When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Loading and retrieving homemade pizzas is made infinitely easier by a quality pizza peel.
Andrew Janjigian/InsiderWhether you have one of the best pizza ovens or you just bought a pizza stone or steel, the best pizza peels are essential tools for making great homemade pizza. Also known as “baking peels,” these paddle-like devices are indispensable for moving pizzas from the counter to the oven and back again with ease. Based on our experiences as professional chefs and bakers, along with consulting a pizza expert, we found the best pizza peels to help make delicious pies.
For this guide, we tested nine peels, using each to load and unload multiple thin-crust pies and loaves of bread from our ovens. While ergonomics and durability were always kept in mind, we tried to answer one main question: Does this peel allow me to get pizzas in and out of the oven without disaster? You can learn more about our testing methodology below. The best pizza peels in 2023Best overall: New Star Foodservice 50295 Restaurant-Grade Wooden Pizza Peel – See at AmazonThe New Star Foodservice Restaurant-Grade Wooden Pizza Peel is inexpensive, lightweight, wide enough to accommodate the average pizza, and has a raw wood surface to help prevent the uncooked pizza from sticking.
Best perforated: Ooni Perforated Pizza Peel – See at AmazonThis peel is incredibly lightweight, and the small grooves help to get rid of excess flour on the bottom of a pizza when it’s being fired. Best for small spaces: Chef Pomodoro Foldable Aluminum Pizza Peel – See at AmazonThe Chef Pomodoro peel is thoughtfully designed with a sharp edge for easy pizza retrieval, a back lip to prevent sliding, and a wooden handle that can be folded down for easy storage. Best innovative: EXO Non-Stick Super Peel Pro Composite – See at AmazonThe EXO Non-Stick Super Peel Pro Composite is the ultimate “pizza-lovers” pizza peel, since its unique design works like a conveyor belt to move the product from the counter to the baking stone without sticking.
Best metal: American Metalcraft 3016 Extra Large Blade Pizza Peel – See at AmazonThe American Metalcraft Pizza Peel is an inexpensive, durable, and lightweight aluminum peel — the best option when it comes to removing pizza and bread from the oven. Best overall: New Star Restaurant-Grade Wooden Pizza PeelThe New Star Wooden Pizza Peel prevents uncooked dough from sticking and is easy to handle. Andrew Janjigian/InsiderPros: Lightweight, raw (but not rough) wooden surface helps prevent sticking, fits the average 12-inch pizza, compact handleCons: Thicker than aluminum peels, so it can be a challenge to slide underneath the cooked pie; raw wood stains easilyThis pizza peel is lightweight at just 1 pound and 7 ounces, and it’s made from raw, uncoated wood.
At 12 inches by 13. 5 inches, it’s just large enough to fit a standard pizza without being too unwieldy to handle. We used it to make half a dozen pies and two loaves of bread, and every time the pizza and bread dough slid off easily.
While it may seem counterintuitive that a raw wood peel with a rough surface would be less sticky than a metal or coated wood peel, the porous surface of the wood actually wicks away moisture from the pizza, preventing sticking. While its handle is compact at just 8 inches, it was more than adequate enough to keep our hands away from the hot oven as I slid the pizza in. Though pizzas slid off this peel effortlessly, it takes some finesse to retrieve pizzas from the oven with it, since the paddle is relatively thick.
It does have a sharp beveled edge to help with this, but it takes some practice to get the motion down. Fortunately, there’s much less potential for creating a mess with cooked pies than with raw dough, and you can always use a pair of tongs to help guide the finished pie back on the peel. The porous wood surface is prone to staining, but the peel can still be kept sanitary with some soap and water.
Overall, this is a solid peel that is compact, efficient, and easy to use no matter your skill level. Best perforated: Ooni Perforated Pizza PeelThe Ooni Perforated Pizza Peel has perforated grooves to remove excess flour when firing a pizza into the oven. Molly Allen/InsiderPros: Perforated design gets rid of excess flour, slick surface makes it easy to fire unbaked pizzas, lightweightCons: Not dishwasher safe, large design can make storage difficultRetrieving pizzas from a hot oven is simple with this peel thanks to the tapered edge of the blade.
The aluminum construction makes it incredibly light, just 1 pound and 5. 5 ounces. Though it is metal, this peel is hard-anodized to create a super smooth, almost non-stick surface.
This also provides resistance to corrosion over time. The handle is made from heat resistant nylon, which is easy to grip and provides a comfortable distance from the hot oven. We had no trouble launching pizzas from this peel.
When using a wet dough, we like to sprinkle flour or semolina on the peel to prevent sticking. The surface grooves on the Ooni peel help release excess flour while a pizza is fired, which limits burnt spots on the bottom of the pie. Plus, the perforation increases airflow to prevent condensation from forming on the crust.
