The Baking Steel Original Pizza Stone is one of the best-reviewed, most beloved cooking stones in the US. Unlike most, this one is forged from steel and cooks food in about 3 to 5 minutes.
The company founders always looked for the best way to create stones for pizzas that don’t crack. They also wanted to find materials that can disperse heat across the entire surface and explore cooking options that take less than 10 minutes and don’t dry out the crust.
Thus, they discovered that forging the perfect pizza stone should be done with steel, and in 2012, they launched their Original Stone. The product hasn’t changed over time, but it took a while for this family, with 40 years of being industrial steelers, to come up with the perfect size and shape of the stone.
Is the Baking Steel Original Pizza Stone for You?
People like to make pizza at home and rejoice when they make it perfect and by their favorite recipes. More companies realized this and started crafting advanced tools for pizzas that folks could use at home. So, you can struggle to find the best pizza stones out there.
However, as we discover more products like this, there’s a bigger desire to combine quality and price. Any company can make a pizza stone, but not everyone can make it cook every meal perfectly, both in the oven and on a grill. This plate is the best tool to explore pizza-making skills at home and level up in making the perfect crust.
This stone isn’t for people who plan to use it as a skillet. Coarse metals can damage stovetops, so if anyone plans to use them outside the oven or off the grill, they won’t have too much fun. You can always bake more stuff and eat healthier versions of your favorite meals. It’s a beginner-friendly tool that can help anyone bake the perfect crust on pizzas.
The best cooking stone in the US, the Baking Steel Original Pizza Stone, is crafted locally. They insist on using US-based suppliers so the materials don’t get damaged during long-haul transport. Because it’s made locally, it’s also in the higher price range.
What We Like About The Baking Steel Original Pizza Stone
It’s tough to put into words how much and why we love this stone for pizzas, but we’ll try.
For starters, it’s virtually indestructible. That means we are guaranteed that it will stand the test of time and still serve as one of the most useful cooking tools. Not many companies can boast a high-quality product as this manufacturer can.
Additionally, you don’t have to prepare just pizzas on this. While it’s not meant to be used as a skillet in an oven, you can heat your grill and let the ultra-conductive nature of the alloy do its job. You’ll have delicious meats, rustic bread (imagine the crust on that,) and even omelets by putting your stone on a grill in no time. It may not seem like it, but this versatile tool covers various recipes.
What We Don’t Like About The Original Baking Steel Pizza Stone
To avoid just giving praises, we can add the parts we dislike. Firstly, the stone is a bit costly, like three-digit costly. Sure, it’s a time-efficient investment, but the current inflation can make anyone worry if they can afford the basics, let alone tools for homemade pizzas.
Also, this stone gets incredibly hot because it’s made of a conductive material; that would be a nightmare with the Pampered Pizza Chef Stone. You can’t bake cookies on it, for example, but you also need a thick layered oven glove or padding to pick it up. If you have kids that get too excited around food, you must be extra careful when handling it around them.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Conducts heat across the entire surface | It’s pricier than other stones |
| Cooks food in 3-5 minutes | It is pretty heavy |
| It’s virtually indestructible | It can’t go on stoves |
| It’s locally crafted | It gives off intense heat that can be dangerous |
| It’s pre-seasoned with proprietary oil | It’s large and tough to store |
What’s Included?
When you order one of these stones to your home, here’s what you’ll get in the package:
- One 16-inch x 14-inches Original Baking Steel Ultra Conductive Pizza Stone,
- A booklet with How-To instructions and various recipes,
- Use and care instructions and warnings.
It’s a lovely packaging, and justthe look of the matted plate with rounded edges looks luxurious. It’s also well protected inside the box, and the recipes are fantastic as a beginner’s guide that you can master over time.
Technical Specifications
| 16 pounds |
| 16-inches x 14-inches x 1/4-inch thickness |
| Low Carbon Steel |
| Manufactured in the USA |
| Pre-seasoned with proprietary oil |
Features
- This ultra-conductive stone disperses heat and bakes food evenly within five minutes,
- It’s virtually unbreakable, so you don’t have to worry about replacing it after a while,
- The materials used for manufacturing this cooking tool are locally sourced,
- You can use it in an oven or on a grill,
- It can be used as a grill cooking helper and prepare different foods and recipes,
- The plate can also be used as a cold plate to keep items fresh.
Final Breakdown
The Baking Steel Original Pizza Stone gets a nearly perfect score. This is primarily because its biggest downside is the weight. At 16 pounds, this hefty plate can be tricky to handle and store. But remember, you best not keep it in the oven the entire time as a solution.
Besides that, its price isn’t at all competitive – it’s pricier than most similar cooking stones. For example, this Kamado Joe cooking plate is ceramic, but at a larger size, it’s still more affordable. Still, the alloy plate is unique and much more beneficial, so it’s on you to judge (or accept) the cost.
This is a pre-seasoned and oiled plate, so you won’t have issues with your pizzas getting stuck to it or having dry crust. Combine that with the fact that it’s just the best tool to prepare excellent-quality recipes in the oven and on the grill, and you’ll be in a win-win situation no matter what.
Don’t wait – buy your Baking Steel Original Pizza Stone today.