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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.
Table of Contents
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
"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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