This pizza peel comes in two different sizes. Be sure to double-check that the size of the peel will fit in your oven since the 14-inch peel may be too big for some oven openings. While it is designed by Ooni for use with the company’s pizza ovens, it can be used with other ovens.
It’s not dishwasher safe, but can easily be hand washed with soap and water for your next use. Best for small spaces: Chef Pomodoro Foldable Aluminum Pizza PeelThe Chef Pomodoro Pizza Peel has a folding handle to make storage easy after use. Molly Allen/InsiderPros: Blade can easily slide under unbaked dough and baked pizzas, the handle folds down for easy storage in small spacesCons: Non-porous aluminum surface causes raw dough to stick, requires flour or semolina for launching pizzasThis pizza peel has an aluminum blade and a foldable wooden handle.
At 12 by 14 inches, it is ideal for building 10-inch pizzas. The sturdy pine wood handle is comfortable to hold, but the best part is that it can be folded down for easy storage in a cabinet or drawer. The aluminum blade easily slides underneath unbaked dough.
However, we did find that pizzas would stick and be hard to launch if we didn’t use enough flour prepping the dough or left a raw pizza on the peel for too long. Just make sure to use a good sprinkling of flour and the dough will glide right off. We had no issues retrieving pizzas thanks to the peel’s sharp edge, and the length of the handle kept our hands far enough away from the heat of the oven.
The peel also features a small lip in the back to prevent pizzas from moving or sliding during retrieval. Overall, this is an excellent choice if you need a compact pizza peel. There’s a slight learning curve to discover how your pizza dough will react with the aluminum peel and the amount of flour or semolina needed, but it’s certainly possible to use this peel for firing pizzas once that issue is resolved.
This pizza peel is not dishwasher safe, but can be quickly washed by hand. Best innovative: EXO Non-Stick Super Peel Pro CompositeThe conveyor belt-style EXO Super Peel is unmatched when it comes to loading pizza into the oven. Andrew Janjigian/InsiderPros: No risk of the dough sticking to the peel, lightweight, wide enough to accommodate the average 12-inch pizza Cons: Not really designed for removing pizzas from the oven, so a second peel is necessary; proper use requires practice to nail down; canvas belt can pick up stainsThis innovative peel consists of a canvas “belt” attached to a wooden board.
It functions like the belted loaders that professional bakers use to load bread into a deck oven, except scaled way down in size. Instead of sliding the pie off of the peel, you pull the belt out from underneath it, and the pizza or bread simply drops straight down onto the baking surface. This means you can take all the time you need topping and loading the pie, even when working with the wettest, stickiest of doughs.
We used this model to make half a dozen pies and two loaves of bread, and not one stuck to the Super Peel. At 13. 25 inches by 12.
5 inches and weighing just under two pounds, I found the peel roomy enough to hold the average home-sized pie while still remaining lightweight enough to handle. And its 7-inch handle was more than adequate in length to keep our hands away from the hot oven. While the Super Peel can’t be beat for loading pizza and bread into the oven, it’s pretty much useless for taking them out of the oven, so you’ll still want an aluminum peel as well.
And using a Super Peel isn’t intuitive — it’ll take a few tries before you get the correct motion down (hot tip: practice using it outside of the oven, using something other than an actual pizza, until you get the hang of it). The canvas belt can pick up stains from use, but it is washable (don’t put it in the dryer because it could shrink) and replacements are available. Overall, the Super Peel is an excellent choice to take your pizza game to the next level.
Best metal: American Metalcraft 3016 Extra Large Blade Pizza PeelThe American Metalcraft pizza peel slides smoothly under baked goods to remove them from the oven. Andrew Janjigian/InsiderPros: Thin and flexible blade gets under baked pies and breads with ease, durable and lightweight, wide enough to accommodate the average 12-inch pizzaCons: Non-porous surface can cause raw pizza and bread doughs to stick; best as a tool to remove finished products from the ovenThis pizza peel is lightweight and made from aluminum, with a wooden handle. At 14 inches by 13.
5 inches, it’s roomy enough to fit a standard size pizza without being too unwieldy to handle. We used it to move half a dozen pies and two loaves of bread in and out of the oven. Raw pizza dough had a tendency to stick to the peel, particularly when the dough was wet, or if I took too long getting the pies ready to bake.
Breads were less prone to sticking, since they spent so little time on the paddle. The peel worked wonderfully once the products were in the oven. The thin, lightweight blade slides easily beneath pizzas or bread, and the 12-inch handle provides plenty of distance between your hand and the hot oven.
