Same with using parchment.
I’ve never seen anyone using parchment in a NYC pizza place but certainly, in a home oven, it makes things easier.
Since I saw that Pizza Steel on Amazon for $28 + $8 shipping, my brain won’t let it go. I’m trying to be more deliberate about my spending (especially over the summer when we use more electricity), but I really want it (now that I’ve seen it)
Cool, FYI looks like the steel you linked needs to be descaled and seasoned before use, found a guide for that here:
Edit: I see the guide I linked recommends flaxseed oil - I would probably use something cheaper like peanut or canola oil if it’s anything like seasoning a steel pan. I’ve read flaxseed oil can flake off.
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Yes… thanks. I just have to make the jump from “want” to “need”. Maybe next month, I’ll squeeze it into the budget.
I would continue to research. The Amazon steel, while a great buy, is a 1/4" thick, and they come in a variety of thicknesses. Which will work best for you?
Personally, while I would love a steel, I have a bad back and can’t sling 15 lbs. of metal around. I use a baking stone which I keep stored in the lower oven (removed only occasionally), and am happy enough with the results.
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I got mine at a scrap yard for about that. I chose 1/2", but I think 3/8" would be about right. In my home oven, a stone just wasn’t doing it.
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I just leave mine on the top rack (it’s a 3/8” and heavy).
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And you probably won’t. Parchment will char if it’s exposed, and the only reason to use it is if you can’t launch from a peel. With parchment, you can put a 14" pie on a 14" stone.
Here is the famous steel plate guide by the infamous scott123. I followed his instructions and was able to source mine, custom cut for my oven, 3/8 inch thick, with the all important extra cut, for $35:
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Take a look at the steel plate buying guide I just posted and the “crucial extra cut”!
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That is an insightful post - thanks for the link.
Written before anyone outside the pizza forum had heard of cooking on steel, it was the post that launched a thousand steels.
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I can’t remember the thrift store situation in your area, but pizza steels strike me as the sort of faddish item that a lot of people jumped on a few years ago, but only a dedicated cohort actually stuck with. Maybe you can find one thrifting?
I’ve only seen a couple around here (plus a fair number of stones), so they weren’t as faddish as George Foreman indoor grills (
), but still you might get lucky.
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Yes… I always check the kitchenware section when I go to my local Goodwill.
So far… no pizza steels. Perhaps one day, I’ll find one.
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That is why minimizing the headroom helps. When I put my stone on the grill, I use three half bricks to elevate it.
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^^^ This…
What would you say the headroom is with the bricks?
Probably about 5-6".
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