By Deirdre Mundorf | Updated Jan 4, 2021 5:38 PM

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Pizza stones are specialty cookware items that let you make pizzeria-style pizzas right in your kitchen. These flat pans evenly distribute heat and pull moisture from foods to deliver crispy crusts and consistent results. While making pizza may be their primary function, these versatile stones can be used for other baking purposes, including bread, calzones, even cookies.

There are numerous pizza stones available, in different shapes, sizes, and materials, which can make choosing the ideal model for your needs a challenge. Use this guide to learn what features to look for when shopping and why the following are among the best pizza stones on the market. You may never call for delivery again!

Pizza stones can be made from a variety of materials including stone, clay, ceramic, and steel. Each of these materials delivers different results and may be better suited for different cooking appliances or recipe types. Before starting your search for the best pizza stone, take a few moments to learn about the pros and cons of each material to decide which will best fit your needs.

Stone and clay pans have been in use since the firepits of the Stone Age, and before the discovery of yeast for leavened bread, they were used for flatbreads. Today’s stones are most often used for pizzas, though they’re still employed for breads and other baked goods as well.

Stone and clay pizza pans are porous, which allows them to draw moisture out of foods to create delectably crispy crusts on pizzas and breads. Unfortunately, these materials are more likely to fracture than cordierite or steel and will need to be preheated for 30 minutes or longer before use.

Ceramic delivers even heat distribution to ensure consistent cooking. Ceramic pizza stones are also porous and will absorb moisture, like stone and clay options. While some ceramic pizza stones are likely to crack fairly easily, those made of cordierite (a ceramic compound) are highly durable. Cordierite is extremely heat resistant (withstanding up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in some cases), so it is far less likely than other materials to crack from thermal shock, which is caused by moving from one temperature extreme to another. Like stone and clay models, ceramic pizza stones will need to be preheated before use.

If you’ve ever visited a pizzeria, you may have seen pies emerge from the oven on flat, round steel pans—and for good reason. Steel is an excellent heat conductor, which allows it to transfer heat to pizzas and other items. This eliminates the need to preheat the stone, so you’ll be able to get your pizza in the oven right away. However, since steel isn’t porous, it cannot absorb moisture, which may result in less crispy crusts. It’s also easier to accidentally burn the crust when using a steel pizza pan, as opposed to stone, clay, or ceramic.

As different shapes, sizes, materials, and other features all impact performance, there are several features to keep in mind when shopping for a pizza stone. The cooking appliance you plan to use and the level of maintenance you’re willing to put in are important, too.

Different pizza stones are better suited to particular appliances. Some stones can only be used in a traditional oven, while others can safely go under the broiler, in a toaster oven, or on a gas or charcoal grill. For example, cordierite is so heat resistant, it makes a better choice for use on a grill.

Pizza stone materials, as you now know, have their pluses and minuses. Clay is great for crispy crusts but may be more prone to breaking. Ceramic ensures even heat distribution but is on the fragile side.

Steel and cordierite are the most durable options. You needn’t worry about thermal shock, the stress caused by moving from one temperature extreme to another, when using either of these materials. Cordierite can withstand extreme temperatures and is less likely to burn a loaf of bread than some other materials. Steel is a good choice if you want the flexibility to cook your pizza without taking the time to preheat the stone. Steel does a better job at conducting heat than clay, stone, ceramic, or cordierite, so it is not necessary to preheat it.

Pizza stones come in a variety of shapes including rectangles, squares, and circles. The recipes you plan to cook may impact which shape is best for you. For example, rectangular stones are best suited to square-cornered, Sicilian-style pizza as well as longer loaves of bread or a batch of cookies. In addition to traditional round pizza, round stones are also suited to wreaths and round loaves, like peasant bread.

Pizza stones are also available in different sizes ranging from 8-inch to 10-inch smaller stones for personal pizzas to larger 16-inch to 18-inch stones to make pizzas big enough to share with the whole family. Think about the types and quantities of foods that you plan on baking and select a product to meet your needs.

The weight of a pizza stone may affect both results and ease of use. Clay, ceramic, and cordierite stones are relatively heavy, weighing between 6 and 10 pounds, and will be even heavier with food on them. This could impact your ability to easily get the stone in and out of the oven. However, a heavier stone retains heat well and will keep foods sitting on them warm longer. Steel stones are significantly lighter than their clay and ceramic counterparts and will be much easier to lift and carry.

Removing a flat stone out of the oven or off of a hot grill can present a burn risk. The solution is a stone with a pair of handles to ease removal from a hot oven or grill without as much injury risk. Regardless of whether you choose a stone with handles or one without, make sure you have a good pair of oven mitts or BBQ gloves to protect your hands and arms.

Evaluate how easy it will be to clean each pizza stone you are considering. Clay and cordierite are very porous materials that shouldn’t be cleaned using soap; instead, hot water and a plastic scraper are what most manufacturers recommend.

Before cleaning your clay, ceramic, or cordierite pizza stone, allow it to cool completely. Then, remove crumbs and any food using the plastic scraper. Wash the stone under a stream of hot water and, again using the plastic scraper, scrub off any stuck-on food. If needed, a paste of baking soda and water can remove tough stains. After cleaning, place the stone in the oven to allow it to dry completely, and then store it somewhere clean and dry. With regular use, stones become seasoned, and the surface will be more nonstick and easier to clean.

Some steel pizza pans may have a nonstick coating for quick and easy cleanups. Many are even dishwasher-safe, but be sure to check the specific care and cleaning instructions for the product you choose.

The pizza stones here were selected after conducting extensive research prioritizing the criteria detailed above. All are made of high-quality materials, for delivering consistent results, and represent a variety of categories to help you choose the best pizza stone for your cooking style, appliance, and budget.