The aluminum surface of the peel is easily cleaned with soap and water. Overall, this is a solid peel that is compact, efficient, and easy to use no matter your skill level, especially when used in tandem with another style of peel for loading. Our pizza peel testing methodologyWe tested seven pizza peels by loading pizza and bread in and out of an oven, and then evaluated how easy each peel was to clean up.
Andrew Janjigian/InsiderWe relied heavily on our own experience when testing for this guide and incorporated each peel into our regular pizza and bread-making routine over the course of three weeks. Here’s what we considered to find the best pizza peels:Pizza: We used the peels to load thin-crust pizza in and out of the oven. Purposefully, we worked with a fairly wet dough recipe, one that tends to stick to a peel unless we coat the peel with a lot of flour and/or get the pie ready to bake very quickly.
Bread: We also used the peels to load and unload bread, both with and without the use of parchment paper beneath the loaf. Ease of use: We considered how easy the peels were to move around and to insert beneath baked pizzas and doughs easily. After each use, we cleaned the peel according to manufacturer instructions, evaluating how easily they cleaned up and noting their appearance after use and cleaning.
Durability: We considered the durability of the materials from which each peel was constructed and looked for any wear and tear over the multiple weeks we tested them. What to look for in a pizza peelMaterial: If you only want one peel, we recommend a raw, wooden peel since it’s the most “nonstick” choice among the inexpensive baking peels. Though they are a challenge to slide beneath finished pies, it can be done with practice, and baked pies are not nearly as risky to move around as raw ones.
If you have the budget and space for more than one peel, you might consider a wooden peel for loading the pizzas into the oven, and a metal one for taking them out. Size: You won’t be building multiple pizzas on one peel, but ideally a peel can hold a standard, 12-inch pie. If you’re planning on making larger pizzas or baking for a group, factor that in when choosing the best pizza peel for you.
Design: Look for peels with beveled edges to slide under pies. Thin peels can also make loading and unloading pies easier, but you want one that is strong enough to support a large pizza laden with toppings. Handle: Consider the handle length and material when choosing a peel.
Since you’re going to be loading and unloading pizzas into a super hot oven, you’ll want a handle that keeps you far enough away from the heat. Wood versus metal pizza peelsThe best pizza peels are most often made of wood or aluminum. Andrew Janjigian/InsiderThough one of our top picks — the EXO Non-Stick Super Peel Pro Composite — is in a category by itself, there are two main types of baking peels: wooden and metal.
Wooden peels are typically made of wood or bamboo, while most metal peels are made of aluminum. Here are the key differences between the styles:Wooden peels: Coated peels are easy to clean and are “slippery,” which can let the dough slide off the peel more easily. But with wet doughs — or even just doughs that have been left on the peel for too long before baking — that slick texture can actually cause the pizza to stick when moisture collects between the dough and the peel.
“Raw,” unfinished wood peels have a rough, porous texture and hence more grip, but because they can wick moisture away from the dough, they actually tend to be more nonstick than coated peels. Another downside to wooden peels, coated or not, is that they are generally thicker than metal peels, which can make it hard to slide under the baked pizza. Metal peels: Metal peels usually have an aluminum paddle or blade that is flexible and thin enough to easily slide between the pizza and baking stone for quick removal.
Even with their wooden handles, they are lightweight compared to all-wood peels. But just like coated wooden peels, a metal peel’s non-porous surface can cause raw dough to stick, spelling potential pizza-night disaster. FAQ’sWhy do I need a pizza peel?According to Sarah Minnick, pizza chef and owner of Lovely’s Fifty Fifty in Portland, Oregon, pizza peels are essential for making pizza.
“It’s what you build and load the pizza into the oven with,” she says. Pizza peels are also due to their long handles, making it easier to keep your hands away from a hot oven while firing and retrieving a pizza. What can I use so my pizza doesn’t get stuck to the peel?Depending on the pizza peel, and if you’re working with a very wet dough, you may need to sprinkle something on the peel to keep the uncooked dough from getting stuck.
You can use all-purpose flour, semolina, or cornmeal to alleviate sticking. However, each has a different burn point which will affect the flavor of your crust. Minnick says she uses a whole wheat flour with coarse bran to alleviate sticking.
Can I cut pizza on my peel?It’s best to avoid cutting pizzas directly on your pizza peel. “Cutting on the peel gets oils and cheese on the peel and can contribute to pizzas sticking later,” says Minnick. “Plus, it creates ridges where you cut — another sticking hazard.
“Are pizza peels, paddles, shovels, and sliders all the same thing?There is a wide variety of terms for a pizza peel including pizza paddles, pizza shovels, and pizza sliders. These are all the same type of device for launching and retrieving homemade pizzas. Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/best-pizza-peel
