For all pizza lovers, pizza making is a skill we would love to master to enjoy the sensation of flavor with the extra crust's softness. However, the magic of it all is thanks to a handy accessory known as the pizza peel, which helps make the surroundings like an oven spring, allowing heat to rise rapidly from the bottom and hence cooking the perfect pizza. Read on to understand more about the best pizza peels.
What is a Pizza Peel?
A pizza peel, also known as a pizza paddle, is a tool designed for transferring pizza from a working surface where it has been assembled into the hot oven. It can also turn your pizza into an even bake and get it out of your range when it's done. Pizza peels feature two main elements and include the flat carrying surface and the handle.
Image source: thepizzaheaven.com
A carrying surface, also known as the blade of the pizza paddle, is where the pizza is placed; therefore, this area has to be large enough to hold the pizza you are baking. These carrying surfaces are usually made from metal or wood, and when you hear of the wooden or metal peel, it's about the material of the carrying surface.
On the other hand, the handle has two main functions: to extend the paddle reach and offer a stable grip. Since the pizza peel is used in a hot oven, you need the handle to comfortably push your pizza inside the range without burning your hands. However, since there are many pizza peels in the market, it can be hard to find the best, and we have made that more accessible for you. We have researched and reviewed the best pizza peels with their pros and cons and included a buying guide to help you know the features to look out for.
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1. New Star Foodservice 50295 Restaurant-Grade Wooden Pizza Peel
- Sturdy, durable, and lightweight basswood with a fine, even...
- Wood peels feature a tapered half-inch blade designed to easily...
- Smooth even texture keeps peels free of secreting oils that make...
- Available in various lengths and sizes; Hand wash only peels are...
- Perfect for lifting pizzas, cakes, bread, cupcakes or muffin pans...
New Star Foodservice wooden peel is the best pizza peel on our list for a good reason. It has a paddle made from lightweight balsa wood, which is robust enough to give you excellent service, and comes in different shapes and sizes. This allows users to get the best wooden pizza peels for their pizza oven or pizza stone, including a tapered half-inch blade that slides under to lift your pizza from a distance.
Image source: NewStar.com
New Star Foodservice wooden peel has a silky smooth texture, so you won't get any oils leaching from the wood into your cooked pie slice. So not only is it ideal for pizza, and it can streamline baking cakes, cookies, bread and muffins, and everything else you can imagine.
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2. American Metalcraft Aluminum Pizza Peel
American Metalcraft Aluminum Peel is an excellent peel that helps users slide out pizzas using the 14-gauge aluminum blade. The pizza peel also features a 10-inch wooden handle for a safe and comfortable grip. The aluminum blade is suitable enough for making medium-sized pizzas, and it has triple rivets for added reinforcement, which guarantees the peel will last a long while.
Image Source: AmericanMetalcraft.com
American Metalcraft Aluminum Peel is lightweight, allowing easy use, cleaning, and maintenance. In addition, the American Metalcraft Super peel creates a rustic and authentic serving and presentation, and it can be a serving board for the pizza slices.
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3. Chef Pomodoro Aluminum 9-Inch Turning Pizza Peel with Detachable Wood Handle
- ✅ EASY HANDLING: Chef Pomodoro’s 9” Aluminum Turning Peel...
- ✅ PREVENT BURNS: The hidden secret to cooking the perfect pizza...
- ✅ DETACHABLE HANDLE: The long natural wooden handle is...
- ✅ BUILT FROM QUALITY: Starting from the hard anodized aluminum...
- ✅ USAGE: Prior to use, sprinkle with cornmeal, wheat bran, or...
Chef Pomodoro Aluminum pizza peel is a small 9-inch rotating pizza peel that allows you to easily move your pizza even when operating in a wood-fired oven. The pizza peel features an aluminum, durable, lightweight blade that can withstand harsh temperatures. It also has a tapered edge that makes it easier to navigate when making pizza.
Image Source: chefpomodoro.com
Chef Pomodoro contrasts the blade with a wood handle that gives a user maximum control when working with pizza dough or premade pizzas, and this ensures as much as the aluminum surface is hot, the handle will stay cool to the touch.
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4. TOSCANA - a Picnic Time Brand Acacia Wood Pizza Peel
- PIZZA PEEL WITH APPEAL - The Acacia Pizza Peel by Toscana, a...
- PIZZA PARTY CENTERPIECE - Measuring 22.3 by 13.8 by 0.5 inches,...
- PRO-GRADE WOOD PIZZA PEEL - The flat paddle design allows you to...
- EASY MAINTENANCE - When the pizza party's done, simply surface...
