The blazing-hot oven of a real pizzeria can produce pizza with a flavorful, crisp, deeply browned crust and melty, bubbling cheese all in a matter of minutes. At home, though, pizza rarely reaches those heights. We’ve learned that heating a good baking stone or steel in a 500-degree oven for an hour turns out pizzas that come closest to restaurant quality. But which stone or steel performs best?
We tested seven models, all rectangular or square, which we prefer to round models for their roomier surfaces. Their thicknesses ranged from ¼ inch to more than 1 inch. Some were simple slabs; others had built-in handles or feet. One was a set of four tiles meant to be positioned side by side. Weights ranged from less than 6 pounds to a whopping 16 pounds.
