The success of preparing a pizza requires the use of efficient cooking equipment. For example, if you want to enjoy the authentic taste of pizza, then you need a wood fired pizza oven, but this could be an expensive venture. A delicious pizza can also be prepared on a pizza stone, and it won’t cost you much. However, not all models available in the market can meet the particular needs of each user. That is why you can make a good investment when purchasing this product if you educate yourself about its features first before you take your money out. To help you with the buying process, you can go through consumer reports best pizza stone reviews followed by buying guide that covers all the features you should consider when buying a pizza stone along with questions you might have regarding the product.
Reviews Of The 5 Best Pizza Stones
1. Hans Grill Baking Pizza Stone
What makes this pizza stone so efficient is the months of testing it goes through before being rolled out into the market. If you have been using an aluminum-made pizza peel, then you will find a significant change in the quality of pizza when it is made on this pizza stone. Having a width of 14.9 inches and a height of 11.8 inches, this pizza stone will fit in most ovens and barbecues. Gone are the days of soggy pizza bottoms, this pizza stone will get you crispy, crusty pizza by absorbing the moisture from the dough.
The pizza will be cooked evenly to bring amazing results. You can use this pizza stone literally anywhere, as it is meant to work with gas or coal, thus allowing you to fit in most ovens and barbecues. The pizza stone has the perfect thickness, which is around 1.5cm that offers perfect balance. Moreover, a pizza stone having that thickness heats up quickly to let you prepare pizza without any unnecessary delay. The product comes with a money-back guarantee, so if you don’t like the product, you can write an email to the company to return the product and get a refund.
2. Unicook Pizza Stone For Grill Oven
Take a look at this pizza stone from Unicook, which is made of natural Cordierite and sintered in 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit for hours. The company has used top-class material for making this pizza stone, which helps retain maximum heat and provide excellent thermal shock resistance. The pizza stone can withstand heat up to 1,450 degrees Fahrenheit or 787 degrees Celsius. The pizza stone features invisible micro-pores that draw out moisture from dough to make a crispy, crusty pizza, which isn’t soggy at all.
The heat is evenly distributed over the pizza stone to leave no cold spots. This is a round pizza stone, which has a diameter of 16 inches and a weight of 7.5lbs. Not just pizza, but you can bake bread and cookies in this pizza stone. You will get a multi-purpose plastic scraper in the package, which you can use as a dough cutter or scrape off the residue that is stuck on the stone but make sure to use it on the cold stone. For cleaning, don’t use soap or detergent and never apply oil or grease on the stone.
3. CastElegance Theramite Durable Pizza Stone For Crispy Crust
If you want to make restaurant-like pizza at home, then you should buy a CastElegance Theramite Pizza Stone, which is 5/8th inch thick. The pizza stone is made of thermarite, which is a durable material that has an excellent ability to absorb thermal shock. The pizza stone is made of food-grade material and doesn’t have any odor. The pizza stone retains heat a lot efficiently compared to other pizza stones and you can use it in ovens and grills as well. Cleaning the pizza stone is easy and so is storage. With a 14-inch wide surface, you can prepare large pizzas on this pizza stone.
4. Kamado Joe KJ-DJ DōJoe Classic
This is one of the most durable pizza stones available on the market, which is made of premium quality aluminum to transform Kamado Joe into a pizza oven. The unique wedge shape of the pizza stone allows it to maintain steady temperatures for hours effortlessly. The temperature range of this pizza stone starts from 400 degrees Fahrenheit to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. The inclusion of deflectors along with ceramic on the pizza stone ensures even distribution of heat along with absorbing moisture to get a hot, crispy pizza.
5. Weber 8836 Gourmet BBQ System Pizza Stone With Carry Rack
Weber also manufactures pizza stones, and this model is one of the best that you can find on the market. If you like eating gourmet pizzas, then you should buy Weber 8836 Gourmet Pizza Stone, which comes with a carry rack. The cordierite stone used in the pizza stone absorbs moisture efficiently to give you light and crispy pizza that has a very thin crust. As the pizza is fully baked, you can easily move it to the dining table using the carry rack. You can easily fit the pizza stone into the charcoal BBQ system cooking grate to ensure that it stays in place as you grill your favorite meals.
How Do You Choose A Good Pizza Stone?
