Ahh, pizza – the universal word for baked savory perfection in the form of a crust, stringy cheese, and basically any topping of your desire. If you’ve ever wondered how to bake a restaurant-style one on your own grill though, then a pizza stone is for sure your kitchen companion, since it delivers just the right balance of flavor and crispiness to your pizza.
Now, you might be wondering how to go about procuring the best pizza stone for a grill. Fear not, friends, because we’ve got just the guide for you! We compared 34 different pizza stones for a grill, which we’ve found on the market and compiled a list of the top ten of them. Our favorite one is the Cast Elegance Pizza Stone here. We absolutely love this product and dubbed it the Editor’s Choice, based on its superior moisture absorption, heat transfer and retention, as well as its professional-style results! We also gathered nine other popular products to help you shortlist the best possible choice for your baking adventures!
Before we move on with our review, we’ll run you through a few key features we considered in this guide. Let’s start with the most important one – the shape of your pizza stone. Depending on whether the shape is round or square, your pizza crust can either be softer or crispier. The size of your pizza is equally important, since larger stones heat up slower, but also retain heat faster. Lastly, the material and size of the stone are also important factors in determining how efficiently the pizza is baked. After several hours of research using food websites and magazines, our team has compiled all this information in the in-depth reviews, followed by a buying guide. However, before we proceed with these, let’s take a quick look at the table below with brief product summaries and comparisons.
More features: includes use & care instruction and 4″ x 5″ scraper, fired at over 2000°F, no seasoning required
For a crisp and evenly cooked crust, we recommend the Cast Elegance Pizza Stone. Thanks to the thermarite material, which absorbs more moisture, you will love the result of better heat retention and transfer.
This is because thermarite has a unique micro-pore structure that enables it to extract moisture out of the dough, resulting in a crispy, chewy crust. The thermarite also protects the crust by providing a solid shield between the base and the grill. Moreover, the stone is odor-free, owing to the extreme heating process it undergoes during manufacturing, which vaporizes all organic matter and provides a smooth, professional finish to the stone.
One of the best features of this pizza stone is that it provides amazing value for money, given the quality of the stone and the extras – a cookbook and a scraper. So, you can just follow the recipes provided by Cast Elegance for whipping up scrumptious pizza variants and then clean the stone after with the scrapper. The only downside? The stone gets left with a little bit of staining, once you bake your pizza for the first time.
More features: no seasoning required, thermal shock resistant
This square-shaped pizza stone is made out of a 100% safe and FDA approved Thermabond material that’s thermal shock resistant and requires no seasoning or conditioning. It can even be used to heat and reheat ready-made pizzas, takeout or frozen pizzas. Not only that but also, it can cook a plethora of other baked goodies, such as pastries, bread, and biscuits, by eliminating hot spots, resulting in an evenly baked brown crust.
So, if you’re looking for the best pizza stone for grill under $30, this piece by Pizzacraft is your savior! Just be sure to bake it separately for a few hours before use to get rid of the initial smell it gives off (which is completely non-toxic and harmless).
For best results with your grill, preheat it to about it 500 degrees (F) and place it in the middle of the grill for 30 minutes. Dust the surface with cornmeal when you’re ready to bake your pizza so that it can be transferred easily afterward. This stone is very durable, which makes it very difficult to crack. It’s also convenient to clean up, using just hot water and a cleaning brush. Unfortunately, it can leave an unpleasant odor after the first time you use it.
More features: cooks faster compared to baking stones, manufactured in the USA
The Original Baking Steel is a premium, tough plate rather than a “stone” because of its ultra-conductive steel construction. Although quite pricy, this tool cooks about 20 times faster than any other pizza stone for a grill and has been used as well as recommended by many culinary experts in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Bon Appetite. Due to its high conductivity, this baking plate is even more efficient at lower temperatures and is ideal for making thin-crusted, crispy pizzas.
Thanks to its matt finish, the plate holds seasoning oil well and does not crack due to thermal shock, unlike ceramic-based ones. This means that you can make restaurant-quality pizzas for literally a lifetime (we kid you not!), without having to worry about replacing it after every few months. A minor inconvenience with this plate, however, is that it needs to be cleaned thoroughly after every use. Otherwise it accumulates flour or cornmeal, which burns to a sticky, sooty residue.
More features: burnt in 2200℉ kiln, 1400°F resistant, built-in handles
It’s sturdy, it’s resilient, it’s innovative – the ROCKHEAT pizza stone is a one-of-a-kind kitchen tool that can be used to make just about anything, from pastries, to bread, to cookies and more! Let’s start with its unique design first – made out of superior quality cordierite, this square stone has a super-fine finish and contains built-in, double-sided handles, which are convenient and space-saving. The next feature is its size and thickness, which is perfect for cooking pizzas directly, without any preheating requirements.
