I Made 24 Pizzas and Ciabatta Loaves to Find the Best Pizza Stones

Great pizza needs high heat to achieve a puffy crust and a tender crumb. However, this is hard (truly!) to achieve at home. Most New York-style pizza ovens bake off their pies at 600 to 700ºF while the average home oven tops out at 550ºF (if that). All’s not lost, though—with a good pizza stone, an at-home pizzaiolo can replicate their favorite slice in the comfort of their kitchen. 

Pizza stones are usually made from ceramic or cordierite (a type of ceramic with a high mineral content). This material is great at absorbing and holding onto heat—even as the oven temperature swings up and down when the burner kicks on and off, the stone itself will stay consistent. Cordierite is also porous: It absorbs moisture from the dough as it bakes, so the bottom gets crispier. 

Despite all this pizza talk, pizza stones aren’t just for pies. They’re great for bread baking, with consistent heat helping the yeast create a steady rise in the dough (pizza stones and baking stones are synonymous).

To find the best pizza stones, I baked 24 pizzas and 24 loaves of ciabatta using 12 slabs of cordierite (well, one was made from ceramic). I looked for which ones were easiest to use, had the best heat retention, and baked the crispest crusts.

The Winners, at a Glance

The Unicook stone is 15 millimeters thick, which helps it retain heat when baking pizzas back to back, baking up puffy crusts and crisp bottoms. Its larger surface accommodated a variety of pizza sizes and shapes (like rectangular sfincione) and allowed me to bake two loaves of bread side by side. 

At 22 inches wide, this stone had enough space to cook two smaller pizzas simultaneously, and because it was only nine millimeters thick, it reached 500ºF in just 30 minutes. It cooked great pizzas and baked big, open loaves of ciabatta. 

This stone performed as well as all the others, but is slightly smaller at 16 by 14 inches. This makes it a great pick for people with narrow ovens. It’s also more affordable. 

With four individual 8- by 8-inch tiles instead of one large stone, this set allows you to arrange them in the best pattern for your bake. They also take up less storage space and, since you can move them one at a time, are easier to load into the oven for people with limited mobility. 

The Tests

• Back-to-Back Pizza Test: To test each stone’s heat retention, I baked two New York-style pizzas back to back. I checked the stone's temperature with an infrared thermometer at 30 minutes and 60 minutes during preheating, and then before and after each pizza. I then evaluated each pizza’s crust, looking for deeply browned bottoms with puffy, soft interiors. 
• Ciabatta Test: I baked two ciabatta loaves side by side on each stone to see if they were large enough to accommodate both. I also checked the temperature with an infrared thermometer pre- and post-bake and evaluated each loaf for its oven spring and even browning.
• Usability and Cleanup Tests: I tested how easy each stone was to move into and out of the oven both with bare hands (while still cool) and while wearing heat-resistant gloves after baking. I also evaluated how well each stone fit on my oven's rack, and how easy it was to clean them off after baking. 

What We Learned

Why Only Square and Rectangular Pizza Stones? 

When I was researching pizza stones, I had the choice to include circular, square, and rectangular models in this testing. While a circular stone makes logical sense for round pizzas, this shape is limiting. As bread baker extraordinaire and culinary instructor Andrew Janjgiian noted previously, baking stones that are square or rectangular are much more versatile, since there’s extra room in the corners when you’re launching your pizza. At the same time, they’re also more accommodating for other pizza shapes or baking multiple breads at once (like baguettes). For that reason, I decided not to test any circular stones.

Pizza Stones Really Worked

The biggest takeaway from all my testing is that every model made delicious pizzas and excellent ciabatta loaves. As noted in our comparison of baking steels versus stones, cordierite pizza stones have a lot of thermal mass, which means they absorb heat and retain it very well throughout the entire bake.

Even after making two pizzas and two loaves of ciabatta on each stone, the results were so similar that I couldn’t make a judgment based on performance. Instead, when picking winners, I was more swayed by small design details that impacted usability—even though every stone baked just fine, not all of them were a dream to use.

What Size Pizza Stone Was Best?

The best results came from larger stones, like the Unicook Large Pizza Stone and Sur La Table Pizza Stone. Both took up nearly the entire oven rack, giving me ample room to launch pizzas and side-by-side ciabattas. This meant I didn’t have to be as precise with my peel, and it was much less stressful to complete the day’s bake when I wasn't nervous about dough sliding off the edge and spilling sauce all over my oven's floor. The smallest stone I tested, the Ooni Baking Stone, was still able to accommodate things, but it was a nail-biter: One of the ciabatta loaves started sagging, and the only thing that saved me from disaster was a quick yank on the parchment paper to recenter things. 

