Yay or nay?

Discover what the internet is saying about Baking Steel.

Upgraded Reviews scanned the web to find out what real users are saying about Baking Steel.

See the highlights below and decide for yourself!

Pros and Cons

Table of contents

✅ Pros

“The crusts on my pizzas have been so much crisper and faster-cooking since I started using it.”
Review Pros
“When preheated the Original Baking Steel produced pizzas with crispy, gold-bottomed crust that were spotted with char just like the ones from a great neighborhood pizzeria.”
“It preheats faster than cordierite stones.”
“Wood peel is both functional and beautiful.”
“It is indestructible.”
“We also used it as a griddle on both the indoor gas stove and our outdoor grill – it is the bomb!”
“The steel is already seasoned and ready to go when you get it.”
“It conducts heat better than any ceramic stone we tested, yielding pizzas with dark and puffy crusts.”
“I found that my pizzas cooked easily in under 5 minutes — sometimes less. They also had much crisper crusts all the way through, not just on the edges.”
“The steel retained its heat impressively while baking three frozen pizzas consecutively in testing.”
“Weighing in at around 23 pounds, the Baking Steel Skinny Griddle absorbs and conducts heat far better than any baking sheet or pizza stone I’ve tried.”
“It’s simple—just a 15-pound slab of steel—but versatile, functioning equally well on the stovetop as a griddle, in the oven, under the broiler, and on a charcoal or gas grill.”
“Its thermal mass helps my oven maintain a more even temperature.”
“The Original Baking Steel is available in a few sizes, from a small square to an extra-large rectangular pizza stone with a rimmed edge that can fit two small pizzas or pies at once.”
“The website is easy to navigate.”
“This is more easily stored than a pizza stone, since it’s very slim and can fit between cabinets or even under the couch.”
“It can be used on your gas stove top as a griddle, in the oven, and on a grill.”
“The first pizza we baked on this thinner steel was delicious, crusty, and chewy.”
“The biggest tick in the “pro” column for a baking steel is that it’s not just meant for pizza.”
“Unlike so many ovens that require more setup or an exhaustive firing process, The Original Baking Steel is more convenient and accessible for most at-home cooks.”
“It makes excellent pizzas.”
“It can be used on your grill or stovetop.”
“It works so well, and it will optimize even a weak oven, turning it into a hotter, better vehicle for great pizza.”
“It is easy to clean.”
“It is pre-seasoned and ready to use right away.”
“It doesn’t show wear like cordierite stones.”
“It is practically indestructible.”
“The most noticeable aspect of The Original Baking Steel is the temperature consistency across its cook surface.”
“You can use pretty much any pizza dough recipe you like on it and use the same process for all of them.”
“The price is on the high end, but with the Original Baking Steel, you absolutely get what you pay for.”
“Imagine the perfect mashup of a pro sheet pan, a luxury griddle, and a fancy pizza stone.”
“I like the excellent heat conductivity and retention.”
“I’ve been using one for months and can vouch for the versatility and power this tool brings to any home kitchen.”
“Skinny Griddle is one of the most simple, yet versatile cooking surfaces you’ll find.”
“The Original Baking Steel is smaller and less bulky than larger pizza ovens.”
“This steel’s user-friendliness makes it much more reasonable to make any night of the week pizza night.”
“Unlike the FibraMent, this durable steel plate is safe to use under any broiler and on the grill.”
“The Original Baking Steel consistently turns out some of the best quality pizza they’ve ever had from a normal range oven.”
“It takes minimal maintenance to keep it in top shape.”
“It has excellent thermal conductivity for superior pizza.”
“It produced a Margherita pizza with a light and airy texture, a crispy bottom and nice char marks.”
“It fits nicely on even a small oven rack.”
“You can even use it to get a crispier bottom on your deep dish and skillet pizzas which bake in pans by sliding the pans right onto the steel.”

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❌ Cons

“It is heavy to lift.”
“The ¼-inch Original Baking Steel doesn’t pack enough heat for back-to-back pizzas.”
“It takes quite a long time to cool down, which isn’t ideal if you need to use your oven without the baking steel within an hour or so after turning the oven off.”
“The way the oven rack curls up slightly in my smaller oven here in Boston means the front of the baking steel does bump right up against the door of the oven when closed.”
“The surface temperatures of this steel do not compare with the high-fired temperatures of a wood-fired oven.”
“It is pricey.”
“It has lower average stone temperature.”
“Weight might be an issue for some, but it’s unavoidable as it’s baked into the idea of this product.”
“Steels like this are rather heavy and hard to move.”
“It’s heavy! It takes some concentration to pull it in and out of the oven, and forget about moving it if it’s still hot.”
“It gives off too much intense heat for baking bread and more-delicate baked goods, and it will scorch the bottoms of cookies or croissants.”
“It also takes a lot of muscle to hoist this 23-pound slab of steel in and out of the oven.”
“It gets too hot for baking bread or cooking on the grill.”
“The Baking Steel is quite heavy at 16 lbs, which can make it tricky to lift and move around.”
“The heat profile depends on oven output.”

⚖️ Final Say

Read the summaries of what reviewers think about Baking Steel below.

Review Summaries
“Any of these stones or steels will improve your home baking, but the Original Baking Steel takes the top prize because of its versatility and indestructible construction. If you’re looking for the best baking stone, choose the FibraMent-D Pizza Stone, which is utilitarian, sturdy, and perfect for someone who plans to use their baking stone every day, for baking tasks beyond great pizza.”
“If you’re really serious about pizza quality, the Baking Steel is absolutely the best all-around choice.”
“Baking Steel is a complete game-changer in the home pizza-making market; it helps make pizzeria-quality pizza, and much more, in your kitchen.”
“It’s absolutely indestructible, easy to clean, elegant in any kitchen, and incredibly fun to cook with.”
“If you are serious about your pizza and/or all the many other things you can cook or bake on a pizza stone or steel this is a must have. Between its stellar performance, durability, ease of use, and cleaning it doesn’t get much better than this. Yes, pizza stones are cheaper but they can (and do) break , this is something that will not only never break put you can pass down to your descendants .”
“If you want the best possible chance at creating a pizza with the black-spotted crust of a brick-oven Neapolitan pie, the ⅜-inch-thick Modernist Cuisine Baking Steel is your best bet.”
“This thing makes fabulous pizzas, and in its recycled plastic case, it fits just about anywhere in my kitchen. I keep it slid out of the way behind a cabinet right now; it takes up almost no space.”
“The Original Baking Steel is made of incredibly durable steel that performed well in testing. It produced a Margherita pizza with a light and airy texture, a crispy bottom and nice char marks. The steel retained its heat impressively while baking three frozen pizzas consecutively in testing.”
“If you love making pizzas at home but don’t have the space to store or fire a portable-sized pizza oven, a baking steel like this one is a fantastic alternative. The beauty of this product is in its simplicity; rather than setting up and firing an oven, you can focus on making a great pizza. Its simple design also makes it much less expensive. And for those who love a quality New York slice, there may be no better option for making your favorite pizza at home.”
“If you love pizza and want to make it — and make it well — at home, a baking steel is a great addition to your kitchen. Whether you’re making pizza regularly or just bringing it out once or twice a year for pizza parties, it very quickly pays for itself compared to ordering delivery pizza.”

💸 Top Current Discount

25% off Baking Steel Nonstick Carbon Steel Pans

See all Baking Steel deals