Now let’s talk about the icing (or shall we say “cheese”?) on the top: the results. The quality and freshness of your pizza will undoubtedly be unbeatable with this pizza stone for grill and oven, whether you’re in the mood for a soft-centered/ browned edged pizza, or a crispy, thin-crusted one. The wow-factor? The stone can withstand temperatures as high as 1400°F, without compromising on the quality and finishing, and doesn’t need seasoning at all. Fair warning, though – avoid placing any sauces or cheese directly on the stone to maintain its durability and prevent scorching.
More features: odorless, non-stain, includes pizza cutter, lifetime warranty
The Heritage black ceramic pizza stone is an odorless, non-staining circular pizza stone, which is super-easy to clean, even with soap! Although there’s some initial smoking on the surface when first used, it dissipates quickly over time, especially with frequent use. However, this doesn’t damage the material or the black coating on the top at all. Moreover, it’s quite easy to slide food particles off of it, once the baking is done. For an easier transfer and clean-up process, it’s recommended to use a parchment paper during grilling or oven-baking.
Although it cooks up pizzas perfectly to a tee, one major downside of this product is its packaging since it comes in a single wrapping paper inside a box without any padding to secure it. However, the good part is that you can always return it and get it replaced if any damage occurs during shipping. It also comes with a free pizza cutter, which has an impeccably smooth and polished finish!
More features: over 1200°F resistant, ideal for low-and-slow smoking meats
This multifunctional product is literally smoking! The AKORN Char-griller is basically a smoking stone that can work as a grill convection oven and a pizza stone at the same time. It has a unique construction designed to divert heat evenly around the perimeter of the grill. This design enables it to slow-smoke meat and keep it moist and tender while protecting it from the direct flame. But enough talk about smoking.
Now – let’s come to the meat of the matter – pizza. Yes, it can make pizzas too, since it’s essentially a flat pan made out of the same material most pizza stones are composed of (cordierite). Given its large surface area, size (diameter: 17 inches), and material, it works just as perfectly (and sometimes even better) as a pizza stone.
For a perfectly browned and evenly cooked pizza crust, we recommend bringing up the temperature to around 500 – 600 degrees. However, if you’re looking to use it as a pizza stone for a grill, do ensure that all the toppings and sauces are set well within the edges, so as to avoid messy clean-ups later on. This multifunctional product is definitely worth splurging your money on. However, do note that it eventually turns brown, so if that’s a turn-off for you, maybe just stick to low-temperature smoking.
More features: 1450°F resistant, burnt in 2100℉ kiln, thermal shock resistant
This Unicook model is the best pizza stone for both grill and oven if you’re looking for something that can withstand extremely high temperatures (it’s FDA and LFGB approved!). It’s not only an excellent choice for baking pizzas, bread, biscuits, and cookies but also heating frozen and store-bought pizzas. Unlike metal pans, this stone has micro-pores that extract and eliminate excess moisture from the dough, resulting in that much sought after crispy, brick-kiln-like pizza that we lust after in pizzerias.
We give extra brownie points to this product because it comes with a free multi-purpose scraper that can also act as a dough cutter. However, care must be taken not to be too harsh with the scraping to avoid damage. Speaking of scraping, avoid using sponges with rough surfaces and never scrub away or scrape the surface too hard. Furthermore, care must be taken not to use soaps and detergents (warm water only), since the stone absorbs liquid and can leave a soapy aftertaste in your dish.
More features: includes carry rack, 2-year limited warranty
Tired of scalding your hands while trying to carry your pizza stone? It’s time we introduced you to this handy Weber 8836 gourmet pizza stone for grill. This stone comes with its own carry rack and side handles, making the transfer a walk in the park. But that’s not where the goodness ends – it can be used in an oven as well, delivering that professional, smoky kick all the same – something that you could never achieve with a simple pizza pan.
One thing to watch out while using this stone is that the pizza tends to harden on the surface; that’s why it’s recommended to use a parchment paper between the dough and the base of the stone. If the pizza hardens, and the cheese melts off on to the stone, scraping it off can be quite a daunting task. Simply preheat the stone at 500 degrees and then layer parchment paper on the top before placing the pizza over it. Slide the parchment paper off from in between after 3-5 minutes and then let it cook as it is for a scrumptious and crispy meal!
