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High-quality pizza pans heat evenly to produce excellent crust, are easy to clean, and make pulling your pizza in and out of the oven a breeze.
The Lodge Pro-Logic Cast Iron Pizza Pan is our top pick because it's made of durable cast iron that heats evenly, is nonstick, and cleans up effortlessly.
Few things in this life are more beautiful than a homemade pizza fresh out of the oven. Still, there's the breath-holding moment as you cut into the pie hoping to feel and hear the telltale crunch that lets you know the crust is done just right. The best way to ensure that the crust and toppings reach perfection at the same time is to use a top-quality pizza pan.
Pizza pans are generally made of cast iron, aluminum, stainless steel, or a combination of aluminum and steel. Cast iron pans are heavier and add a deeper, richer flavor to the crust. But, you need to be careful that you season the surface of the pan and avoid cleaning it with detergent. Stainless steel pans are durable and inexpensive, but they tend to burn pizzas easily. Aluminum is durable, simple to clean, and heats evenly. Lastly, aluminized steel combines the benefits of aluminum and steel to cook pizza evenly and produce a crispy crust.
Two of the pans in our guide are perforated, which is to say they have holes in the bottom. The holes allow heat to hit the crust directly during baking, which causes the crust to get crispier. The pizza also cooks more quickly with perforated pans. If crispy crust and fast cooking times sound appealing, consider a perforated pan.
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The hue of the pan also affects the cooking time. Darker pans tend to absorb the oven's heat better, and this helps your pizza cook faster, but this is not always a good thing. When you have deep dish, stuffed, or other thicker pizzas, you don't want the crust to cook too quickly, or else, it could burn before the toppings are cooked all the way through. In this instance, a lighter-colored pan would be preferable.
In this guide, we are specifically focusing on pizza pans. Previously, we covered pizza stones, which are excellent for pizza baking but tend to cost more. We thought pans and stones deserved separate guides. However, our top pick, the Lodge Cast Iron Pizza Pan, straddles the hazy line between the two so we chose to include it on both lists.
While researching the best pizza pans, we read through hundreds of buyer and expert ratings and reviews of dozens of models. Our guide features pans that have a track record of performance, durability, and ease of use.
The Lodge Pro-Logic Cast Iron Pizza Pan is ideal for creating crispy crusts. Although the pan is hefty at about 11 pounds, it features large, side-loop handles that make it easy to maneuver. The interior baking area has a diameter of about 14 inches so you can cook large pizzas.
Since cast iron is best after years of seasoning, put the soap away when it's time to clean the pan. Instead, once it cools down, just wash with water and dry it thoroughly. Lodge backs the quality of this pan with a lifetime limited warranty.
Serious Eats recommends the Lodge Cast Iron Pizza Pan because the crust it produces is as good as it gets. After preheating the oven at 550 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour, the pan cooked a pizza in eight minutes in their tests. The reviewer liked the light charring in some parts of the crust and the superb crunchiness. However, she notes that the pan isn't completely flat, which can lead to pizzas over 14 inches running into the surrounding lip. Stones and Pizza, Wide Open Eats, and All Listings also recommend this pan.
There are more than 1,600 five-star reviews of the Lodge Cast Iron Pizza Pan on Amazon. The most helpful reviewer recommends the pan because it has a wide array of uses, comes pre-seasoned, makes the best pizza, doesn't stain, heats evenly, and cleans up effortlessly. He does note that the weight of the pan may be a bit much for some.
Another buyer used the pan for making dosas, which turned out restaurant-quality. Yet, it did take some work for her to get the cast iron seasoned to her liking.
The Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza Pan is unique because it has a wire rod-reinforced edge that is more than an inch deep. This makes it useful for the deep dish and stuffed pizzas. Additionally, the pan has a diameter of about 14 inches so you can bake rather large pies.
The pan is made of heavy-duty aluminized steel and is oven-safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The nonstick surface is silicone, which can scratch if you use sharp utensils. Therefore, we recommend removing the pizza from the pan before cutting it.
About 95% of the Amazon reviews of the Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza Pan are positive. Buyers report excellent results using the pan for a variety of pizza styles, including St. Louis thin crust, deep dish, and stuffed pizza. There are also several comments about the dark metal absorbing heat well and producing a crunchier crust.
One reviewer cautions against heating the pan above 480 degrees Fahrenheit because the silicone starts to lose its nonstick properties at this temperature.
