If you’re looking to take home-cooked delicious pizza to the next level, you should consider a pizza stone. They’re not just for pizza professionals! I use one in my domestic oven at home, so I’ve chosen ones that are suitable for home ovens indoors, or on your barbecue as well.
All the pizza stones listed here are suitable for ovens – though of course, oven size varies, so check the dimensions against the ones I’ve given. They should all fit in ‘normal’ sized oven shelves, or on a decent sized BBQ. You can also read why you should use a pizza stone in the first place, covered later in this article.
Covered in this Article:
Hans Grill Pizza Stone
Best All-Rounder
Dimensions: 38 x 30cm
This is the pizza stone I use. It’s both big enough to fit two medium pizzas and small enough to fit in the average oven. Its elegant packaging makes it a great gift for a loved one and it even comes with a handy wooden pizza peel, so you’ll be able to grab your freshly baked pizza from the oven without risking your fingertips.
Although the instructions it comes with are in German, this kit is pretty self-explanatory, and English instructions are available online. It’s made of cordierite, a mineral that’s pretty much indestructible and extremely absorbent – with this in mind, be careful when washing it.
It might boast that it’s dishwasher safe, but if it gets soaked, it’ll take a while to dry (and I mean a long while. A week or so at least) so it’s best to just give it a wipe down. Aside from this, it’s thin enough that you won’t pull a muscle trying to lift it, but thick enough to retain heat and cook your pizzas to perfection.
Pros:
- Comes with wooden pizza peel
- Holds heat well if you’re looking to cook multiple pizzas
- Thick and durable
- Dishwasher safe
- Secure and attractive packaging
Cons:
- Instructions are in German
- Not non-stick – give all surfaces a dusting of flour or semolina to prevent stuck dough.
Rocksheat Pizza Stone
Best Budget / Cheaper Option
Dimensions: 30 x 38cm
The Rocksheat pizza stone doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles of the previous pizza stones, but if you’re looking for something plain and simple that is still great value, it does the job.
It doesn’t include a pizza peel or a serving rack, but this is the only major difference between it and its competitors – that and the fact that it’s got notches cut into the edges of the stone that act as little handles. These are a nice touch and make it quite a bit easier to get in and out of the oven.
Pros:
- Built-in handles for easy lifting
- Lowest price
- Light
Cons:
- Doesn’t come with a pizza peel
Blumtal Pizza Stone
Dimensions: 38 x 30cm
This pizza stone is roughly the same size as the previous one – it’ll fit in any standard oven and it’s grill-safe, too. It comes with a metal pizza peel which is a little flimsier than its wooden counterparts, but nonetheless does the job.
The handle is extra-long so you can easily manoeuvre the pizza, and the thin metal edge means you won’t damage your fluffy pizza crust in the process.
Pros:
- Long-handled peel
- Can fit two pizzas side by side
- Instructions are in English
Cons:
- Coloured coating fades easily
- Takes a while to get to temperature
BKC Pizza Stone
Dimensions: 38 x 30.5cm
You get lots for your money with the BKC pizza stone – it’s the same size as the previous two, and comes not only with the standard wooden pizza peel but with a metal serving rack so you can display your creations with finesse.
The rack is stainless steel and shaped into handles around the edges of the stone for ease of transportation. The pack also includes a cute little pizza recipe book so you can experiment with making your own sauces and dough.
Pros:
- Comes with metal serving rack
- Recipe book included
Cons:
- Recipe book measures in US cups, but easily converted
- Heaviest of all the stones, if this is an issue for you lifting it
Weber Pizza Stone
Best for serious home cooks!
Dimensions: 35.6 x 35.6cm
This Weber pizza stone is for the chef in you – it’s round, light, comes with a neat metal carry rack and an attractive 2-year warranty.
The rack is removable, so the stone isn’t awkward to store, and also works as a handy barrier so your pizza won’t fly off the back of the stone when you try to take it out the oven.
The circular shape means it’ll heat evenly and will fit nicely on a barbeque so you can produce professional-quality pizzas at every occasion.
Pros:
- Comes with steel carry rack
- Round shape means it heats evenly
- Produces professional-quality pizza
- Lightest of all the stones
- Great shape and size for barbeques
Cons:
- Doesn’t come with a pizza peel
Why Use a Pizza Stone?
Pizza stones give you an instant improvement in the quality of your pizza, whether you’ve perfected your own homemade pizza dough or just want to add some pizzazz to a shop bought-pizza.
Pizza stones work by absorbing heat and distributing it evenly across the pizza. The porous surface of the stone draws moisture out of the dough as it cooks and leaves you with that crispy, restaurant-style pizza base.
Because the stone is pre-heated, the pizza gets a burst of heat when you put it in the hot oven, and that’s what makes those fluffy, authentic pizza dough bubbles you might see in pizzerias.
Pizza stones have many alternative uses. The heat-burst effect they produce is great for baking the perfect naan bread, too, and you can also use the stone to bake cookies, cakes, and bread. Most can even be used on the barbeque, and if they’re well looked-after, they can last you years.
As cooking utensils go, pizza stones are some of the most reliable pieces of kit you can buy. While they stain easily, this won’t affect how they work and a quick wipe down after use is all the cleaning they need. They’ll last years if properly cared for, and the change in the quality of your pizzas will be instant.
They’re also incredibly versatile – even if you’re not a pizza fan, a pizza stone is great for making everything from tortillas to tarts. If you’d like to expand your barbeque skills, pizza stones can go directly on the grill (or if you have a pizza oven, straight onto the shelf) and once heated can cook a whole pizza in around 5 minutes.
Ceramic Vs. Cordierite Pizza Stones
All the stones on this list are made from cordierite, a mineral that is heat-proof and resistant to thermal shock. Ceramic pizza stones, whilst often the more cost-effective option, will break quickly if you’re not careful when heating it – whereas cordierite can be taken from a low temperature to a very high temperature without cracking.
Cordierite is slightly more difficult to clean due to the porous nature of the stone – if stains bother you, you might want to invest in a pizza stone brush (see below), but other than that, you shouldn’t need to do too much scrubbing.
You won’t need any soap, either, as the stone might absorb the smell and give you soap-scented pizzas. There’s a chance that during the first few bakes, the stone will give out a slight chemical odour, but this will fade quickly with use.
Even better, the stone will begin to absorb the seasoning you use and create a non-stick surface over time. All in all, cordierite is the way to go, as it’s light, durable and will yield great pizzas for years to come.
The Best Pizza Stone Brush
Your pizza stone is bound to get a bit messy, what with all that flour and melted cheese, and if you find yourself fruitlessly scrubbing, a pizza stone brush such as the Tepro Cleaning Brush might be the way to go. I use it every now and again to keep the stone performing well.
The Tepro has got bristles made of coconut fibres to help you keep your pizza stone and oven looking sparkly clean without scratching the metal like steel wool might. There’s also a scraper on the end for those hard to shift burnt bits so your pizza stone stays as pristine as the first time you used it.
If you’d like to learn more about how to care for your pizza stone, here’s a great article detailing the dos and don’ts of pizza stone cleaning.