Since the birth of pizza in Naples, Italy, this iconic round treats-filled dough has taken the world by storm. From its humble beginnings served with cheese, tomato and bell pepper, cooked in those legendary multi-generational pizza stones, it has now evolved into so many forms ranging from Neapolitan, Sicilian, Margherita, Capricciosa, Pugliese, Quattro Stagioni, Pizzetta, All-Meat, Vegetarian, and Four Cheese among many other varieties.
Through breakthroughs in the cooking industry, pizza can now be enjoyed in the comforts of one’s home. People don’t have to be stuck with eating frozen pizzas and be deprived of the natural aroma of fresh bakes; or to call out for pizza delivery at an ungodly hour, at an unbelievably inflated cost, with a so-so quality just to fill in a craving.
But to be able to enjoy freshly baked homemade pizza, it is essential to have the right tools in your own kitchen. This includes a good, sturdy oven, which fits into your needs and specifications, and it’s good to ask yourself the following questions:
- Will the oven be placed indoors or outdoors?
- How many pizzas am I looking to bake in a month?
- Do I choose a specialty oven or a general one-size-fits-all?
- Would I like to bake thin crust or thick crust pizzas?
- Do I want a slow-cook or a fast-cook oven?
Here are some of the common options for pizza ovens:
- countertop oven
- gas oven
- outdoor oven
Apart from a good oven, you will also be needing a heavy-duty pizza stone to complete the whole picture.
The 5 Best Pizza Stones on the Market 2019
| Product Name | Cooking Surface | |
|---|---|---|
| 14.75 Inch Pizza Stone by Good Cook® (Editor's Choice) | 14.75 Inch | Check Price |
| 15” Ceramic Pizza Stone by Chef’s Star® | 15 Inch | Check Price |
| 16” Oven Round Pizza Stone by Old Stone Oven® | 16 Inch | Check Price |
| 16” High Performance Baking Surface by NerdChef® | 16 Inch | Check Price |
| 15 Inch ¾” Thick Professional Grade Pizza Stone | 15 Inch | Check Price |
14.75 Inch Pizza Stone by Good Cook®
- For Crispier, Better Baked Crusts
- For Fresh and Frozen Pizzas
- Also works well for baking bread, rolls, or biscuits
- Stone heats evenly so there are no hot spots
- Designed by Good Cook®, this is the most affordable pizza stone in a 4 – 4.5 ratings range. At almost half the price of average stones available in the market, it is perfect for thin crust and frozen pizzas, and for those wanting to achieve crispy crusts.
- At 4.6 pounds, it is a lightweight pizza stone that allows for dough to cook quickly, applicable for baking small breads and thin biscuits. What I love about it is it also bakes evenly so there is no need to worry about having undercooked dough.
- Because of its weight, it can only carry light dough; thus, putting anything beyond its capacity can seriously cause cracks and damages.
- It is also important to keep in mind that lightweight pizza stones need more extra care, so it’s advisable to lightly heat it before putting in the oven to avoid unnecessary pressure on the stone.
15” Ceramic Pizza Stone by Chef’s Star®
- Enjoy the taste and texture of brick-oven style baking from your traditional oven.
- Pizza stone distributes the heat evenly, creating crispy, Neapolitan-style crusts.
- Perfect for use with other baked good recipes.
- Serving and carrying made easy with the heavy-duty chrome rack.
- Set includes 15" pizza baking stone, pizza cutter, and chrome plated serving rack.
- Designed by Chef’s Star®, this pizza stone is on the affordable range with sturdy features to boot.
- With a 15” circumference, you are given the standard pizza size and the flexibility to fill in the dough with ingredients of your choice.
- It also boasts of its ability to even out heat effectively, thus saving you up of the worry of an undercooked crust.
- Every purchase comes with a pizza cutter and heavy-duty chrome-plated serving rack, making it a really good buy.
- For a first-time homemade pizza maker like me, this product package was perfect as I didn’t have to think of add-ons to include in my purchase.
- While it can be sturdy for standard pizza sizes, it can prove flimsy for heavier and bigger crusts; thus, you have to make sure you’re following the right size and thickness guidelines when using this stone.
- At 6.2 pounds, this pizza stone is not suitable for thick crust dough as it can only support standard pizza sizes and thickness. If you’re feeling a little creative with cheese-filled dough, this stone cannot effectively handle the job for you.
16” Oven Round Pizza Stone by Old Stone Oven®
- Makes restaurant-quality pizza and bread with crunchy-chewy crust
- Ideal for baking 16” family-style pizza, bread, biscuits and more
- Absorbs oven’s heat and transfers it evenly
- Withstands heat up to 2000℉ in the oven or on the grill
- Durable, non-cracking; crafted from a blend of lead-free clays
- Invented more than 40 years ago by Pat Bruno, a world-renowned food critic and pizza enthusiast, it is one of the first pizza stones released in the market and has set the standard for all other manufactured pizza stones that came thereafter.
