Since I discovered the ultimate pizza dough recipe several years ago, I’ve been baking them at home; nothing beats a crispy, homemade slice, and it’s often better than in restaurants. I went to a pizza-making class by a professional Italian pizzaiolo and learned everything there is to know about the greatest food in the world.
The secret to great Detroit-style pizza is in the quality and size of the pan, which is why these are my top three picks:
- LloydPans 8 x 10 inches
- Chef Pomodoro 14 x 10 inches
- WINCO Non-Stick Pan 13 x 9 inches
Each one is superb and special for something particular, so I’ll get into more details below.
LloydPans 8 x 10 Inches – the Best Detroit Style Pizza Pan
- 8 inch by 10 inch by 2.25 inch deep Detroit Style Pizza Pan Used by commercial pizzarias
- Hard-Anodized; Permanent, Stick-Resistant Coating is PTFE Free; USA Made
- No Pre-Seasoning Required or Recommended, Ready for Baking
- Easy to bake with, easy to clean, easy to maintain
- Heat safe to 700 degrees F, Lid sold Separately
Highlights
It’s a 8 x 10 inch, pre-seasoned, utensil-safe aluminum tray. What I mostly love about this dish is its sturdiness. It has a very long shelf life and performs equally well no matter how long you’ve been using it. Pizza comes out perfectly every time and gets baked evenly.
Features
- Made from locally-sourced aluminum, so you’ll be supporting a small business,
- 8 x 10 inches, 1.5-inch depth, perfect for deep dish pizzas,
- Pre-seasoned for better flavor,
- Stick-resistant, which reduces washing time.
What I Like About This Pan
The perfect Detroit-style pizza at home requires a great 00 flour recipe and the LloydPans dish to bake it in. It’s so sturdy that it can handle up to 700°F, although I never go over 480°F on my ovens. This is good if you have a standalone pizza oven that heats up quickly.
The pan’s square, compact structure allows it to fit most ovens, and while it makes a smaller pizza than you might prefer, it’ll make it juicier. That’s why I love this tray the most – its size makes it possible to bake the perfect deep-dish pizza at home, better than the best delivery.
It’s effortless to clean because of the non-stick material. If you’re in a hurry, you can wipe it with a wet towel and let it dry without doing more. However, don’t put it in the dishwasher.
This is the most durable tray I’ve ever used, making it top-notch. Every time I prepare the dough and make pizzas for friends and family, it remains intact. And I’ve been baking a lot, so much that I probably could compete with Domino’s pan pizza production rates.
What I Don’t Like About This Pan
It could be a bit more affordable, although it isn’t overly expensive for what it offers. You may be happier with alternatives if you’re not ready to take out so much of your budget, but no replacement will be good enough. It’s durable, so you might as well invest in it.
It also isn’t dishwasher-safe, although not many non-stick pans are. That fact doesn’t always stop me from putting them into the dishwasher (guilty as charged,) but it makes a big difference for items like this.
| Pros | Cons |
| Stick-resistant | Not dishwasher-safe |
| Great size for personal deep dish pizzas | Expensive for its capacity |
| Pre-seasoned | |
| Utensil-safe |
Chef Pomodoro Detroit Style Pizza Pan 14 x 10 Inches – The Classiest Of All
- ✅ MAKE AUTHENTIC DETROIT STYLE PIZZA. Modeled after the OG 10”X14”X2.5” blue steel auto parts trays from the Motor City that started it all - the Chef Pomodoro Detroit style pizza pan gives you a bonafide traditional “All corners”, 2.5-inch deep Detroit pizza every time. So you can pack it with fillings and flavor in every bite!
- ✅ PERFECTLY COOKED CRUST. Satisfyingly crunchy crust that’s crispy from edge to edge on the outside and bottom, yet airy and light within - even with store bought crust! And authentic Detroit style pizza dish design supports classic cheese caramelization all the way up to the edge of the dough. The Chef Pomodoro Detroit Pizza Pan gives you the perfect Motown style crust other baking dishes and pizza pans just weren't designed to get right.
- ✅ PRE SEASONED AND NONSTICK Detroit style pizza dish is ready to bake out-of-the-package, and pre oiled so each inch of your pizza always releases effortlessly. After dinner cleanup is as simple as a quick soak in soapy water.
- ✅ COOKS SAVORY AND SWEET FOODS. Make casseroles and focaccia, or use it as your go-to “Grandma’s” Sicillian pizza pan. But the Chef Pomodoro pizza pan is also the perfect baking tray for extra-thick brownies, super-sized cakes, and deep dish desserts, too!
- ✅ HEAVY DUTY square pizza pan holds up to heavy use (and heavy food!) And hard anodized aluminum is designed to maintain the proper conduction and even heating to perfect deep dish pizza crust.
Highlights
Chef Pomodoro is a 14 x 10 inch, pre-seasoned, non-stick aluminum pan. It’s larger than the LloydPans tray and makes rectangular, 2.5-inch pizzas. It was designed with the original Motor City steel trays in mind – the ones in which the original Detroit pizza was baked.
Features
- Made from durable anodized aluminum,
- Makes rectangle 14 x 10 inches and 2.5-inches high pizzas, the real deal for deep dish pizzas,
- Pre-seasoned for better flavoring,
- Can cook other dishes perfectly, too.
What I Like About This Pan
The Chef Pomodoro pan is classy and perfectly sized for family pizzas. You can crank it up to 550°F and prepare your meal in as much as 15 minutes.