- BUILT TO LAST Lifetime Guarantee - Product quality backed by the...
TOSCANA Acacia Wood Pizza Peel is the best pizza peel if you want to get value for your money, and it comes shaped like a giant paddle with a smooth finish so that it won't stick to raw pizza dough. The wooden handle is a great length for any home microwave oven, and the beveled edge makes it easy to slip under your pizza. With the 14 inches width, the pizza peel makes even larger pizzas, and the handle has a hole on its end that allows easy hanging storage.
Image Source: TOSCANA.com
TOSCANA Acacia Wood Pizza Peel is versatile enough to double your pizza's serving board and makes a beautiful cheese or charcuterie board. In addition, the pizza peel includes a lifetime manufacturer's guarantee making the gorgeous acacia wood peel worth the investment.
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5. Honey Can Do Fldng Pizza Peel
- Safely place pizza far back in the hottest section of the oven
- Can also be used with bread, pastries or vegetables
- Swivel handle breaks peel down for easier storage
- Heavy-duty, long-lasting aluminum
- Dimensions: Carrying surface measures 14 x 16-inches
Honey Can Do is a food-grade aluminum pizza peel that features a flat paddle and a smooth wood foldable handle that swivels down for easy storage when not in use. It is a thin, lightweight square paddle that is spacious enough to hold a sizable pizza and thin enough to slide easily between the baking pizza stone and the crust. The handle is short enough to allow a user maximum control but also lengthy sufficient to keep their fingers away from the heat while letting the dough slide to the furthest reach of your oven.
Image Source: Honeycan.com
The Honey Can Do pizza peel has a removable, foldable wooden handle, and even though the aluminum peel is not dishwasher safe, the two parts can be hand washed separately. In addition, it has an aluminum blade, which guarantees you will not get rust, and will have a non-stick surface suitable for sliding pizza or removing pizza in and out of the best double wall oven.
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How Do You Prevent the Dough from Sticking to the Pizza Peel?
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It would be best to cover the pizza peel with flour, cornmeal, or any recommended seasoning other than oil before placing the uncooked dough on the peel. In addition, don't knead or manipulate your dough on the peel. Try to prepare it before and keep it regularly, moving the peel under the dough.
Also, to increase the lifespan of the wooden peel, you should follow the manual carefully, don't use an abrasive cleaner to wash it, and avoid prolonged soaking. Always spray your wooden peel top with oil to fill any pores, and let it dry before using it. Also, don't let the peel stay inside the oven for long periods.
Factors to Consider Before Purchasing the Best Pizza Peel
Image Source: myhouseofpizza.com
1. Materials
Pizza peels use three primary materials, and they include:
a). Wood
Wood is a traditional material, and the natural texture or rough surface helps create airflow under the pizza. Better airflow lets pizza slide off the peel and into your oven quickly. Wood is also used as a cutting board once you get your pizza off the oven, even though wood peels may require regular sealing with oil to protect and maintain the surface. Wooden pizza peels are thicker and heavier than metal pizza peels, and if not maintained properly, the wood can easily crack if it receives a lot of moisture or heat.
b). Metal
There are common metals used to make pizza peels: stainless steel and aluminum, and hence more metal peels are more durable than wood, and they will need little maintenance other than handwashing. Aluminum peels are lightweight and easy to maneuver than wood or composite peels, but the pizza crust can stick to the metal and make it difficult to slide your uncooked pizza off the peel. Metal peels with perforated surfaces will be better because they help reduce suction and allow pizza to slide off easily. If the surface is not perforated, dust the peel with cornflour or line the peel with parchment paper.
c). Composite peel
Composite pizza peels usually are made of wood mixed with resin, and the resin material works to add strength; therefore, these peels are usually thinner than wood products. As a result, it has a textured surface, which promotes airflow under your pizza and helps slide it into the oven. However, consider that mixed pizza peels may be heavy, limiting the size and type of oven and the handle length.
2. Shape
Pizza peels come in either a round, rectangular, or square shape, whereas some pizza peels have a square shape and a round front. Square is the traditional shape that offers the best use of space, but the round peels allow pizza to be picked from the sides and not the front. Rectangular pizzas are suitable for two pizzas or a large rectangular pizza.
3. Handle Length
For most home cooks, a short-handled pizza peel will work well in a standard home oven, and the peel will need to reach far enough to slide in and remove the pizza. Long handles are beneficial in large ovens, which for a home would mean an outdoor oven for you to keep about 4 or 5 inches away from the door.
