After the stone is completely cooled you can remove it and wipe it clean off any baked down bits.
How to Choose the Best Pizza Stone
Size
The perfect size will depend on two things:
- The size of the pizzas that you prefer to make;
- The size of your pizza stone for the oven. If you have a small oven, look for the size that you will be able to fit comfortably inside. You must leave one inch of space on all the sides for the circulation of air.
Did you know: the largest pizza stone available on the market today is a gargantuan 16 by 14 inches!
Shape
Pizza stones come in three shapes
- Square
- Round and
- Rectangular
A rectangular stone is ideal if you are planning to bake bread, calzones, rolls or pastries apart from pizzas because then you have the maximum surface area to work on standard and non-standard shapes. It can become your bread stone too.
If you are planning only pizzas then a square and a round stone would do the trick.
Thickness
You could bring home a pizza stone that is anywhere between half an inch to one inch. If you like your baked goodies evenly cooked also with a nicely browned crispy crust, then go for one that is three-fourth of an inch or one inch in thickness.
The thicker the oven stone, the better the heat absorption and distribution will be. And that also means that the transfer of heat into the food will be optimum and it will be evenly baked.
Surface Texture
Pizza baked on coarser surfaces turn out to be browner, crispier and puffier than those made on smooth, glazed pizza stones. This can be explained by the fact that when the pizza dough is wet it will stick really well on the smoother surfaces. On the contrary, the coarser texture will not allow it to stick. Most of the best pizza stone 2023 is coarse in texture.
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Durability
In terms of durability, a cast iron baking stone or steel one has added advantages.
- Heats up rapidly
- Absorbs and emanates heat evenly
- No thermal shock
- No warping if taken out hot
- Unbreakable
Just in: Check out our top five recommendations for the best springform pan this season.
Price
If you are looking for the best pizza/ bread stone for your home use then go for the medium-ranged one. You can get yourself a quality pizza stone anywhere between $25 and $ 125. However, if you are a professional baker, you may want to go in for pricier ones that will stand you in good stead.
Best Pizza Stone Types
Cordierite pizza stone
Cordierite is the most common of all pizza stones. They can handle an intensely high amount of heat and are do not break easily with sudden changes in the temperatures. They have a porous surface that can absorb moisture from the dough and turn out heavenly looking, golden brown, crispy, melt-in-the-mouth pizza!
Ceramic pizza stone
Ceramic is after all clay that is hardened in the kiln. They are equally good at absorbing and conducting heat at very high temperatures. They may be fragile than cordierite but with due care and prudence, they can last you long enough to get value for your spent money.
Stone/Clay
Stone and clay are the best pizza stone for a grill and the oven because they are porous and they have the ability to absorb all the moisture from the food. They may take a little longer to preheat.
Steel
Steel can absorb a great amount of heat and is also capable of disbursing all of it making crispy crusts that you will vanish in no time! An added advantage is that you do not have to worry about them breaking or suffering thermal shock!
Pizza stone maintenance
Do’s:
- Use a stone brush and lukewarm water to clean your stone only after it has completely cooled down in your oven/gas grill; use only a damp cloth to thoroughly wipe off all the baked up or burnt bits on it.
- Air-dry the stone
- Store it in the oven itself or any other place with least traffic
Don’ts:
- Soak your pizza stone in water or submerge it in shallow dishes
- Use any kind of dish soap or cleaning agents on it
- Bake it in the charcoal grill or your oven
- Use steel wool or other abrasives
- Season it
You can also read our most popular post on the oven cleaner.
Verdict and Our Recommendation for 2023
Our top pick for the best pizza stone will be CastElegance. Made with Thermarite that is engineered to withstand superheat up to 2000F, the stone has better durability, strength and is not prone to any thermal shocks. It is certified safe by almost all the noteworthy quality certification institutes like the US FDA, European Union, German Food Code, and RoHS. All the organic matter on it vaporizes leaving the professional-grade stone odorless and as good as new.
The stone comes extremely well packaged and flies off the shelf in a heartbeat only!
Ladies and gentlemen, that was the best pizza stone 2023. Write in to us at mykitchenadvisor if you’d like to share your experience with your best pizza stone. Wonderful goody bags are waiting to be given away!