Pros: Works well for a variety of pizza styles, great nonstick coating, durable, dishwasher safe
Cons: Can’t use a pizza cutter on the pan, only oven safe to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
Aside from its small size, the Calphalon 7-inch Mini Pizza Pan is unique because the bottom is perforated to allow for maximum airflow and a crispy crust. Heat is distributed evenly thanks to the heavy-gauge steel core, and the interlocking nonstick layers allow you to just slide your pizza off the pan when done.
Calphalon recommends only using wooden, coated, or nylon utensils to make sure the nonstick surface performs optimally. They back the quality of this product with a full lifetime warranty.
There are few firsthand expert reviews of the Calphalon Mini Pizza Pan. There are several sites that recommend this model, though. Among them is Ama Top 10, which found that the pan performs well, is durable, distributes heat well, and the non-stick cooking surface made clean-up effortless. The only complaint the reviewer had was that due to their shape, the pans actually produce smaller pizzas than the "7-inch" in their name suggests.
Approximately 83% of the Amazon buyers who reviewed the Calphalon Mini Pizza Pan gave it five stars. Jamie, the most helpful reviewer, purchased the pans to use with her preschool-aged grandchildren. She found the nonstick properties were impressive, even without spraying first. Yet, she would have liked it if there was a lip or handles to grab the pans by.
Other buyers find the pans are sized well for use in toaster ovens and air fryers and can be used to make an array of foods, including croissants, toast, veggie tots, and more.
Pros: Impressive non-stick properties, full lifetime warranty, works well in a variety of smaller appliances
Cons: Hard to remove from the oven, produces pizzas that are actually smaller than 7 inches
Why you'll love it: The contoured handles of the Baker's Secret Signature Pizza Pan make it easy to put your pizza in the oven and take it out.
The design of the Baker's Secret Signature Pizza Pan is pretty simple with a flat interior that can accompany pizzas up to 14 inches in diameter. Along the edge is a lip of about half an inch that keeps ingredients from falling off and burning up in your oven.
The pan is covered with a nonstick coating that can handle metal utensils and trips through the dishwasher. Handles jut out about an inch or so on either end of the pan to make it easy to grab your pizza. And, Baker’s Secret backs their product with a full lifetime warranty.
Jane’s Kitchen Miracles recommends the Baker's Secret Signature Pizza Pan because the reviewer found the non-stick coating was resistant to scratching, and she appreciated its durability. Ten Best Product recommends this model because they liked that the handles made the pan easy to maneuver. And, the reviewer noted that the incredible nonstick surface allowed pizzas to just slide off.
Around 87% of the Amazon reviews of the Baker's Secret Signature Pizza Pan are for four or five stars. The most helpful reviewer was impressed with how sturdy the pan is. She tried to bend it and could not. And, compared to similarly priced pans, she found this is much more durable.
Other buyers note that the nonstick properties make the cooking and cleaning processes more pleasant. The pan also works well as a normal baking sheet or drip pan.
Pros: Heavy duty construction, the handles make it easy to move the pan around, full lifetime warranty, resistant to scratching from metal utensils
Cons: Lip makes it hard to remove pizza with a baking peel
Why you'll love it: If you are on a budget but want a high-quality pizza pan that will cook your pie evenly, the AirBake Nonstick Pizza Pan by T-fal is a smart solution.
Bakeware in T-fal’s AirBake series features two separate layers of aluminum with airflow between them. The idea behind this “insulated” bakeware is to cook food evenly without burning it. This construction appears to be effective with the AirBake Nonstick Pizza Pan by T-fal.
Additionally, the bottom of the pan is perforated to release moisture, and the aluminum has a nonstick coating which facilitates easy cleanup.
Kitchenette Jen recommends the T-fal AirBake Nonstick Pizza Pan because it works well for larger pizzas and produces a unique flavor. Yet, she found it hard to take it out of the oven since it doesn’t have any handles. Village Bakery says the design allowed them to make perfectly browned pizza with a tasty crust. The reviewer notes that the pan works well for both homemade, from-scratch pizza and frozen pizza.
The T-fal AirBake Nonstick Pizza Pan garnered four or five stars from about 93 percent of Amazon reviewers. The most common positive comment is that the holes in the pan make it easy for heat to pass through and evenly cook the pizza. Many buyers are also impressed with how easy the pan is to clean by hand.
The main complaint is that it’s hard to cut pizza on the pan because of the holes. The sauce would leak through and get on the counter. This is also an issue when using the pan to make French fries or other foods that may release liquids so you may want to position a drip pan on a lower rack.
Pros: Affordable, easy to clean, cooks pizzas evenly, durable construction
Cons: Doesn’t have handles, liquids can leak through holes in the bottom of the pan