- The secret lies on its heat core technology, which allows for a multilayered, even and crisp heating for the entire dough. For a large-sized pizza, it’s difficult to achieve an even baking without getting undercooked segments; yet, this product has proven it can do that with ease.
- At 10.8 pounds, I find it very durable. It can also be put under high temperatures at long and frequent intervals.
- While this product promises durability and even distribution of heat, it’s more expensive compared to other pizza stones that can deliver the same results.
- Because of its porous materials, it’s also difficult to clean and maintain, with tomato sauces leaving marks on the pizza stone that are impossible to get rid of. It’s then important to be informed of this before purchase, so you know that stains are normal for this product.
16” High Performance Baking Surface by NerdChef®
- 20x higher conductivity than ceramic baking stones and twice the heat capacity. This lets it send much more heat energy to your crust so you can get the great performance of a 1000F oven in a home oven at 450F.
- Gorgeous crusts, better blistering, and faster cook times.
- Low-friction surface: textured, sanded smooth, seasoned with flaxseed oil.
- Solid steel, unbreakable, guaranteed for life.
- 16" x 14.25" x .375" - 23lbs (Warning: It's heavy!) Made in USA.
- Designed by NerdChef®, its durability cannot be matched by any other product in the market. It is so sturdy that it can handle not just thick crust pizza, but also steaks and other meats.
- It can also stand as a serving plate for ice cream and other cold dishes; and the best part, is to have these remain at cold temperatures for up to half an hour.
- This product’s strength is with its material: solid premium steel that allows for high conductivity, high precision and high efficiency. The product also leaves no room for worrying about over and undercooking.
- For me, what stands out for this product is its unique style: a seamless and neat set-up that would be a nice display for the kitchen.
- With a heavy 16-pound weight to boot, this is highly vulnerable to dropping from bare hands and unstable platforms.
- At some point, it can even crush ceramic tiles and ovens. It is then highly important to have a heavy duty and sturdy oven that can support a pizza stone such as this.
- It is also not a product that can be advisable for families with children, as the weight of the material is so heavy that a single slip from the table can pose a big risk to both adults and children.
15 Inch ¾” Thick Professional Grade Pizza Stone by Culinary Couture®
- DELIGHTFULLY CRISPY CRUST: Our pizza stone is 3/4" thick, much thicker than our competitors’ stones - engineered to achieve a crispy pizza crust, every single time! This baking stone will satisfy even the pickiest of pizza crust lovers! It is also great for reheating any leftovers, bringing back the food’s excellent taste and freshness.
- USE IT ALL THE TIME: It’s more than just baking all your favorite pizzas! This durable round stone allows you to try out all your favorite recipes and bake bread, chicken tenders, shrimp, cookies and any other pastry to perfection. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to provide the best meals and treats to your family!
- FOR OVEN & BBQ GRILLS: It’s now easy to enjoy yummy pizza slices, all year long! You can leave it on the bottom rack of the oven during the cold winter and bring it out on the barbecue grill for the summer. Our pizza stone works great on all popular outdoor grills including charcoal and gas grills.
- WILL NOT CRACK: Made from superior cordierite material, this sturdy stone allows baking up to a whopping 1000 °F. Our grill stone is not brittle and will not easily break! To ensure they get to you in tip top shape, all our pizza stones come in secure, high quality packaging enforced with polyethylene foam.
- EBOOK INCLUDED: We take great pride in the quality of our Pizza Stones. To help you enjoy cooking with your new pizza stone, we are offering an E-Book with 45 delicious pizza recipes! (Comes as email attachment once delivered)
- Designed by Culinary Couture®, this is one of the most versatile and sturdy pizza stones available in the market.
- At 9.6 pounds, it can handle all sorts of crusts up to meat-and-cheese-filled thick dough.
- Because of its stability, it’s perfect for light crisps while giving you well-baked and well-formed dough.
- It can also handle heavy pressures and high temperatures to up to 1000°F, without breaking its efficiency to bake dough evenly.
- It’s easy to clean, safe to wash in cold and hot water, and its color doesn’t wear off easily. Every pizza stone bought also comes with a 45-page pizza recipe book.
- While this product is one of the most versatile pizza stones in the market, it’s quite difficult to time the baking process properly and to the point.
- This product is not for beginners like me who have just started out with pizza baking. This is because its cordierite stone material is so heavy and thick, and with thickness comes the high probability of undercooking any type of crust.
- It’s then very important to do trial-and-error baking sessions before putting on board your masterpiece recipe.
Things to Look for in A Pizza Stone – Best pizza stone Buyer’s Guide
But first off, what is a pizza stone?
A pizza stone is an important, yet often overlooked, element in baking pizza. It does not only give a stable cooking surface for the pizza dough; it also assists in cooking the dough evenly so you do get the right consistency for the entire crust.
