have an authentic taste.

FAQ

A baking stone is a manageable cooking surface used in baking, generally bread, cookie sheets, but it may absorb additional moisture for crispier food. A pizza stone is a baking stone created for especially cooking pizza.
Round pizza stones are renowned for making pizza, but rectangular stones are far more manageable in their usability. Dimensions of a pizza stone have some impact on the results. Larger stones heat slower than smaller ones, but they also hold that heat better and cook pizza faster.
Any pizza stone which is not made with a fibrous material will indeed crack over time, no matter how thick they are. If the pizza stone is used in the oven for an extended period (more than 2 hours) at a constant heat of 500 F or more, it will likely break.
The best choice for value for money on Amazon is Solido Pizza and Weber BBQ pizza.
Walmart offers cheaper variants, but if you have to choose something with a reasonable price and value, go for CucinaPro square Pizza Stone.
Pizza steels are made purely from steel. Pizza stones, instead, are made of clay, ceramic, or cordierite. Because they're made from diverse materials, the most notable difference between pizza steels and pizza stones is how they direct and maintain heat. Plus, a ceramic pizza stone is easier to break than a steel one.
You can use a cast-iron pan in the oven to produce a crispy pizza crust too. Like the baking sheet, a large cast-iron skillet preheated upside down can pretty much accurately replicate a pizza stone's results in the oven.
Despite the damages like dropping your pizza stone and breaking it, if used correctly, this tool is surprisingly resilient that in most cases, will last for years. Some pizza stones, if good quality ones, can last for over ten years.
Jessica DeMay
Jessica is the lead content creator of Dishcrawl. She has lived in Italy (Napoli) for 7 years and has since become absolutely obsessed with pizza.
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