The 8 Best Pizza Peels of 2022
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Although the handle is a bit shorter than on other models, it was long enough to get pizzas in and out of the oven, and a hanging hole allows it to hang on a hook for storage, if desired. A pizza peel is designed to slide an uncooked pizza into an oven, to turn the pizza for even cooking all around when needed, and to retrieve the pizza when cooking is done. An effective peel has a thin front end so it can get under a pizza and slide all the way to the opposite side without pushing the pizza back into the oven. It also should have a handle that’s easy to hold, and long enough to get the pizza in and out of the oven without burning the cook’s hands.
Dozens of pies were transferred in and out of ovens, including indoor ovens, dedicated pizza ovens, and outdoor ovens. Then, they were rated on design, performance, ease of cleaning, and overall value. Flour makes sense because that’s in the crust, but it can burn at the high temperatures of a pizza oven. Cornmeal and semolina are chunkier and add some flavor and crunch, which many people enjoy. If you’re baking your pizzas in a backyard wood-fired brick oven, then a peel designed for a home oven is not going to do the job. You’ll need a peel that’s built to withstand blazing temperatures and that has a longer handle to keep your hands safely away from the intense heat.
The winner is the Honey-Can-Do Aluminum Pizza Peel
These 12-inch-wide aluminum peels from American Metalcraft feature rounded wood handles in a range of lengths, from 26 inches up to 64 inches. The base of the handle is attached to the paddle with three rivets, for sturdy and stable handling. This paddle is 14 x 16 inches, spacious enough to hold a sizable pizza, and thin enough to easily slide between a crust and baking stone. While it’s not overly heavy, it’s got enough weight to be strong and feel sturdy.
You can also use this type of peel to gently lift the pie and move it toward or away from hot spots in the oven for the perfect finish. "This is a versatile peel for cooks who make pizzas in their home oven or grill and who also have a deep pizza oven that requires a long-handled peel to place and retrieve pizzas." Unlike wood peels, the EXO peel is dishwasher safe, washable, and resistant to warping and stains. The cloth is removable and washable, although tomato sauce stains remained after washing during testing, and the cloth wrinkled from wringing it out. While it’s a bit pricey, this would be a worthwhile investment for anyone who has difficulty using a traditional peel, and it's a great beginner's tool. To get a pizza out of the oven, it’s simply a matter of pushing the edge of the peel under the front edge of the pizza, then sliding it completely underneath the pizza so it can be lifted.
The 8 Best Pizza Peels of 2022, Tested and Reviewed
"With a little bit of sanding and oiling, this could be a great peel with a long life as long as it's not abused along the way." Donna Currie is a food writer and blogger specializing in recipes and kitchen gadgets. She covers kitchen tools and gadgets for The Spruce Eats and is the author of Make Ahead Bread.
This flat, 14 x 16-inch rectangular peel is made from sturdy aluminum and comes with a set of detachable, rounded wood handles that adapt to several cooking situations. The shortest handle, at 16 inches, is good for a home oven, grill, or small pizza oven, and when fully assembled, it works for deep outdoor ovens. In testing, we found that this was rather front-heavy so it was best used two-handed. Also, it flexed a bit as we removed our pizza from the oven, so we had to make sure the pizza was properly placed lest we drop it. Most pizza peels are made of either wood or metal, and each material has its pros and cons. To help you decide exactly which model to go with, we sent a handful of top-rated pizza peels to our experienced at-home tester to compare side by side.
How do you keep pizza from sticking to the peel?
If the pizza is moving back rather than sliding onto the peel, it’s perfectly fine to grab a set of tongs to hold and pull the pizza forward and onto the peel. With practice, it gets easier to get the pizza on and off the peel like an expert. "I liked this peel a lot. It's a bit heavy, but it's well balanced, the handle is good to hold onto, and it feels super-sturdy. This can handle heavy pies, no doubt." Since the handle is smooth round wood, it could be used as a rolling pin to roll the pizza dough, although the length may not be comfortable for cooks who are used to shorter traditional pins. Whether you're a self-proclaimed pizzaiolo or just looking for a safe way to cook your pizza, here are the best pizza peels—tested and approved.
In testing, it was robust enough to hold a heavy pizza without bending, so it felt very secure when moving pizzas in and out of the oven. While it’s not dishwasher safe, the wood handle is removable, so the two parts can be hand-washed separately. The uncooked pizza dough is placed on a well-dusted peel , then toppings are added quickly to keep the pizza from sticking to the peel. Before moving the pizza to the oven, it’s best to give the peel a few quick shakes to make sure the pizza is moving freely, so that any sticking can be addressed and fixed. Then the peel and pizza go into the oven with the forward edge of the peel at the place where the pizza should be set. After extensive research on a variety of pizza peels, we sent eight top models to our experienced home tester to evaluate them with homemade pizzas.
TOSCANA A Picnic Time Brand Acacia Wood Pizza Peel
"This is a very attractive board that can double as a serving piece, so it will get more use than the usual pizza peel, making it worth having even if pizza isn't on the menu a lot." This article was originally researched and written by Danette St. Onge, formerly the Italian Food Expert for The Spruce Eats and a features editor at Cook’s Illustrated magazine (part of America’s Test Kitchen). An avid kitchen appliance and utensil junkie, she spends hours combing the Internet, comparing options, reading reviews, and testing to find the best tool for every job. The Honey-Can-Do Kitchen Supply Aluminum Pizza Peel performed exceptionally well in testing, is sturdy, and is easy to use. If you don't want to spend a lot—maybe you're just dipping your toe into pizza making—go with the budget-friendly Eppicotispai Birchwood Pizza Peel.
It’s best to use the peel to transfer pizzas and do the cutting on a cutting board. The design and performance of the Exo Non-Stick Super Peel Pro—and the fact that you don't have to be a pro pizza maker to use it—earn it a spot on our list. The unusual design of this baking peel makes it easy to transfer pizzas, bread, and even intricate latticed pie crusts without stretching them or damaging their shape.
We tested a paddle with a handle a bit over 4 feet long, which proved to be unwieldy in our home kitchen. The length would also be unneeded for a small outdoor oven—the size is meant for deep pizza ovens where the pizza rests 2-3 feet deep in the oven. Cleaning the peel was also less than convenient, as the long handle needed to be accounted for when turning and moving the peel in the kitchen sink. During testing, we found that washing raised the grain on the wood, but it still functioned very well for both placing and removing the pizzas. A light sanding and oiling with cutting board oil would make it even better, but isn’t necessary for basic use. This peel is very affordable and broad enough to hold large pies, while it’s also stiff enough to handle loaded pizzas with ease.
It should also be sturdy enough to hold a fully-loaded pizza and balanced so the pizza won’t tip off the peel. Wooden peels are less sticky and require less flour or cornmeal, but if they get wet from spilled toppings, the wet spots can become extra-sticky. While cleaning isn’t difficult, they can stain, and it’s not unusual to see burn marks on the front edge of a well-used wooden peel.
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