More features: includes folding pizza peel paddle and pizza cutter
If you want to mimic the conditions of a commercial brick pizza oven, then you need to get your hands (and pizza) onto this Cuisinart CPS-445 pizza stone for grill. This ceramic stone bakes a crispy treat with a burst of smoky flavor. It distributes heat evenly, without leaving odd hot spots and makes up for a sleek serving tray for various treats as well, given its 13-inch diameter. Just be sure to bake it for several hours to get rid of any smell emanated initially.
We all know, no pizza party is complete without the two essential tools for serving – a pizza peel and a cutter. This is why, Cuisinart comes with a free long-handled, foldable peel made from aluminum, which is resistant to sticking, and a stainless-steel round wheeled cutter. The best is that all these tools come packaged together in a neat double box filled with secure padding so that the goods are damage free! All of this for a meager price of $30? Yes, please!
More features: no seasoning required, thermal shock resistant
The round-shaped thermabond pizza stone for a grill by Pizzacraft is simply a blessing in the kitchen with its efficient cooking quality. It eliminates hot spots during cooking and produces a uniformly heated, crispy, brown crust. Due to its thermal shock resistance feature, cold food can be placed on the stone while it’s hot, without resulting in cracks. Moreover, it doesn’t require any seasoning or conditioning with oil, so you can use it directly from the box. Do remember that the material used for this stone is thermabond, and it will stink if you try to season it with oil (because the material is porous and absorbs oil, which then smokes under the heat to give off the rancid smell), so avoid doing that at all costs. Just be sure to dust the base with flour before grilling lightly, and you’re good to go.
A potential con with this tool is that it’s heavier than it looks, which could make the lifting work quite tedious, especially given that there are no handles for support. It’s best to use oven mittens while picking the stone up and out of the oven, especially because it does scald if bare hands are used.
A pizza stone can work on a grill as well as an oven and acts as a point of high heat transfer for the dough. As soon as the pizza is placed on the preheated stone, the crust starts to appear immediately, mimicking the conditions of a traditional brick oven. The best part about using a pizza stone is that it isn’t just limited to making pizzas, but it can also be used to bake pastries, cookies, biscuits, bread, and other bakery goodies.
While both pizza stones and pizza grilling pans can be used to make pizza, each tool has its own benefits and drawbacks. Although, in the end, it really whittles down to one’s own habits and preferences, a pizza stone does a better job overall.
A pizza pan cooks pizza slower as compared to a stone. However, it’s loved by many people due to its easy clean-up time and convenient storage. While a pizza stone has its drawbacks, for example, it can crack easily if dropped, has to be cleaned in a specific way, and requires a peeler, its preferable over a pizza pan due to several reasons. Firstly, it’s far more efficient and reduces the cooking time greatly when preheated. Secondly, most pizza pans deliver a soggy and soft crust, because of the sauces and toppings leeching through the soft, uncooked dough. A pizza stone, on the other hand, always delivers a crispy and well-browned crust, owing to its moisture absorbing micro-pores, which start cooking the dough as soon as it’s placed on the surface. Another advantage of a pizza stone is that you’re not restricted by size or shape, which means it’s freeform. With a pan, however, you’re restricted by its shape and dimensions.
Now that you know you can whip up professional style pizzas in the comfort of your home, you might be wondering what really the best pizza stone for a grill is. To make this buying guide even more comprehensive, we’ve compiled a list of features that must be taken into consideration before your final purchase. Remember – in the end, it’s all about what fits the bill for you and your cooking style, so choose carefully! So, without further ado, let’s dive into our key features section.
Although there is a wide variety of shapes for pizza stones, we’re going to talk about the two most popular ones: rectangular and round. A rectangular pizza might not really be something you’ve given much thought too, but trust us, it actually holds heat far better than any other shape. This is because it has a larger surface area as compared to a round stone, which means a higher capacity for heat absorption and retention. Due to this, your crust will cook faster and turn out crispier too. A round stone, on the other hand, provides better-targeted heat, owing to its shape, which mimics the bottom of the pizza. Even though it cooks slightly slower as compared to a rectangular one, a round pizza stone for a grill will ensure that you don’t end up burning your crust! If you are looking for a round pizza stone for a grill, check the Cast Elegance Pizza Stone.
As a general rule, larger pizza stones for grill and oven heat slower than smaller ones. However, they’re definitely better at holding heat. To really understand the impact of the size of your stone, you must consider its length, width, and thickness. The former two determine the surface area of your stone, so the longer these two dimensions are, the larger the area will be, meaning a faster cooking time as well as better heat retention.
