Nothing beats a pizza with a crisp, blistered crust, melted cheese and juicy toppings. Home ovens struggle to get there on a thin metal tray, and that's exactly where a pizza stone helps. This guide explains how a pizza stone works, how to use it in the oven and on the grill, which size to choose and how to care for it.
What Is a Pizza Stone?
A pizza stone is a flat slab of ceramic or stone, most often cordierite, that you preheat in the oven or grill. It stores a lot of heat and releases it straight into the dough, pulling out moisture and giving you a crust closer to a pizzeria brick oven.
How to Use a Pizza Stone in the Oven
- Place the stone on a middle or lower rack while the oven is cold. Putting a cold stone into a hot oven can crack it.
- Heat the oven to its highest setting, usually 475–550°F (245–290°C), and preheat the stone for 45–60 minutes.
- Build your pizza on a floured pizza peel, then slide it onto the stone with a quick forward-and-back motion.
- Bake 6–10 minutes, rotating once with a metal peel for even browning.
- Remove the pizza with the peel and slice it on a board with a rocker pizza cutter.
Using a Pizza Stone on the Grill
A cordierite stone also works on gas and charcoal grills and smokers. Put the stone on the grates, close the lid and preheat for 20–30 minutes until the stone reaches about 500–600°F. Kitchenstar stones are rated to 1800°F and come with a stainless steel rack with handles, so moving a hot stone is safer.
Which Size Pizza Stone Should You Choose?
- 12-inch round pizza stone: compact ovens, personal pizzas and grills
- 14-inch round pizza stone: the most popular size for standard home ovens
- 16-inch round pizza stone: large family pizzas; check your oven width first
- 15 × 12-inch rectangular pizza stone: uses the full rack, great for bread and flatbreads
Leave at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) between the stone and the oven walls so hot air can circulate. Not sure? Browse the full pizza stone collection.
How to Clean and Care for a Pizza Stone
- Let the stone cool completely in the oven before handling it.
- Scrape off stuck-on bits with the included plastic scraper; never use soap, since the porous stone absorbs it.
- Rinse with warm water only if needed and dry fully before the next use.
- Dark stains are normal seasoning and don't affect performance.
- Avoid thermal shock: no cold water on a hot stone and no frozen food placed straight onto a very hot stone.
More Than Just Pizza
Use your stone to bake crusty bread, flatbreads, cookies and pies. A preheated stone under a pie dish or tart tin helps prevent a soggy bottom crust.
Pizza Stone FAQ
How long should I preheat a pizza stone?
45–60 minutes in the oven and 20–30 minutes on a grill. A properly preheated stone is the key to a crisp crust.
Should I oil my pizza stone?
No. Oil can smoke and turn sticky. Dust the peel with flour or semolina instead.
Can I leave the stone in the oven?
Yes. Many bakers keep it on the bottom rack to stabilize oven temperature.
Want everything in one box? The 16-inch pizza making kit includes a stone with rack, acacia peel, rocker cutter and brush.
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.