ROCKSHEAT’s rectangular baking and grilling stone is made from food-grade cordierite that’s heat-safe up to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit, providing thermal stability to reduce the chance of cracking or breaking. Even heat distribution makes for consistently cooked, crispy pizzas and baked goods that will taste as if they were cooked in a brick oven. The material is free of lead and other questionable substances and will not transfer odors to food.

The rectangular stone is 16 inches long, 14 inches wide, and a mere 0.67 inches thick—a plus that minimizes preheating time. Though the stone weighs just over 9 pounds, innovative built-in handles allow for safe and easy transport to and from the oven and grill. Unlike some pizza stones, this model doesn’t require pre-seasoning before use, and cleanup is a snap, using just plain hot water.

This affordable round pizza stone from Haweko has a 10.23-inch diameter that’s just right for personal pizzas, breads, calzones, and more. Made from cordierite, the versatile stone is heat-safe up to 1,472 degrees Fahrenheit, so it’s suitable for the grill as well as the oven—and it’s the right size for a toaster oven too. It offers exceptional resistance against thermal shock and retains heat well so foods stay warm.

This stone is lightweight and easy to lift in and out of the oven, at just 2.6 pounds and 0.23 inches thick. Preheat the stone in a 500 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 30 minutes before use. Pro pizza tip: sprinkle a little cornmeal or flour onto the stone to make the surface nonstick before adding the pizza or other items. Once cool, the stone can be cleaned with warm water and the included scraper.

This Unicook cordierite ceramic pizza stone delivers superior heat distribution and pulls moisture from dough to thwart sogginess, helping you achieve the delightfully crisp crust pizza lovers crave. Heat resistance up to 1,450 degrees Fahrenheit makes it well suited to your backyard grill or oven and helps prevent cracking due to thermal shock

The rectangular stone is 14.9 inches long, 11.8 inches wide, 0.6 inches thick, and weighs 6.5 pounds. The more you use the stone, the more seasoned and nonstick the surface will become for easier food removal and cleaning. A handy, plastic scraper for cleaning and cutting dough is included.

This Pizza Grill Stone Tile Set from Outset includes four 7.5-inch square pizza stones. That size, ideal for personal pizzas, suits most toaster ovens, though the cordierite stones, heat-safe to 1,450 degrees Fahrenheit, can also be used in your full-size oven and on the grill. The stones are resistant to thermal shock and won’t easily crack with extreme temperature changes.

Cordierite is an extremely durable and long-lasting material, so you should be able to enjoy these tiles for years to come, cooking pizza, baking bread, and treating yourself to other goodies. Plus, using the stones when reheating leftovers in your toaster oven will yield the kind of crispy results you can’t get from a microwave. Each stone tile weighs about 1.5 pounds and is 0.4 inches thick. When finished cooking, allow the tiles to cool completely, and then clean using only hot water and a cleaning brush.

SOLIDO’s pizza stone boasts a unique heat spiral that helps it heat up quickly and retain heat in its center. This feature helps ensure breads, pizzas, and other baked goods cook evenly throughout. Since the cordierite stone is capable of withstanding temperatures up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, you can safely use it in the oven, on the grill, and even under the broiler.

This 16-inch by 14-inch rectangular stone is 0.75 inches tall with feet on the base to keep it balanced in the oven and on your countertops. Weighing 13 pounds, its balanced design also makes it a breeze to get in and out of the oven. Hot water only (no soap) should be used when cleaning this stone; simply allow it to cool, and then use a cleaning brush or scraper and hot water to remove residue.

Love This Kitchen invented Core Convection Technology to make its 16-inch round cordierite pizza stone concentrate heat in the center and evenly distribute it throughout for crispy, evenly cooked foods. This strong, durable, and high-performing pizza stone is virtually invulnerable to fracture due to thermal shock after extreme temperature change. The stone can withstand temperatures as high as 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a good choice to use for grilled pizzas as well as those baked in the oven.

This stone is 0.83 inches thick, thicker than many models, which allows it to retain more heat to keep foods warm longer. However, it is fairly hefty at 8.8 pounds. The patent-pending No-Spill Stopper on one side of the stone helps prevent foods from sliding off during transport to and from the oven or grill. Use hot water and a scraper to hand-wash the stone after it has completely cooled.

The Honey-Can-Do Pizza stone, crafted from a mix of natural, lead-free clays, is very durable and resists cracking. It boasts a unique Heat Core to ensure even heat distribution over the entire stone, consistently delivering pizza that is as crispy in the middle as it is along the perimeter.

This rectangular stone measures 16.5 inches long, 14.5 inches wide, and 0.75 inches thick. It’s a hefty 10 pounds, but raised ridges across the bottom help you get it out of the oven more easily. To clean, hand-wash using only hot water (no soap).

If you’d like more information about buying and using a pizza stone, see the answers to the commonly asked questions below. And always feel free to reach out to the manufacturer of a stone you’re considering for even more info.

Start by looking for one that is the right size, shape, and weight to meet your needs and fit the cooking appliance you hope to use to make pizza. Also consider whether you prefer clay, cordierite, or steel stone.

Yes, many pizza stones can be used in toaster ovens and countertop ovens. Always confirm the use and care instructions for the specific pizza stone you purchase.

Clay and cordierite pizza stones generally require preheating for up to 30 minutes. Steel pizza stones do not need to be preheated.

Parchment paper, generally, should not be used at temperatures much above 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are baking something at a temperature higher than this, do not put parchment paper on your stone.

The porous surface of stone, clay, and cordierite pizza stones should not be oiled. The oil may smoke or burn on the stone. While some may believe using oil will help to season a stone and help it develop a nonstick surface more quickly, it’s best to allow the pizza stone to get naturally seasoned over time.

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