The anodized aluminum material keeps the food warm longer, heats up, and cooks evenly. When I pulled my pizza out of this tray, the bottom was so crispy and lovely that it was a shame to bite into, and at the same time, the most delicious crust imaginable.
I made focaccia and a casserole in this, too, and they both turned out well. I was happy to see that the food stayed warm for longer than usual, but not just that – it also cooked faster.
What I Don’t Like About This Pan
Despite the company’s efforts to advertise this product as stick-resistant, it wasn’t.
When mine arrived, it looked new and good, but when I used it, it wasn’t completely non-stick. I worried I ruined the dough, but it happened several times. Fortunately, after the third time, it didn’t stick anymore. Maybe it needed to warm up better or had to be worked on, which isn’t ideal.
That wasn’t overly problematic, so I didn’t complain, but the company should look into its materials. Since the product isn’t dishwasher safe, scrubbing it the first few times was tough.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great size for family pizzas | Not exactly non-stick |
| Pre-seasoned | Not dishwasher safe |
| Great for baking other dishes, too | |
| Made after the original deep dish pizza pans |
WINCO Non-Stick Pan, 13 x 9 Inches – A Classic Deep Dish Pan
- Heavy-duty 24 gauge aluminized steel
- Double non-stick coating, PTFE/PFOA free
- Folded body construction and wire-in reinforced rim
- Withstands temperatures up to 500DegreeF
- Dishwasher-safe
Highlights
The WINCO 13 x 9 inches pan is excellent for every kind of baked dish, and deep dish pizzas are no exception. It’s made from aluminized steel and has a double non-stick coating, which is ideal. It can withstand heat up to 500°F, and it’s the most universal, durable, heavy-duty pan I’ve ever purchased.
Features
- Made from heavy-duty aluminized steel, perfect for keeping pizzas warm and baking evenly,
- It’s 13 x 9 inches and 2.2-inches deep, so the pizza you make in it will rise well,
- It’s dishwasher safe, although it’s better to hand-wash,
- The double non-stick coating makes it ideal for more than just pizzas.
What I Like About This Pan
This is a baker’s best friend. It’s ideal for more than just deep dish pizzas – lasagne, chocolate cake, and casseroles, you name it. I use it more for other dishes, but pizzas turn out well in it. The steel component makes dishes bake faster and retain heat longer.
This may also be a little biased, but I already have a square cast iron grill by WINCO, and it’s the best investment for grilling. I know it’s tough to find a reliable manufacturer, so when people do, they stick to them (even if the products are non-stick.)
It also came with something unexpected – a manual. There’s a care sheet explaining the details of taking care of this beautiful product, and I appreciated some official manufacturers’ guidance.
What I Don’t Like About This Pan
It’s pretty heavy. It was expected, considering its material and craftsmanship, but I can’t seem to store it anywhere correctly. I’m always worried it’ll lean on something and break it in my pantry.
I struggled to store the other WINCO pan I own, and that one’s a cast iron grill, so it’s even heavier. I found a place for both, but it’s a temporary solution. Be careful when picking this out – ensure you have enough storage space.
| Pros | Cons |
| Perfect for baking any dish, including pizzas | Heavy |
| Double non-stick coating | Hard to store |
| Dishwasher safe | |
| Comes with a care sheet |
What to Look For When Buying Detroit Style Pizza Pans
Non-Stick Qualities Are Essential for Good, Crispy Dough
There’s nothing worse than making the perfect pizza and then not being able to take it out of the tray. While it’s tough to assess whether a non-stick advertised product does have that quality, you can search for its reviews. If you shop in person, see if it has a greasy-looking, often gray, finish. If it does, it’s well-coated and non-stick.
If It’s Pre-Seasoned, the Food’s Tastier and Better
When looking for the perfect pan for oven pizza, it’s essential to search for a pre-seasoned one because it adds a special kick. They don’t always have to have this quality, but when shopping, search for those that do. After your first bake, you’ll notice the difference.
Ensure You Have the Right-Sized Product for Your Preferences
Personal pizzas are fantastic, but not if you have a big group to feed. If you intend to cook for more people every time, perhaps a larger-dimensioned tray will suit you better. 14 x 10 inches is perfect for such uses. Also, make sure the pans you look into are deep – at least 1.5 inches.
Final Verdict – Get the LloydPans Detroit Style Pizza Pan
The LloydPans deep dish pizza tray is the nicest of the three because it’s reliable, long-lasting, and perfectly stick-resistant. It may be on the smaller side and isn’t rectangular, but square pizzas are the new trend, or at least they will be once everyone gets their hands on this beautiful tray.
Invest in LloydPans’ 10 x 10-inch pizza pan, and you won’t have to worry about your baking skills. It’ll create the perfect dish every time and boost your confidence to keep making more.
FAQ
Should I wash the LloydPans pizza pan in the dishwasher or by hand?
It isn’t dishwasher-safe, so you shouldn’t load it together with your other dishes. It’s better to clean it by hand; sometimes, you’ll need just a bit of water and a clean paper towel.
What’s the most heat this pan can handle?
It can withstand the most heat of all three pans, 700°F. I would recommend going up to 550°F the most, though.
Can I use metal utensils on pans of this kind?
Typically, non-stick pans don’t get along with metal utensils. Use plastic, rubber, or wooden materials to avoid scratching.