To cook the pizza homogeneously, if you do not use a dedicated oven, then make sure you have a special stone. Available in several types on the market, this equipment should be chosen according to its design, size, and accessories when purchasing one.
Design
Before you even get the idea of wondering where to buy a new pizza stone, you should consider the tips for choosing this item according to its design. The importance of this characteristic is explained by its ability to influence the use that can be made of this product and the result of each cooking.
This equipment can only be used for cooking pizza. However, there are also refractory models which can withstand a very high temperature and which allow the bread to be prepared. Make sure you have a product capable of making the recipe that's right for you so that you don't invest in purchasing two of these items if you want to vary your baking between pizza and homemade bread.
Then, for the dough to be cooked homogeneously, the cooking equipment must be able to store the heat and then diffuse it. Only in this way is it possible to have pizza with a unique taste, crispy and a juicy filling. In the past, only a stone oven could meet these requirements. Currently, a pizza stone can also play this role if it has a porous surface and if it can retain heat.
Size
The models available on a price comparison can take various sizes. We feel it is important to discuss this feature in this buying guide for the best pizza stones as the option for the wrong size can lead to the inability to use this equipment properly.
For a model that should be used at an electric or gas oven, make sure that its size allows it to be inserted into this device without hindrance. It is only after that you can consider the adaptability of this dimension to that of the dough you wish to put on the stone to simultaneously feed all of your family members. As for the thickness of this product, the thicker it is, the more heat it stores.
Accessories
If a pizza stone is coming with a few accessories, then that’s great. To understand how to buy a better value pizza stone, you should consider whether or not these items are present and what equipment you need to cook in good condition.
Many pizza stones come with accessories that make it easier to prepare pizzas and more dishes. However, it is the pizza peel that you must insist on having with the model for which you are orienting yourself. Baking and removing the dough, whether pizza or bread, is more convenient to do using this tool to avoid burning your hand. It is often made of wood.
Frequently asked Questions
Q1: Why choose a pizza stone?
Taking the appearance of a rectangular or round slab, this unit allows you to cook your pizza smoothly and evenly. It uses the heat of the oven to absorb the moisture present in the dough to make the pizza crispy and crusty. Thus, a high temperature gives you the possibility of baking several pizzas successively without having to turn on the oven each time. Likewise, you can also switch to barbecue cooking using a pizza stone.
Q2: How to use a pizza stone?
It is important to understand the different steps to follow to be able to use the pizza stone correctly. To start, you need to place it on the rack inside your oven. The latter will obviously have to be cold. Once this is done, you will have to turn on the oven for about 45 minutes. Once the time has elapsed, all you have to do is turn off the oven and place your pizza dough on the stone.
Q3: How to bake pizza on stone?
After you have heated the pizza stone in your oven, it's time to put yourself in the oven. First, you need to place your previously prepared pizza dough on the stone. During this step, we strongly recommend that you separate the stone and the pizza with a thin layer of flour. In this way, there is no risk of them sticking together at the end of cooking. Once these preparations are done, you just have to wait 5-7 minutes and you will get a fresh homemade pizza.
Q4: How to clean the stone of a pizza oven?
You will need to get rid of the food that remains encrusted on the stone by stone using a metal or wooden spatula. The next step is to rinse your device with water while avoiding soaking it in it. Likewise, never turn to corrosive products or dishwashing liquids to clean the stone, as it may absorb them. Also, note that some stains cannot be removed permanently from the stone and remain engraved on its end.
Q5: How to properly maintain a pizza stone?
Even if these kinds of appliances used in the kitchen are very resistant, you are without knowing that they are also fragile. When you install it inside your oven, make sure the machine is cool. In fact, the thermal shock of the oven risks cracking a cold pizza stone in a matter of seconds. In the same spirit, you should at all costs avoid placing pizza dough straight out of the freezer on a hot pizza stone.
Wrap Up
To enjoy a delicious pizza, you don’t have to rely on your favorite pizza joints who charge too much money for pizzas with your favorite toppings. You can prepare pizzas in the comfort of your own house, courtesy of a pizza stone. This product can fit in an oven or grill to let you prepare more dishes to perfection. So, buy a pizza stone only after reading consumer reports pizza stone because those reports include the top 5 pizza stones available on the market right now.