A few years ago, I made it my goal to make pizzeria-quality pizza at home. I bought a premium pizza stone, invested in the yummiest ingredients, and read countless cookbooks.
My pizza game was good but not great. I was missing something. Then, it dawned on me: Professional pizza chefs carry those large paddles like they are extensions of their bodies. I needed to get myself a pizza peel.
This tool quickly became indispensable to me. It made it possible for me to transfer and rotate pizzas in my unbearably hot oven. When I am not flipping delicious tomato pies, I use my peels as serving trays and kitchen decorations.
Best Pizza Peels
1. Checkered Chef Pizza Cutter and Paddle
This extra-large pizza paddle and cutter set will help you turn your kitchen into Little Italy. It even comes with a restaurant-quality silicone dough mat. Essentially, the set includes everything you need to make the perfect homemade pizza. Well, everything besides the dough, cheese, and tomato sauce…
The super-thin stainless steel paddle has a unique folding handle. Pizza making at home has never been easier! The wide, flat handle protects fingers from slips. The sturdy metal paddle will never buckle under the weight of an everything pie. It slides right under hot pizzas, making for super smooth transfers.
Pros
- Sturdy stainless steel paddle
- Folding plastic handle
- Comes with a dough mat with pizza-making guides
- Comes with a matching stainless steel pizza cutter
Cons
- Suitable for small pizzas
2. Chef Pomodoro Aluminum Metal Pizza Peel with Foldable Wood Handle
Chef Pomodoro’s metal pizza peel is a miraculous kitchen invention. First off, its pizza box packaging makes it a spectacular gift. The smooth food-grade aluminum paddle offers clean dough transfers. Meanwhile, its foldable metal handle allows for oven-mitt-free retrievals. Plus, this thing fits into the tiniest of residential kitchen cabinets.
Use the Pomodoro to step up everything from your pizza to your cake game. The paddle is 14 inches long and 12 inches wide. Its 11-inch wooden handle turns 180 degrees, giving it the smallest possible footprint when it is in storage. Naturally, the light-colored pine complements the silvery aluminum quite nicely!
Pros
- Safety back step
- Foldable pine handle
- Made from food-grade aluminum
Cons
- Needs to be dismantled to be folded
3. Pizza Royale Bamboo Pizza Peel
The Pizza Royale is by far the wooden pizza peel for artisanal flatbreads. First off, this lovely kitchen utensil is made from sustainably sourced bamboo. It is 19.6 inches long and 12 inches wide, making it the perfect tool for personal pies. The notched wood handle is easy to grip. The Royale logo, which is burned into the wooden board, gives the peel a touch of character.
Unlike cheap wood peels, this bamboo masterpiece will not split, warp, or splinter. Just use a bit of warm water to remove any stuck-on food particles. We love that Pizza Royale has backed this peel with a generous 180-day guarantee. It’s a 100% risk-free purchase!
Pros
- Extra-long handle
- Easy to maintain
- Perfect for personal pizzas
- 180-day guarantee
- Made from sustainably sourced bamboo
- Notched handle with hole for hanging
Cons
- Cannot put in a dishwasher
4. Heritage Acai Wood Pizza Peel
This wooden pizza paddle will spice up your kitchen. It has a sharp design, with lovely tapered edges that make dough transfers a breeze. The acai wood has a deep brown color with vibrant sepia highlights. We strongly recommend using it as a decorative piece; there is even a hole that you can thread a string through.
The rounded handle makes for safe transfers in and out of hot ovens. Don’t underestimate the peel’s potential. It makes an excellent charcuterie board or serving tray. It is 22 inches long and 14 inches wide; you’ll have no trouble squeezing a large piece of dough onto this wooden paddle.
Pros
- Made from gorgeous acai wood
- Ergonomic handle
- Hole for hanging
- 14 inches wide
Cons
- Pricey
5. New Star Foodservice Aluminum Pizza Paddle
The New Star Foodservice Pizzle paddle has a handle that’s suitable for wood-fired ovens. It has a 12-by-14-inch rectangular blade. Plus, its wooden handle extends nearly 26 inches, keeping fingers away from scalding oven walls. The handle is connected to the blade with triple rivets, ensuring that no cook will fall victim to a falling pie.
This is the sort of kitchen gadget you would find in the kitchen of a professional chef. Don’t let this lengthy peel intimidate you. It’s a good investment for anyone who starts to take their pizza-making seriously.
Pros
- Food-grade aluminum paddle
- 26-inch wooden handle
- Slides under pizzas with ease
- The handle is permanently attached
Cons
- Not good for rotation
6. Honey-Can-Do Foldable Pizza Peel
Here we have the stainless steel pizza peel on the market. The Honey-Can-Do is a 14-inch foldable pizza peel that makes it super easy to remove piping-hot baked goods from the oven. The gorgeous wooden swivel handle folds in for easier storage. You can even use it without oven mitts.
The easy-glide aluminum paddle sends properly floured or oiled pizzas flying. The generous paddle fits pizzas of all shapes and sizes. It even comes wrapped in a shroud of protective plastic. So, there are no smudge marks or nicks to be seen.
You can’t get away with stuffing this peel into the dishwasher. For one, it’s bound to obstruct a machine’s spinning spray arms. Plus, the wooden handle swells when exposed to water for long periods.
Pros
- Compact
- Handle swivels in for easier storage
- Easy to clean
- Non-stick surface
Cons
- Not dishwasher safe
7. Komista Perforated Pizza Peel
Komista makes a fabulous perforated pizza peel. This grated anodized aluminum surface enables home cooks to transfer pizzas, sandwiches, and other foods with ease. The peel’s heat-resistant plastic handle is secured to the blade with three large, overlapping rivets. The peel’s machined perforations eliminate excess flour from the bottom of homemade pizzas.
Plus, this peel’s tapered front lip makes for smoother dough transfers. The paddle is 14 inches long and 12 inches wide. The handle gives it an additional 7 inches of length.
Pros
- Reduces flour caking
- Sturdy food-grade aluminum
- Tapered front edge
- Measures 12 by 21 inches
Cons
- Pricey
8. American Metalcraft Large Blade Peel
This long pizza spatula is quite the bargain. It features an extra-large food-grade aluminum paddle and a long wooden handle. It is available in a variety of lengths, including ones with 28-, 37-, and 54-inches lengths.
We recommend the 54-inch spatula for outdoor wood-fired ovens. While the gluten in pizza dough tends to cling to the silvery aluminum surface, a little cornmeal should be all you need to resolve this issue.
Pros
- Up to a 40-inch handle
- 14-by-16-inch blade
- thin, durable aluminum surface
- Inexpensive
Cons
- Hand wash only
- No tapered edge to catch slippery pies
Everything You Need to Know
If you want to make professional-grade pizza, you are going to need a pizza peel. Check out this video for step-by-step tips!
These pizza-making essentials are either made from wood or metal. Chefs use pizza peels to transfer the prepped dough in and out of hot ovens.
To use: First, preheat your pizza peel. Then, coat your peel in flour and cornmeal. When you’re done, place your freshly shaped dough on top of your warmed peel.
After that, you can add your toppings. Finally, shift the pizza peel back and form to transfer your pizza onto a preheated pizza. Or else, shove the peel under your perfectly charred pizza. Set it aside, and get your pizza cutter ready.
Many chefs prefer to use metal peels because it is easy to slide them under hot pizzas. They are also super easy to clean. Wooden pizza peels tend to be less clingy. They make it easier for inexperienced cooks to transfer raw pizza dough into a hot oven. However, these peels require more maintenance.
In the section below, we discuss the differences between aluminum and wood pizza cutters. We also go over the key considerations you need to make when purchasing one of these kitchen utensils.
The origins of this one-of-a-kind cooking tool are a bit hazy. We do know that the word peel is derived from the French word for a shovel. There’s no better way to grab a 500-degree pizza of dough from the oven. Most professional pizza makers will tell you that two shovels (peels) are better than one.
After all, you need to be able to snatch and rotate your pizza dough to make a James Beard-quality culinary masterpiece.
Factors to Consider
Material: Aluminum vs. Wood Pizza Peels
Traditional pizza peels were made from wood. Wood is readily available, durable, and attractive. Today’s consumers still appreciate the beauty and brawn of solid wood kitchen utensils.
Wood peels are not as sticky as aluminum peels. They double as charcuterie boards, which happen to be all the rage right now. Still, wood is undeniably bulky. It absorbs smells and stains. Moreover, it requires care and attention.
You cannot just stuff a wooden pizza peel in the dishwasher.
For this reason, many eco-conscious consumers have taken a liking to sustainably sourced woods, such as bamboo.
On the other hand, aluminum pizza peels handle well and are considerably durable. The thin metal blades are easy to slide under hot pies. They are super easy to wash. Moreover, they do not absorb odors or dyes.
Shape
Pizza peels may be round or rectangular. Ultimately, you want to choose a peel that has the same shape as your ideal pizza. Some pizza peels have sharp or tapered edges. These design features are both decorative and functional. They make it easier to transfer baked goods onto hot surfaces.
Size
Are you looking to create personal pizzas or pies for a crowd? As a good rule of thumb, pizza peels should have a paddle that is a least 14 inches long and 12 inches wide. The paddle should add even more length between a cook and their culinary creations.
Handle
A pizza peel’s handle needs to be long enough to extend to the back of an oven. You’re going to need an even longer handle if you’re going to be reaching into a large outdoor oven. Keep in mind that some modern pizza peels boast foldable handles. These peels fold up for easier storage.
FAQ
Do I need a pizza peel?Making a pizza without a pizza peel is like flipping a pancake without a spatula. Is it possible? Maybe. We're not in the business of questioning an age-old culinary process.
Do pizza peels only have on purpose?You can use a pizza peel to transfer all sorts of baked goods in and out of the oven, including pizza, stromboli, sandwiches, pies, cakes, and more. Pizza peels also make excellent charcuterie boards.
What size pizza peel should I purchase?According to the Chicago Tribune, the ideal pizza paddle is at least 14 inches wide and 15 inches long. A pizza paddle this size will make it easy for you to pull off pizzas big and small!
Summary
Pizza peels make homemade pizza even more fun! These paddles may just help you pull off restaurant-quality pizzas. We hope this buying guide makes it easier for you to succeed in your pizza-making adventure. Just for fun, share your favorite pizza toppings in the section below!
