How to Choose Between Pizza Stone and Pizza Steel
Making homemade bread and pizza can be greatly improved by using a pizza stone . I’ve been using this for years and it’s the best way to get a nicely browned bottom crust. I thought I had it all figured out until the pizza steel arrived. If you’re serious about making (and reheating) pizza at home, one of these tools needs to be in your oven.
What is a baking (or pizza) stone?
A pizza stone is a slab or circle made of ceramic or cordierite (a type of heat-resistant ceramic). They are typically between half an inch and three-quarters of an inch thick and can range in size from nine to 20 inches across.
Compared to pizza steel, ceramic stones are relatively lightweight, making them easy to move and store when not in use. They can get dirty (especially if you’ve ruined a few pizzas like me), but cleaning them requires a little more than just scraping off bits of food that have been burnt to a crisp. I use a metal scraper to remove large chunks and then simply wipe off the smaller particles with a damp rag.
Unfortunately, they are prone to cracking or breaking. The material is very fragile, so if you drop the stone or hit it with something hard, it may crack. Ceramic material is also porous, which means moisture can be absorbed (which is why I recommend dry cleaning or a damp towel only after you’re done using it). If there is moisture inside the stone, it may crack when placed in a 475°F oven as the liquid evaporates quickly.
Pros:
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Easy
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Thermal shock resistance
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Easy to store
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Easy to clean
Cons:
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Susceptible to cracking or breaking
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Porous and can absorb moisture
What is pizza steel?
Pizza steels aren’t as popular, but you may have seen one before. They look like a sexier version of a pizza stone; they have the same shape, rectangular or round, but from there they start to diverge. The pizza steel is made of carbon steel. It conducts heat better and, because it is denser, retains heat better. This means that pizza steel can be effective even if it is relatively thin. Their thickness can vary from 3/16 of an inch to half an inch. But don’t let the subtlety fool you—they’re damn heavy. Like a cast iron skillet or a heavy Dutch oven, this trade-off may be worth it, but it certainly makes it more difficult to lift, carry, or place in a low cabinet for storage when not in use.
Unlike the fussy pizza stone, pizza steel is durable and relatively indestructible. Water does not stay inside, since it is not porous and does not care about temperature changes. Your pizza steel can last a lifetime if cared for properly. That is, unless it gets rusty.
That’s right: If you don’t make sure your pizza steel is completely dry before storing it, or if you store it with other wet items, you could be left with a rusty mess the next time you pull it out of the cabinet. Even though it sucks, it’s not the end. You can scrub off the rust with something abrasive like steel wool, but you’ll have to re-oil it. Here are some more tips on how to remove rust from pizza steel.
Otherwise, you can clean your pizza steel by scraping up any browned bits with a sturdy spatula and rinsing off any grease with warm, soapy water—just be sure to dry it completely. I usually wipe up the excess water with a paper towel (don’t rub or bits of paper may stick) and throw it back in the warm oven to quickly evaporate any residual moisture. I’m a fan of the original Baking Steel .
Pros:
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Lasting
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Thermal shock resistance
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Easy to clean
Cons:
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Heavy
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Prone to rust
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Large sizes can be expensive
If you have a small kitchen, only cook pizza or bread occasionally, or have limited mobility and strength in handling heavy and bulky items, then you may want to choose a small pizza stone. If you can lift something heavy and know that baking pizza, bread, or burgers is something you’ll do on a weekly basis, then a pizza steel may be the best option for you.