ThermiChef 14" x 14" Pizza Steel - 3/8" Steel, 20 lbs

Came quickly, well packed, and in excellent condition. I washed it with mild soap, applied a thin coat of oil, and seasoned it in the oven at 350 °F for one hour as instructed. While doing this, I kept my pizza stone in the oven to compare performance—actually giving the stone a slight advantage since it was positioned closer to the heating element. Despite that, the baking steel clearly outperformed the stone. It reached maximum temperature faster (measured with an infrared thermometer) and, more importantly, retained heat significantly better after 15 and 30 minutes with the oven turned off. I purchased the 20 × 14 × 3/8 inch version so I can bake two pizzas at once. This is a solid piece of steel, and its ~30 lb weight is not a drawback—it’s actually a major part of why it performs so well. The higher mass (and therefore thermal capacity) allows it to store more energy and transfer heat more efficiently into the dough, resulting in better oven spring and crust development compared to a stone. Because of that weight, I plan to keep it in the oven unless necessary to remove it. The dimensions listed on the product page are accurate, so in my opinion, complaints about it not fitting or being too heavy are not particularly justified—the specifications are clearly stated. Overall, a very worthwhile upgrade over a traditional pizza stone.

This is an awesome pizza steel delivering fantastic results for pizza. Note the 3/8" thick steel is quite heavy and large, and you want to be careful handling it to put it in the oven - you do not want to drop this on your foot! For best results you take your bottom oven rack and put it in the lowest rung in your oven and let it heat for at least a full hour after your oven reaches the desired temperature. I usually cook thin crust pizza at 500 degrees right on the steel and it takes less than 8 minutes to cook beautifully. This steel is also easy to clean. One last comment, you will need to season it when you first get it - tip - open some windows and turn on your exhaust fan as it will put off some smoke and fumes when you do this. The first time I used it it still gave off a little bit of fumes, but not after that. Highly recommended.

If you want to make NY style pizza in your home oven, the Thermichef pizza steel is for you - look at that crust - you can't get this with a pizza stone! Just be sure to measure the depth and width of your oven before you select a size. My oven just barely accommodates the 16" X 16" steel

Crisps the bottom of the pizza wonderfully, and seasoning adheres to the steel quite securely! It is pretty heavy and awkward though. Also, the edges aren't bevelled like I think they should be. Which makes it kind of rough around the edges. It also holds onto heat extremely well. (Kind of the point) But I'm finding it to be overkill, because I don't often throw "pizza parties" with people over. The 1/4in thick one would likely have suited me just fine for heat retention/transference and due to it being thinner and lighter, would rebound quickly anyway. In hindsight, I think I shouldve went with the 1/4 inch thick model. Maybe I will gift this one, and get the 1/4in thick model in the future! We'll see! If you love pizza, this is a fantastic kitchen tool and will improve the crisp of your home made pies a lot! (Works for breads too) It was great, but wasn't IDEAL for me, so it gets a 3 star. But it could be a 4 or 5 for you, so give it a try!

I got the XL size because I wanted to be able to use it as a 2-burner griddle, and for that, it works perfectly. Just in the first few days of owning it, I cooked 6 tortillas at once for tacos, browned 3 lbs of chicken in one go, and slowly caramelized 6 onions while keeping other pots and pans free for other tasks. For pizza, its intended use, it produces crisp crusts like a champ, and its size and shape make it perfect for chilling and using as a pastry slab for croissants. It's the ultimate "pan" for cooking for a crowd, and it makes my 12-inch cast iron skillet look small and cramped by comparison. Downsides? It's a thick slab of steel. It is quite heavy and, despite its versatility, it isn't enjoyable to move from oven to stove to fridge to counter all the time. Second, it takes a long, long time to properly heat and cool, which is why I wouldn't want to leave it in the oven permanently. Its heat sink abilities work against you in this way; it takes a lot for this thing to change temperature, and that's good if you're making bread or keeping something cold, but it's also a drag when you're trying to get it up to temp. If I'm using it as a griddle, I'll turn on the burners before I even get out the flour to mix the tortilla dough. Definitely not good for impromptu or short-notice cooking. These downsides come from the same qualities that make this steel so great, so they're not at all surprising. This is a tool that is both versatile and specialized: versatile because its ability to store heat on a large surface is useful in myriad applications, but specialized because that ability to store heat comes with some significant practical drawbacks for everyday cooking. This steel will get you great results for a particular set of tasks, and if you have the ability and luxury to plan ahead, it can't be beat.