Published September 1, 2003.
We tested several stones in different shapes, sizes, materials, and price ranges to find out that more money doesn’t necessarily buy you the best stone.
Baking stones (also called pizza stones) are prized for their ability to retain heat and lessen the effects of hot spots and temperature fluctuations in home ovens. Usually made of clay or ceramics (although soapstone and composite cement stones are also available), baking stones, when coupled with extreme heat, absorb moisture, thus producing crispier, drier pizzas, breads, and calzones.
We tested seven stones in different shapes, sizes, and materials, ranging in price from $19.99 to $89.99. We judged the stones on two main criteria: design (including ease of use, installation, and storage) and performance (including heat conductivity and evenness of browning and crispness of baked goods). There was little issue with heat conductivity. We took the surface temperature of each stone, and each one exceeded 500 degrees after 60 minutes of preheating. Also, with little variance, all seven stones produced evenly colored and crisp crusts on pizzas and calzones.
Although performance was similar in all models tested, some designs were much easier to work with. Lipped edges inhibited easy placement and removal of food from a peel, and stones with this feature were downgraded, as were stones that were extremely heavy (one weighed a whopping 19 pounds). We did not like clay tiles (they seemed easy to lose and were hard to install), and stones that were either too big to fit in most home ovens or too small to handle a large pizza received low marks. Our recommendation: Choose a good-sized stone (about 14 by 16 inches is ideal) with smooth edges. Note that more money does not necessarily buy a better stone.