Thicker Stones Retained More Heat, but Thinner Stones Recovered Faster

Most stones came in either a 15-millimeter or 10-millimeter thickness, and the 15-millimeter stones were much better at retaining heat between bakes. Both the Unicook and CucinaPro Pizza Stone only lost about 50ºF after the first bake, and each was able to recover to over 500ºF before the next pizza was ready. But even though thinner stones (like the Sur La Table and Outset Pizza Grill Stone Tiles) tended to lose closer to 60ºF to 80ºF after the first bake, they were still able to fully recover in just a few minutes. They preheated faster, too, with 10-millimeter pizza stones reaching 500ºF in 30 minutes and 15-millimeter stones taking closer to 45 minutes. 

Handles Got in the Way

As tricky as it can be to pick a handleless pizza stone up off the counter, handles always get in the way. The ROCKSHEAT Pizza Stone has two sets of indented handles, one for either side of the stone, but neither is centered. This made it awkward to carry since the weight was always tilting forward, but it also cut into usable baking space. The Nordic Ware Deluxe Square Pizza Stone With Rack had a stainless steel cage that the stone sat in, but its handles protruded so much that it prevented me from being able to launch my pizzas with a peel. The handles also crowded the ciabatta loaves, preventing them from rising freely. Finally, the Emile Henry French Ceramic Baking handles were comfortable to hold, but they also felt precarious. It was the only stone I tested made from ceramic instead of cordierite, and picking it up by the handles made the whole stone flex slightly, making me worry about cracking. 

The Best Stones Were Two-Sided

While I generally liked the King Arthur Bread and Pizza Stone and Honey Can Do Pizza Stone, both had a pattern of raised lines on the underside of the stone, advertised as “promoting even heating.” In my testing, I didn’t notice any heating advantages of these ridged patterns, but did find that they prevented the stones from being two-sided. Dual-sided stones mean you have double the baking surface to use—if one side ends up with a lot of stains (which really isn’t that big of a deal; see below) you still have another one. 

Stains Were Bound to Happen

Because cordierite is porous, any spills will quickly soak into the surface and turn into permanent stains. And while they may not look very attractive, there’s not much you can do to get rid of them. Most manufacturers encourage you not to wash the stones at all, since moisture can get trapped inside and weaken the stone over time (or even turn into mildew or mold).

How to Clean a Pizza Stone

Again, do not wash a pizza stone. In that vein, you should never use soap on a pizza stone—doing so runs the risk of your stone forever smelling like soap (and potentially imparting off flavors into whatever you’re baking). Instead, stones are best cleaned by wiping them down with a damp cloth after they’ve fully cooled. If there ever is a spill, scrape as much off as you can with bench scraper, and be prepared for the stone to smoke a little when you preheat it next. Any leftover bits of food will burn off and leave the surface ready for your next pie.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Pizza Stone

When it comes to pizza stones, size and shape are the most important factors since all the ceramic and cordierite stones we tested performed similarly. The best stones are wide enough to accommodate multiple loaves of bread and have flat, unimpeded baking surfaces. They’re also two-sided, so you can flip your stone between bakes. 

Our Favorite Baking Stones

What we liked: This stone evenly browned both pizza crusts back to back, producing a tender, open crumb with a crisp bottom. Its 15-millimeter thickness had great heat retention, too, only dropping about 40ºF between the first bake and the second. It was roomy enough to accommodate both ciabatta loaves—which baked up big and puffy—but it’s still small enough to fit into most people’s ovens. And it’s heat-safe up to 1450ºF, which means you can use it on a gas grill, too.

What we didn’t like: At just over 11 pounds, it’s the heaviest stone we tested. This makes it harder to load into the oven, but it means it's trickier to pick up from a counter if it’s lying flat.

Key Specs

• Materials: Cordierite
• Weight: 11.22 pounds
• Dimensions: 20 x 13.5 inches
• Thickness: 15 millimeters
• Max temp: 1450ºF
• Preheating instructions: Preheat to at least 500ºF for 40 to 60 minutes
• Care instructions: Wipe clean with a damp cloth, dry fully

What we liked: I loved this roomy, extra-wide stone—it easily fit both ciabatta loaves, and it could likely fit two smaller pizzas side by side, too. It preheated quickly, reaching over 500ºF in under 30 minutes, and even though the temperature dropped about 60 to 70ºF between the two pizzas, its 10-millimeter thick stone recovered before the second pizza was ready to launch. 

What we didn’t like: While it doesn’t weigh as much as our top pick, it’s still one of the heavier stones I tested. It’s also wide enough that it was a little cumbersome to move into and out of the oven. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Cordierite
• Weight: 9.4 pounds
• Dimensions: 22.5 x 13.5 inches
• Thickness: 10 millimeters
• Max temp: 1400ºF 
• Preheating instructions: Preheat to at least 500ºF for 30 minutes
• Care instructions: Wipe clean with a damp cloth, dry fully

What we liked: This stone matched performance with my top picks, but its 14- by 16-inch dimensions will fit in any oven—even the narrowest efficiency models—and also on most charcoal grills. It’s also slightly deeper than my top picks at 14 inches (instead of 13.5 inches), which means it can accommodate larger circular pizzas. Plus, it’s pretty affordable. 

