Features:

  • 20x higher conductivity than ceramic baking stones.
  • Creates gorgeous crusts, better blistering, and faster cook times. "The ultimate pizza stone" - LifeHacker
  • Low-friction surface: textured, sanded smooth, seasoned with flaxseed oil.
  • Solid steel, unbreakable, guaranteed for life.
  • 16"x 14.25"x.25" - 16lbs (Warning: it's heavy!) Made in USA.
it will do as fine of a job as any other steel the same ...

I have the .5" version. I feel the quality is more than sufficient, it will do as fine of a job as any other steel the same thickness, regardless of price. The only improvements I could think of to be made (necessitating higher prices) would be to round all of the outside profile edges over. The edges aren't sharp like a knife, but since this is a fairly heavy piece of metal it is capable of doing some serious damage to whatever it hits if it is dropped or banged against something. The best best, whether the edges are rounded or 90 degrees is to be very careful when handling it. For most fit men and many women, the weight should not be a problem. Since the open oven door requires one to stoop over and reach to put it in the oven, the weight become a little more unwieldy though. If you have help available and question your own ability then two people should make it manageable. If you desire to make pizzas that have puffed up crusts with a thin crispy outside and soft chewy inside, and do it in your home oven, a baking steel or a conventional pizza/baking stone is absolutely essential to get the best possible results. Both types of material have their place, in some ways steel is best, and in other ways the stones are as good or better. To explain the need for baking steels and stones: the faster you can heat the dough in the oven, the more it puffs up before taking a set. Air bubbles in the dough are expanded by heated air and moisture, and "pump" up the crust. This is often called "oven spring". It is like a race and it needs to happen quickly because as the dough begins to cook it will not expand any more. Like most tools, you need to use it properly or it won't perform to it's full potential. The steel and various stone type materials transfer heat to the dough faster than air can, that is the principle of operation. It takes longer to preheat the steel or stone than normal, it needs to be saturated with heat to perform best, think of it as having to cook your stone until it's done, before it can cook your pizza of other bread item. So planning ahead and using patience is a virtue here, but the reward is well worth it. There are certain techniques that can employed, such as placing it on one the higher rack positions and using the top broiler to get the steel or stone to 600 degrees F or higher, measured with a IR temperature gun. If you do not let a baking steel or stone reach the optimum temperature range it will do little or no good at best or even slow down the cooking and make it worse. Until you get the hang of it, and perhaps even afterward, it's best to confirm temperatures of the steel or stone. If you don't have a temperature gun and are not able to get one, allow plenty of preheating time. If you plan to use this to cook frozen pizza on, are impatient, or aren't willing to take the time to make good dough and fiddle around with techniques this item probably will not be very useful to you. Otherwise, I believe you would be very pleased with it. While steel is superior to stone (or fire brick, and etc) in transferring heat faster, it has one draw back. It doesn't absorb moisture like natural porous materials, and while the crust might puff up more and cook faster, the very outside layer will usually not be as crisp as a stone and a little longer cook time. The longer cook time will also give a little more even browning because being a little more crisp. So, there are instances where each material has pros and cons. If you are serious about pizza you might want one made from each material, otherwise choose according to what kind of crust you like the best.

Upgrade to steel you cave person.

NerdChef Steel Stone - High-Performance Baking Surface for Pizza (.375" Thick - Pro) I seem to be incapable of successfully caring for a pizza stone. Do not ask me to care for your pet rock. You may be sorry. I also do not yet have the motivation to construct a backyard wood fired pizza oven but have an insatiable lust for pizza at home. Enter the pizza steel. After a quick inquiry with NerdChef (they were super responsive and friendly!) about the proper rack height (I used the third setting from the top, but may go one higher next time @ 500F) I was set to try this baby out by making one of my trademark delicious, but homely, pies. I also decided to try a Naan recipe out that previously did not impress much on cooked on a normal stone (prior to me killing it). Long story short. This was the tool I've been looking for. The bottoms and the top of both crust and bread cooked at an even rate. Patience and keeping a close eye (as well as a peel) are key here. I was a tad impatient on my first ugly pie pictured here, subsequent tries were cooked a bit more and were considerably more homely. No material could help me in that department. Pictures are on various baking sheets I put the items on after coming out of the oven, not the steel. The Naan worked out wonderfully and I have been eating delicious sandwiches all weekend. After all was said and done the stone had darkened noticeably, but this is to be expected. It will take quite a long time to cool down so if you have other need of your oven keep that in mind. It is heavy and safety is key if you are going to start moving this piece around. To wrap this up: It's steel. It enhances your oven. It will hurt me long before I am able to hurt it. It is made locally and the company is quite lovely. You are paying quite a bit for the finish, and decorative bits, but I'm not really interested in hunting down a piece of steel and getting it kitchen ready so there you go. Making GOOD pizza at home is both fun and good for your soul! A+, would buy again.

