The 10 Best Pizza Stones
Editor's Notes
May 07, 2021:
While our previous top pick, The Original Baking Steel, is no longer available, we've replaced it with the similarly high-quality Conductive Cooking Steel. We particularly like the 3/8-inch version, because that much solid metal will do a great job of crisping a crust. We also appreciate the 14- by 20-inch model, although you'll want to doublecheck the size of your oven before purchasing.
Otherwise, all our selections are the same. We've always recommended the most durable, and these are no exception; as long as you treat it properly, any of the options on our list should last for many delicious pies without breaking.
February 07, 2020:
The best way to cook pizza is in a dedicated pizza oven, which come in outdoor models as well as those designed for use in the kitchen. Of course, you can do it in a standard oven, but if you just toss it right on the grate, the crust won't be as nice and crispy as it could be. The solution is to get yourself a good pizza stone, of which there are a few types.
Cast-iron pans such as the Lodge Cast Iron do an okay job, as can the enamel-coated Emile Henry Flame Top. But, it's generally advised to keep these around 400 degrees at the most, which just isn't ideal for a crispy, flaky crust. There's also the Heritage Ceramic, which is, you guessed it ceramic. But the most common alternative is an actual stone -- well, not an actual stone, but a synthetic, heat- and crack-resistant stone-like material called cordierite. They're all pretty similar, but various models have slightly different useful features.
The Cuisinart CPS-445 is highly affordable and comes with a decent cutting tool and quality, foldable peel, but it just isn't very big. The Old Stone Oven promises not to break, but some users report a foul smell at first, similar to the Cuisinart mentioned above. The Cordierite Rocksheat is interesting because of its built-in handles, while the CastElegance Thermarite comes with a scraper and a book of recipes and gets rave reviews from users and experts alike. The Solido Rectangular claims to be safe up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, far hotter than any over can get, and the Outset Grill Tiles are both simple and modular, good for far more than just baking round pies.
Then there's The Original Baking Steel. As the name suggest, it's made from a metal alloy, and it's available in 1/4-inch, 3/8-inch, and 1/2-inch thicknesses. Because of its material, it transfers considerably more heat than most others, so while it's both costly and heavy, it will do a better job of simulating an authentic pizza oven than almost any synthetic stone or cast-iron metal.
And while you're at it, make sure to pick up a quality pizza peel as well as something to cut the pizza with. You can go for a traditional pizza cutter, but we generally prefer a tool like the one used by actual pizzerias, a rocker knife.
Why Use A Pizza Stone
These two properties are relative to each other, meaning that if you have more of one, you can have less of another.
Properly cooking a pizza requires two things; high heat and fast heat transfer. These two properties are relative to each other, meaning that if you have more of one, you can have less of another. You will rarely see a pizza stone being used in a commercial pizza restaurant. This is because they have ovens that can reach well over 600 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas the standard home oven tops out somewhere between 450 and 500 degrees. To make up for the lower temperature, those cooking pizzas in a home oven need to use a pizza stone, which increases the heat transfer rate.
To understand why pizza dough needs either fast heat transfer or high cooking temperatures, one must understand the processes happening inside of the dough. During kneading, the flour inside the dough begins to absorb water and become hydrated. This starts an enzymatic process and makes the proteins glutenin and gliadin inside the dough mesh together. As they mesh together, they form gluten. Gluten is the mixture of proteins responsible for bread's ability to stretch and trap the gas bubbles formed as the yeast ferments. The fermentation of the sugars and starches within the dough and yeast leaves CO2 and alcohol as a byproduct.
Once the dough is put into the oven, heat transfers into it, causing the gases to expand and escape. The expanding gases cause the dough to rise, creating the puffiness found in good pizza dough. If the heat is not transferred quickly enough, the gases won't expand rapidly enough before the crust hardens and the result will be limp, non-rising dough.
Pizza stones are designed for fast heat transfer. If a pizza stone is thoroughly heated before placing the dough on it, heat will transfer quickly into the dough, causing the gases to expand and create a nice puffy dough, even if the oven is only set at 400 degrees.
Understanding Pizza Stone Materials
Pizza stones generally come in one of four different types of material, each with their own distinct benefits. Traditionally, pizza stones were made from clay or stone. These types of pizza stones are good because they have a high thermal mass, which results in them maintaining their temperature longer, while allowing them to transfer their heat to the dough more quickly. They also absorb moisture from the dough as it cooks, creating a crispier crust in less time. There are three main drawbacks to clay and stone pizza stones. They are often very heavy, making them unwieldy for some. They also take a long time to fully preheat, sometimes 30 minutes or more depending on the thickness of the stone, and they can crack if not properly cared for.
They also need to be seasoned to prevent the dough from sticking.
Cast iron pizza stones heat up much quicker than clay or stone, and are also much easier to clean. They also have a high thermal mass, so cooking crispy pizza shouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately, they can be even heavier than clay or stone options, which can be especially problematic if one wants to cook a pizza that is larger than 12 inches. Unlike clay and stone models, there is no chance of a cast iron pizza stone cracking, but it can warp if not properly handled. They also need to be seasoned to prevent the dough from sticking.
Some newer pizza stone models are made from stainless steel. Steel varieties can actually transfer heat even quicker than clay and stone models, but will not absorb water when the pizza is cooking. They also have less thermal mass, which causes them to lose heat very quickly when taken out of the oven. This means one must place the dough on it and get it back in the oven quickly if they want their stone to stay hot. Steel models heat up quicker, are easy to clean, and can cook a pizza more evenly at lower temperatures than clay, stone, or cast-iron options.
Origin Of The Margherita Pizza
Perhaps no other pizza represents a traditional Italian pizza quite so much as the Neapolitan Margherita. A true Margherita pizza should have a minimally-altered sauce consisting of crushed San Marzano-style tomatoes, which can be fresh or canned, and be topped with a good quality mozzarella di bufala and a few sprigs of fresh basil. A splash of olive oil and pinch of salt is also acceptable.
Perhaps no other pizza represents a traditional Italian pizza quite so much as the Neapolitan Margherita.
Common folklore states that the first Margherita pizza was cooked in 1889 in Naples, Italy for Queen Margherita of Savoy. To honor her visit and the unification of Italy, which took place 28 years earlier, chef Raffaele Esposito, who worked at Pizzeria Brandi, created the pizza to resemble the Italian flag, which contains the colors, red, green, and white; the tomatoes, the basil, and fresh mozzarella. He also cooked three other styles of pizza for her, but she was so fond of the one resembling the Italian flag that chef Esposito decided to name it the Margherita pizza.
While this story is compelling, it is not accurate. There are records of similar pizzas being made in 1866. In Francesco DeBouchard's book “Customs and Traditions of Naples”, he mentions popular pizza of the mid-1800's, which consisted of tomatoes, cheese, basil, and fresh mozzarella. Despite chef Esposito's pizza not being the true first Margherita, he is most certainly responsible for the name and making it one of the most popular and enduring pizza recipes.