A pizza stone can be made of any or a combination of the following: ceramic, stone, hard clay, marble, tile, fire brick, and/or steel. Historically it was seen as a poor heat conductor, thus making it difficult to leave to chance the baking of dough.
Back then, it took skill and considerable experience to get the dough right. However, these days, due to advances in technology, the pizza stone has moved from the unglazed, quarried kind, to the more sophisticated kind where heat is evenly distributed in the flattened dough.
Here is a video that highlights the importance of using a pizza stone when baking:
With so many options available online and offline, it can be confusing to choose which one is the best for your needs. Before we give a rundown of our pizza stones review, you should ask yourself the following questions before making a purchase:
- Crust
What do I want to achieve with my crust?
Pizza stones are differentiated by the material they’re made of. If you are into having crisper crusts, you should get an unglazed baking stone so the moisture is absorbed more effectively. With the stone having good absorption, the dough is not left with excess evaporated water that makes the crust a bit soggy.
However, the drawback with an unglazed stone is it’s difficult to clean. With a glazed pizza stone, you are able to handle baking thick, cheese-filled crusts because the moisture is distributed in the dough. A glazed stone is also way easier to clean.
- Size and Thickness of Pizza
What is the size and thickness of the pizza I want to bake?
Pizza stones come in different sizes and thickness, so make sure you decide on the size (Do you want a standard-sized pizza, or a family-sized one?) and thickness (Do you want thin crusts, or meat-and-cheese-filled ones?). Baking on the wrong stone can lead you vulnerable to breakages and safety risks that anyone wouldn’t want to experience.
- Baking Frequency
How often am I going to bake?
Some stones are built for heavy home use where you can cook as much as you can. The drawback with these kinds of stones is that they are very heavy and take a long time to cook. On the other hand, other stones enable faster cooking and are more lightweight; however, they cannot be used as often as the heavy-duty ones.
So to give you, dear readers, some peace of mind, here is a quick rundown of the best pizza stones for the oven currently offered in the market. We’ve arranged the list to go from the lowest to the highest per piece price:
FAQ
Conclusion
To decide on the overall winner for the best pizza stone, I used the following parameters:
- 1) Ability to handle different types of crust;
- 2) Ability to handle different types of dough sizes and thickness; and,
- 3) Ability to withstand frequent use and differences in temperature.
Hands down, the winner is:
The 16” Oven Round Pizza Stone by Old Stone Oven®
It’s a fair price to pay for given all the different features it has and can deliver: it can withstand intense heat, can handle different sizes and thickness of crusts, and it’s durable yet not too heavy to use. Now I see why it’s been made by an artisan, and it proves to stand the test of time even after four decades!
Bonus Tip!
Once you’ve decided on which pizza stone to buy, here are some guidelines for you to take so you get to enjoy your pizza stone and be able to keep it for years to come:
- Preheat the stone. It doesn’t matter what type of pizza stone you have. Before doing the big bake, preheat your stone so it gets the temperature transition it needs, which then puts less of a strain on the pizza stone. And also, give 30 minutes to 1 hour to preheat the stone. This gives it the time it needs to evenly distribute the heat on the material.
Preheat your stone before use to avoid cracks and breakages.
- Put the stone in a cold oven when not in use. When the pizza stone stays in a cold oven before use, it gets used to the moisture of the oven. This is important because it lessens the possibility of breakages or thermal shocks that may come with sudden temperature changes the stone has to undergo.
A cold oven should be a pizza stone’s “home” when not in use
- Clean your pizza stone after every use. It can be easy to delay cleaning of pizza stones for some hours—or even a day or two—especially when everyone just wants to take their pick on your fresh bake. However, the reality is that pizza stones absorb heat and moisture effectively, making it easy for the stone to absorb oil and grease that have been left by the pizza ingredients. And this absorption can be quick. It is then advisable for you to immediately clean your stone with lukewarm water and gentle soap after every use.
Use a spatula to clean out food debris after every use
We hope we’ve given you the information you need on the what and why of pizza stones, and enough objective insights on the five best pizza stones for the oven currently available in the market. And we hope, the list does help you in making the right decision in picking the best one for your homemade pizza needs! If you have more questions, feel free to contact us and we’ll definitely try our best to help you out.
Contents
- 1 The 5 Best Pizza Stones on the Market 2019
- 2 14.75 Inch Pizza Stone by Good Cook®
- 3 15” Ceramic Pizza Stone by Chef’s Star®
- 4 16” Oven Round Pizza Stone by Old Stone Oven®
- 5 16” High Performance Baking Surface by NerdChef®
- 6 15 Inch ¾” Thick Professional Grade Pizza Stone by Culinary Couture®
- 7 Things to Look for in A Pizza Stone – Best pizza stone Buyer’s Guide
- 8 Conclusion
- 9 Bonus Tip!
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