What we didn’t like: It’s another heavy stone, and in my testing, I found models that were at least 20 inches were more versatile. But if you’ve got a smaller oven, or are looking for a slightly cheaper price, the CucinaPro fits the bill. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Cordierite
• Weight: 9.88 pounds
• Dimensions: 16 x 14 inches
• Thickness: 15 millimeters
• Max temp: 1400ºF
• Preheating instructions: Preheat to at least 500ºF for 30 minutes
• Care instructions: Wipe clean with a damp cloth, dry fully

What we liked: If you’re short of storage space, or think you might have trouble carrying a heavier pizza stone, this set of four individual tiles from Outset might be for you. Each tile is around eight by eight inches and just over a pound, meaning you can set them up in your oven however you like. Whether that’s a big square, two rectangles, or some other pattern that works for what you want to bake, the choice is yours. The stones heated up quickly and baked nice-looking pizzas and ciabatta loaves. When you’re done, you can stack them all in a pile for easier storage. 

What we didn’t like: It was a little precarious baking a pizza on them, only because there could potentially be space between the tiles that sauce spills can drip through. I also wish the tiles were more rectangular, to mimic the overall size and shape of my top picks.

Key Specs

• Materials: Cordierite
• Weight: 5.72 pounds
• Dimensions: 8 by 8 inches for each stone
• Thickness: 10 millimeters
• Max temp: 1450ºF
• Preheating instructions: Preheat to at least 500ºF for 40 to 60 minutes
• Care instructions: Wipe clean with a damp cloth, dry fully

The Competition

• Honey Can Do Pizza Stone: This stone performed well in our tests but its ridged bottom means it can only be used one-sided.
• ROCKSHEAT Pizza Stone: The off-center handle divots on this stone took up too much of the cooking surface’s real estate, limiting the size of my bakes.
• King Arthur Bread and Pizza Stone: This stone also had ridges that made it one-sided only. 
• Williams Sonoma Pizza Stone: Even though this stone performed well in tests, its higher price point kept it from being a winner.
• Emile Henry French Ceramic Baking: The glazed surface of this stone was easy to clean and crisped up breads well, but it's made from ceramic which is more susceptible to cracking under thermal shock than cordierite. It’s also very expensive. 
• Nordic Ware Deluxe Square Pizza Stone With Rack: The protruding handles on this stone’s stainless steel cradle prevented us from being able to launch directly onto the stone from the peel.
• Ooni Baking Stone: Though it performed just fine, this was the smallest stone out of every model we tested and it had trouble fitting two loaves of bread side-by-side. 
• Pizzacraft Pizza Stone: I actually liked this stone a lot as an alternative to my top pick, it seems to have availability issues.

FAQs

Do pizza stones really work?

They do! Pizza stones are made from cordierite, which is a mineral-rich type of ceramic that absorbs moisture and transfers heat directly to the crust, helping it crisp up better than a regular sheet pan. Once preheated, they act sort of like a battery for heat, continuously browning the crust even when the oven temperature fluctuates. They function similarly to pizza steels.

How long do you cook pizza on a pizza stone?

The length of time it takes to cook a pizza on a pizza stone varies by the style of pizza you’re making, the size of the pizza, and the temperature you’re cooking it at. For our New York-style pizza recipe, we suggest 12 to 15 minutes at 500ºF. It’s best to consult the specific recipe you’re making for the right time/temperature combination, but also keep an eye on how quickly the crust and cheese are browning. 

Should I oil my pizza stone?

No—pizza stones are made from a porous material and will absorb any oil that lands on them. This will then burn and smoke the next time the pizza stone is used. It’s also unnecessary to oil pizza stones because they don’t need to be seasoned. If a stone is preheated properly, the dough won’t stick at all, though you can always use a piece of parchment paper if you’re worried about sticking. 

Why is my pizza sticking to my pizza stone? 

If your pizza dough is sticking to the stone, it just hasn’t been preheated enough. As the pizza stone heats up, the pores on the surface stone will start to shrink. When it’s hot, dough will immediately begin to cook and release from the surface. A pizza stone that’s too cool will grab onto the dough while it’s cooking, causing it to stick. We recommend preheating your stone for at least 45 minutes at 500ºF. 

What pizza stones fit in a pizza oven?

Pizza ovens come with proprietary stones that fit in them. If your pizza oven's stone cracks, the manufacturer (like Ooni) likely has replacements for purchase.

Why We’re the Experts

• Jesse Raub was Serious Eats' commerce writer and spent over 15 years working in the specialty coffee industry. He was our in-house coffee expert and regularly tested baking gear for the site, including reviews of the Solo Stove Pi Pizza Oven and bread lames.
• For this review, Jesse spent over three weeks testing the pizza stones, dedicating an entire day to each stone and baking 24 pizzas and 24 ciabatta loaves.