I love this thing and would recommend it to anyone

This thing takes your pizza crust into the next dimension! My crust kept coming out only okay on the ceramic pizza stone, but this thing kicks ass! I immediately was able to get pro results with this, along with a large pizza peel, large rocker blade, and a stainless steel rolling pin. I'm still trying master getting the pizza from the counter to the oven without parchment paper. I think leaving it on the parchment will affect the crust, but I guess the only way to know is to try. I also used it for some hash brown patties and they came out Bomb.com! I love this thing and would recommend it to anyone. It is heavy and it stays hot for a long time after it has been out of heat. It will leave you scarred if you're not careful.

Use proper lifting technique! ;)

This thing is as awesome as it is heavy! Seems to retain/regain energy much better than a stone - I cooked a calzone and two pizzas sequentially with only enough time between to prep and top the dough...that third crust still had excellent crunch and blistering! Seriously though, this thing is heavy AF! I legit almost threw my back out lifting it off the porch when it was delivered because I was not prepared. Those finger hooks COULD be used to hang it on the wall, but the hanging fixtures need to be industrial. The description says "(Warning: It's heavy!) " and lists it as "23lbs" but.....I think that might be conservative haha. Or maybe I just need to hit the gym. Anyway, this thing is awesome and if you like cooking pizzas, or bread (haven't tried it yet) probably worth it!

Perfect Pizza

I purchased the 3/8" thick version. I've had it for awhile now. I've seasoned it several times, just like I do with a cast iron skillet. I love it. I've found the best results to be as followes using a Pappa Murphys medium crust take & bake pizza as the standard test pizza. Preheat the oven to 450°F for 45 minutes, with the nerd chef on a rack that is in the second slot down from the highest position available. Using a pizza peel floured with Semolina or corn meal, I slide the pizza onto the steel. After 4 minutes I rotate the pizza 180° on the steel, then switch the oven to broil. At about the 2 minute mark, I closely monitor the toppings so as to crisp up the toppings but not burn them. At about the 3 minute mark, the pizza is done to perfection. At least for me. Hope this review helps.

No More Broken Pizza Stones!

I've recently drunk the sourdough kool aid, and pizza has been an amazing byproduct!! I had a traditional pizza stone break mid-bake and went in search of an alternative. How could I go wrong with a name like Nerd Chef? My steel arrived ASAP and tonight I broke it in. Amazing!! I make a 12" pizza using the Ken Forkish levain pizza dough recipe, tonight I made 3 pizzas, a pepperoni for my 3 year old granddaughter, a zucchini and yellow squash with manchego for me and a Hawaiian for my husband. Each pizza cooked to perfection o In 6-1/2 minutes at 550. The bottoms got a perfect wood oven looking char and the pizzas cooked perfectly even. I'm a happy customer!

Best pizza "stone" by far

We've lost probably 10 pizza stones to cracking over the last 10 years. Most were fine enough until they cracked - except the fancy "MLM" stone which cracked the first night on the second pizza (their customer service told me that preheating the stone would void the warranty on the replacement). We've gone rounds debating the cause (hydration vs dough temp - I usually slow-rise pizza dough in the fridge all day before letting it sit out for an hour-ish to warm up). None of that matters anymore. There isn't much heat loss between pizzas (we usually do 2-3 smaller ones from one batch of dough) so you aren't waiting forever for a stone to reheat. The blistering is beautiful and the bottom of the pizza is nicely browned. Worth every penny.

If you're serious about homemade pizza this steel is essential

I've been working on the perfect homemade pizza for a long time, this is hands down the biggest game changer in homemade pizza that I've ever used. Absolutely outstanding results with store bought as well as homemade dough. You'll never get a classic Neapolitan pie in a home oven, there simply is not enough heat. This steel makes an incredible New York style thin crust that I've been aiming for for years!

Pizza Making Connoisseur APPROVED.

Bought this as a gift for my dad, a pizza making connoisseur. He had the clay stone (broke) and other pizza trays and didn’t think that this stone would do much of a difference, but took me up on it and gave it a whirl. OK- the difference it made. Wow. Amazing. Life changing. All around fantastic pizza. The crust, the dough, everything was terrific in ways we couldn’t have achieved using the others. He makes pizza and other bread related things on it all the time now. Once it’s heat up it only takes a few minutes to work it’s magic. AND it’s made in the USA! Great product. My dads a picky guy, but NerdChef has won him over.

Stellar results!

I have always had a keen interest in Neapolitan style pizzas, but was troubled with the fact that I wasn't able to recreate what I tasted at a pizzeria in my own home due to the lack of a traditional wood fire oven. However, the pizza steel from nerd chef changed that! It was easy to use, had clear instructions, and seems to be very well made. Although I have only used it once so far, my results were unbelievably amazing. I was shocked to see that I had finally mastered the pizza crust I had been striving towards for years! This product is worth every penny and I cannot wait to find other uses for it as well. If you enjoy pizza crusts with real color along with crust formation, be sure to buy this pizza steel! In no time at all, I assure that you will be whipping up pizzas even better than those that you find at your towns best pizzerias. I was not disappointed and am excited to continue using my pizza steel for many years to come!

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