4. Surface
Some pizza peels feature a solid blade surface, while others feature perforated carrying surfaces where the perforated surfaces allow any excess flour to separate from the pizza dough. If the flour is not separated, it will burn in the hot oven, creating smoke and even tainting the pizza crust and resulting in an unwanted flavor.
5. Thickness
Thin pizza peels are considered better because they make it easy to move your pizza around, and they are also easy to slide under your pizza when moving it from your oven. If your peel is too thin, then the surface will be flimsy for purpose, and therefore you should get this feature right when shopping for the best pizza peels. If you opt for a thick wood peel, ensure it has tapered edges, making it easy to lift your pizza without needing additional tools.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Best Pizza Peels
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1. What are other excellent pizza peels not mentioned above?
Some include the Checkered Chef Pizza Peel, Pizza Royale, and Ooni perforated pizza peel. The best pizza peels should be durable, easy to handle, and provide a smooth pizzas transfer. It should have a large surface area to accommodate different pizza sizes and shapes. Additionally, the material should be heat-resistant and capable of withstanding high temperatures. The design and construction should allow for easy pizza sliding onto the baking surface, such as a baking stone or the surface of a pizza oven.
2. Which is better, a wooden peel or a metal peel?
Both peels have their benefits and disadvantages, and everyone should have both in an ideal world. However, a metal pizza peel is the best choice if you only have one, as it's the most versatile option. On the other hand, all wood peels work great for transferring your pizza into the oven, as the dough doesn't stick as much to the dusted wooden surface.
However, the thickness of wood peels makes them unsuitable for turning pizza or getting it from the oven, where a thin metal pizza peel will make this work super straightforward. Remember when shopping for the best pizza peel for your next pizza party.
4. Is a pizza-turning peel better than a paddle?
A pizza-turning peel and a paddle serve different purposes. A pizza turning peel, or perforated pizza peel, is designed to easily rotate and turn the pizza while it's in the oven. The perforations allow heat to reach the bottom of the pizza, resulting in a crispy crust. This peel is helpful if you frequently make Neapolitan or thin-crust pizzas.
On the other hand, a traditional pizza paddle or peel is a flat surface used for transferring the pizza from the oven. It doesn't have perforations and is typically used for thicker crusts or pizzas that don't require frequent turning. Ultimately, the choice between a turning peel and a paddle depends on the type of pizza you prefer to make and the desired crust texture.
5. What is the best finish for pizza peels?
The best finish for a pizza peel depends on the material. A natural finish with food-safe oil, such as mineral oil or beeswax, is recommended for wood peels. This helps to seal the wood, preventing moisture absorption and reducing the chances of warping. It also creates a smooth surface, making it easier to slide your pizza onto and off the peel.
A non-stick finish or coating, such as Teflon or silicone, is often used for aluminum peels. This prevents the uncooked dough from sticking to the peel and makes it easier to transfer the pizza. Some aluminum peels may also have a brushed or anodized finish, which provides durability and resistance to scratching.
Choosing wood and aluminum for a pizza peel depends on personal preference. Consider factors like durability, maintenance, and functionality.
6. What are the benefits of using a perforated pizza peel?
A perforated pizza peel offers several advantages. The perforations allow air to go through underneath the pizza, promoting even cooking and preventing the crust from becoming soggy. The perforations also help prevent the pizza from sticking to the peel, making transferring it onto the baking stone or pizza oven surface easier.
7. How should I care for my pizza peel?
Caring for your pizza peel is important to maintain its quality and longevity. The specific care instructions may vary depending on the material of your peel.
It is recommended to season wooden peels with oil before the first use to prevent sticking and cracking. After each use, hand-wash the peel with mild soap and warm water, removing any food residue. Dry it completly before storing it in a cool, dry place. Avoid soaking the wooden peel or using harsh detergents, as this can damage the wood.
Clean metal peels with warm soapy water and a non-abrasive sponge or cloth. Rinse it and dry it completely before storage. Avoid cleaning them with harsh chemicals or abrasive materials that can scratch the metal surface.
Following these instructions, you can keep your pizza peel in good condition and enjoy many delicious homemade pizzas for years.
8. Can I use a pizza peel for purposes other than pizza making?
Absolutely! While a pizza peel is primarily designed for making pizzas, it can also be used for various other purposes in the kitchen. A pizza peel's large, flat surface makes it ideal for transferring bread, pastries, and other baked goods onto baking stones or hot surfaces.
Again it can be used as a serving board for appetizers and cheese platters or even as a decorative kitchen accessory when not in use. Its versatility extends beyond pizza, making it a handy tool for culinary tasks and presentations in your kitchen and dining area.
