What to Buy Kitchen Tools The 7 Best Pizza Peels of 2023 Our expert-approved top picks effectively keep your dough intact while removing excess flour underneath. By Clarissa Buch Zilberman Clarissa Buch Zilberman Clarissa Buch Zilberman is a freelance Commerce Writer at Food & Wine, specializing in product reviews and roundups. Her work has also appeared in Travel + Leisure, Bon Appétit, Entrepreneur and Realtor.com, among other print and digital titles. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 19, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Courtesy of Amazon You've gathered all the ingredients to make the ultimate pizza at home, including fresh dough, your favorite sauce, freshly-grated cheese, and a bucket of delicious toppings. But to achieve that perfectly crispy, golden-brown crust — and to keep your pizza intact as you delicately transfer it from countertop to oven — you'll need a pizza peel. Before you invest in a fancy pizza oven, the elemental tool you need to make fresh pies at home is the pizza peel. This large, paddle-like spatula is indispensable for moving dough in and out of the oven without breaks or tears. It also helps ensure the crust bakes to a perfect crisp by removing any excess flour from the bottom of the dough. From acacia wood to stainless steel and aluminum options in varying shapes and sizes, it can be tricky to determine which type of pizza peel deserves a spot in your kitchen. We tapped pizza experts and chefs to get their recommendations for the best pizza peels they use in their home kitchens. Our Top Picks Heritage Acacia Wood Pizza Peel Courtesy of Amazon View at Amazon The smooth, wooden surface of the Heritage Acacia Wood Pizza Peel ensures pesky dough won't stick to the bottom of the paddle, allowing your pizza to seamlessly slide in and out of the oven. It's also thick enough to resist warping over time, as the solid acacia wood material is durable, scratch-resistant, and easy to maintain. Simply treating it with food-safe wood oil should do the trick. Finished off with an ergonomic handle, you'll have no trouble maneuvering all types of pizza with it, even up to full 12-inch pies. Price at time of publish: $35 Material: Acacia woodSize: 14 inches Pizza Oven Brush and Peel Courtesy of Amazon View at Amazon If you're looking to enhance your pizza skills, why stop at a peel? Bryant Haren of Barca Pier & Wine Bar recommends this affordable brush and peel set, which can help home cooks not only transfer pizza in and out of the oven but also remove debris from burning during the baking process. "While the peel allows you to drop the pizza into the oven, the brush removes the ash from the wood and flour away from the deck of the oven. If the deck isn't swept regularly, then the pizza will char on the bottom, leaving it black and bitter. How often an oven is swept has a direct effect on the quality of the pizza coming out." This peel features a perforated carrying surface, which, in addition to the brush, can help remove excess flour from the dough. Both tools are nearly 40 inches in length, so you can easily reach deep into your oven. When you're done, you can use the scraper side of the brush to clean your pizza oven or pizza stone, readying it for next time. Price at time of publish: $70 Material: AluminumSize: 9 inches G.I. Metal Short Handle with Small Blade Courtesy of Maine Wood Heat View at Maine Wood Heat Co. Instead of wood, metal peels offer similar benefits. John Arcudi of Delfina is a long-time user of the G.I. Metal Short Handle from Maine Wood Heat Co. The stainless-steel design offers durability and strength without unnecessary weight. The material also helps reduce heat transmission when transferring pizza, with a sliding grip handle. "My favorite peel to use is metal [because it's] super light, longer, smaller, and much easier to manipulate in the oven. We do load the pizzas with a standard [wooden] pizza peel, but we much prefer the metal peel [while] in the oven and for removal." Price at time of publish: $81 Material: Stainless steelSize: 6.5 inches Related: The 10 Best Pizza Tools of 2023 New Star Foodservice Restaurant-Grade Wooden Pizza Peel Courtesy of Amazon View at Amazon One of the more popular pizza peels on the market, the New Star Foodservice Restaurant-Grade Wooden Pizza Peel is favored among chefs for its clean design, ease of use, and durability. With a tapered edge and thin body, users can quickly slide it under the dough without disrupting the pizza's texture. Made from a lightweight basswood material, the smooth, even texture resists cracking and warping and helps fight against secreting unwanted oils from the wood over time. "Select a good wood peel that is square-shaped. Lubricate it with a thin layer of fresh flour to allow the loaded crust to slide off easily in the desired part of the oven floor. These peels are also great for baking bread," says Rick Moonen of Perry's Restaurants. Price at time of publish: $29 Material: BasswoodSize: 14 inches Ironwood Gourmet Napoli Pizza Peel Courtesy of Amazon View at Amazon Steven Richard of Paddlefish Restaurant has used the same pizza stone and peel in his home kitchen for more than 30 years. He suggests finding a pizza stone of similar size and using them in tandem. The Ironwood Gourmet Napoli Pizza Peel is an excellent choice, crafted from durable, food-grade wood with a smooth, slanted edge for easy sliding. "[When] the two tools are the same size, they work well together as a team. I can build a pizza that will cover the whole stone, right on the peel. With a bit of coarse cornmeal between the peel and the pie, the hardwood peel gives up the pizza to the stone without sticking. It has a short handle and can go right to the table as a serving vehicle. The wooden peel is always your friend." Price at time of publish: $31 Material: Acacia wood Size: 14 inches GreenerHome Pizza Peel Courtesy of Amazon View at Amazon The GreenerHome Pizza Peel is made from triple-layer, restaurant-grade bamboo and finished with a light coating of oil for lasting durability. Like other peels recommended by our chefs, this pick also features tapered edges, helping users to slide their pizza in and out of the oven. When you're done, simply wipe it clean and hang it up on the wall for next time. You can use this peel as a charcuterie board, too, thanks to its large paddle surface. "Nothing beats a good, old-fashioned tapered wooden pizza peel," says Michael Ferraro of Tavistock Restaurants. "This peel allows you to easily maneuver pies in an oven." Price at time of publish: $40 Material: BambooSize: 16 inches American Metalcraft Extra-Large Blade 30-Inch Pizza Peel Courtesy of Amazon View at Amazon An alternative to stainless steel is this sturdy, three-rivet, aluminum-made American Metalcraft Pizza Peel. Typically, stainless steel or aluminum peels require less maintenance and upkeep than their wooden counterparts. Simply use it and wipe it clean when done. "This [will be] your best friend for moving and rotating the pizza as it cooks. It works well to remove the cooked pizza to a cutting surface to serve," says Rick Moonen of Perry's Restaurants. Another benefit of aluminum peels is their thin construction, which makes sliding under dough easy. The short wooden handle also provides a secure, comfortable, and heat-resistant grip for a traditional home oven. Price at time of publish: $30 Material: AluminumSize: 16 inches Our Expertise Clarissa Buch Zilberman is an acclaimed food writer with nearly a decade of experience. She has written for Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Visit Florida, and more. For this piece, she researched and tested different pizza peels and consulted chefs and kitchen experts. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit