If you are looking to make a wood-fired pizza at home without the wood-fired oven, a pizza stone is exactly what you are looking for. However, there are many materials to choose from with the most popular being clay and ceramic. Which one is best for you? Both materials work great at making a crispy pizza crust so the right one will depend on what you are looking for in a stone. Do you need a stone that is lightweight and easy to move around? Are you looking to make a super crispy crust? How much are you willing to pay? Here are some pros and cons when it comes to clay vs ceramic pizza stones.
Clay Pizza Stones
Pros: Clay pizza stones are very affordable. They produce a very crisp pizza crust. The best thing about clay pizza stones is that they season over time and which will create an amazing flavor in your crust.
Cons: Clay pizza stones are very hard to clean. You cannot clean them with soap so they end up looking nasty. They take forever to heat up. Most require at least 30 minutes of preheating before using. Clay stones tend to crack or break over time.
Our Favorite Clay Pizza Stone
Old Stone Oven Pizza Stone
The Old Stone Oven Pizza Stone is made of a clay that will store heat and evenly distribute it while your pizza is baking. This gives the pizza a nice chewy crust. To use this stone, preheat the oven to 500 degrees with the stone inside and wait for 30-40 minutes. The stone can handle the ultra-high heat.
Let it cool before cleaning it and dry it before putting it away. Over time, it will begin to look stained and ugly but this is normal and will not affect baking. You will get detailed instructions with the stone that will tell you how to clean it and what not to bake on it. A recipe book is also included. If you are looking for a clay pizza stone, then we highly recommend the Old Stone Oven Pizza Stone.
Ceramic Pizza Stones
Pros: Ceramic pizza stones create a delicious golden crust that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. They come in a variety of colors and can be cleaned with soap and water. Ceramic is lightweight and easy to handle. You can cut the pizza on ceramic without ruining the stone. Ceramic is less likely to crack than clay.
Cons: Ceramic pizza stones cost a lot more than clay pizza stones. They don’t hold in heat as well as clay.
Our Favorite Ceramic Pizza Stone
Emile Henry Flame Top Pizza Stone
We absolutely love the Emile Henry Flame Top Pizza Stone. This stone is so versatile that you’ll find a ton of uses for it. It can be used on top of the stove as a grilling platter or it can be used as a traditional pizza stone. It is made from Burgundy clay from France and glazed to create a ceramic stone that will heat quickly and evenly while being able to withstand high temperatures without cracking or breaking.
My favorite thing to do with this stone is put it on my grill and bake pizza outside in the summer. It is like having my own personal wood-fired pizza oven. The Emile Henry Pizza Stone is lightweight and easy to store. It can be cleaned with soap and water and is dishwasher safe. All Emile Henry products come with a 10-year warranty. If you love the idea of baking with a stone but don’t want to deal with a clay pizza stone, consider the Emile Henry Flame Top Pizza Stone.