Do keep in mind not to go overboard with the size, because stones with too larger an area heat up slower and also create a problem for air circulation in ovens.
Pizza stones are made of a variety of natural materials, the popular ones being clay, thermarite, cordierite, and ceramic. All of these materials are pretty much the same, with the thermarite being the most durable among them. Along with the cordierite ceramic, it has a high-temperature resistance as compared to other materials. Moreover, they are not expensive at all, and you can easily find an affordable product for your needs. The ceramic stones specifically are the most cost-effective ones, since they’re composed of clay and baked in a kiln. They crack easily though, so proper handling and maintenance are required.
Baking steel stones, on the other hand, are far more viable and can be subjected to high temperatures easily. On the downside, they do cost higher and require a little more maintenance than other materials like cordierite, thermarite, and thermabond. Still, it heats up and cooks faster, which is why many people prefer the plates like The Original Baking Steel.
Ultimately, whatever baking stone material you opt for, it’s going to result in a crispier, faster cooked, and better-tasting pizza than any other pizza pan can produce.
The weight of a pizza stone mainly depends on its composition and size, the former being the primary factor. For example, steel plates weigh around 16 pounds a-piece, whereas ceramic stones weigh between 5 to 7 pounds. Usually, heavier stones have better heat absorption and retention rate. However, if your stone is too heavy, it creates transfer difficulties, given that most stones don’t have handles for support. Therefore, it’s best to opt for a medium weight, such as the ROCKHEAT Pizza Stone has, ranging anywhere between 7 to 9 pounds, considering whatever weight you’re comfortable with.
This is perhaps the most important feature to weigh in, while purchasing a pizza stone for grill and oven. If you’ve baked a frozen pizza at high temperatures and noticed cracks in your stone after, it’s because your stone is probably composed of a material that can’t sustain high-temperature differences. Therefore, it’s always advisable to go for a model composed of thermarite, cordierite, or thermabond, which have a high thermal shock resistance and can be baked in high-temperature conditions, without cracking. For instance, the Unicook Round Ceramic Pizza Grilling Stone is composed of a cordierite ceramic, which can resist temperatures as high as 1450°F.
If you’ve ever bought a pizza stone and found it to stink up your entire house in a matter of a few minutes, don’t be frightened – the smell is natural and comes off due to the composition of the stone.
To get rid of this smell, you’ll usually need to bake the stone for several hours before use.
Although most people have now started to shift towards more durable pizza stone materials, such as thermarite and baking steel, you still want to be sure that it is going to last. Since some materials are susceptible to cracks and break easily, it means that you should always opt for a model that provides at least a few years of brand warranty, to get your money’s worth. Alternatively, you could just go for a brand that offers a lifetime warranty, such as the Heritage Black Ceramic Pizza Stone, and get rid of all your worries, forever!
The most important aspect of your purchase journey is, without a doubt, the budget consideration. When it comes to pizza stones, the prices usually range between $30 to $50, depending on the quality of material, as well as the brand name.
For instance, The Original Baking Steel is composed of high-quality material that’s durable, efficient and has superior heat conduction, due to which it rates at about $90. Here, you can also expect premium quality and excellent cooking results.
However, you can go for more affordable options, such as the Cuisinart CPS-445 Pizza Grilling Set, which costs as little as $30. Moreover, the manufacturer of this stone is very generous, so you get the add-on utensils such as a peel paddle and a cutter.
The cheapest option available, however, is the Pizzacraft 15” Thermabond stone, that is not only thermal shock resistant but provides great value for money at just $16, considering its composition and grilling quality.
Alright, now which of the aforementioned products make the cut for the best pizza stone for a grill? To make things even simpler for you, we’ve shortlisted our three top-picks for you.
The first one is the Editor’s Choice – the Cast Elegance Pizza Stone. It’s light, durable, and composed of thermarite, which is highly heat resistant and gives your pizza an extra-crispy kick. This pizza stone is also odorless and comes with its own scraper and cookbook for beginners, all for a price of just $40!
Next on our list is the Pizzacraft 15″ ThermaBond Pizza Stone. It is thermal shock resistant, requires no seasoning, and has an affordable price tag. Moreover, it can be used to bake multiple goodies.
Last but not least is The Original Baking Steel. We love this one because of its premium quality, durability, and highly conductive surface, which allows making pizzas up to 20 times faster with pizza stones for grills. So, if you can splurge out a few extra bucks, this one is an all-rounder winner, for sure!
We hope that this article helped you find the best pizza stone for a grill. All that’s left to do is to get all the ingredients and make the most delicious pizza in the world!
