Best Pizza Stone for Grill – SuperSnacktime Guide
Grilling pizza gives you results closer to a brick oven pizza. It not only makes super-crispy crust but also imparts the traditional smoke flavor into your pizza to make it tastier than regular pizza.
That said, the missing link to perfectly grilling your pizza is a pizza stone. As opposed to directly placing the pizza on the grates, the best pizza stone for grill helps keep the temperatures consistent and evenly distributes heat across the entire surface for evenly cooked pizza.
In this guide, we’ll be looking at some of the most popular grill-friendly pizza stones you can order today to entertain your family and friends with the most delicious pizzas this grilling season.
Why Use a Pizza Stone?
If you’re not sure whether a pizza baking stone is a good choice for making pizza at home, here are a few reasons why you might want to use them.
They make perfect pizza with crispy crusts
The most obvious reason why you should use a pizza stone is that it makes a crispy and tasty pizza crusty. The stone absorbs the heat produced by the grill, distributes across its surface, and then holds it. This helps keep the temperature steady, even when you introduce a cold pizza on its surface.
This enables stones to cook pizza evenly while forming a crispy crust at the base. Unlike your regular baking pan, the pizza stone gives your pizza dough that first blast of high heat that forms the basis of a crispy base.
Withstands high grilling temperatures
Something else that makes stones a good option for grilling pizza is that they’re capable of withstanding the high heat inside your grill. This can be quite overwhelming for some baking pans.
Just make sure you preheat it at the same time you preheat your grill and you shouldn’t have to worry about the stone breaking or cracking due to high temperatures.
Easy to use and maintain
Using a pizza stone requires no special skills. The process is pretty much the same as that of making pizza with your oven: you put it on your grill, place your pizza directly on its surface, and then bake for the correct amount of time.
The cleanup part is also easy and you don’t need to use any detergents or soap dishes. Some scrubbing and wiping with hot water and drying is all you need. Most stones feature a non-stick surface for even easier cleaning.
Versatility
A pizza stone is a multi-purpose investment that you can use to not only grill pizza but also make other foods like bread, cookies, roast veggie, etc. The baking stones can work on ovens as well. The metal models can even work on your indoor/outdoor stovetop as griddles.
They’re affordable
Lastly, pizza stones don’t cost an arm and a leg. While some models like those made with steel or cast iron may come at a higher price, you can get ceramic baking stones that cost you around $30 bucks and do the job quite well.
Types Of Pizza Stones
One of the key distinguishing features of pizza stones is that they’re made using different materials. These materials can be classified into two major categories:
- Stone materials (they include clay, ceramic, and cordierite)
- metal stones (they include steel and cast iron).
Familiarize yourself with each of these materials below so that you will be in a better position to decide which one will meet your specific needs.
Ceramic
A ceramic pizza stone for grill is made by baking clay in the kiln and then hardening and molding it into the appropriate shape. These stones do a good job of trapping and conducting heat at extremely high temperatures. They allow even distribution of heat which is crucial for evenly cooked, tasty pizza and crisp crusts.
Pros:
- even heat distribution
- affordably priced
- lighter than metal stones
- require low maintenance
Cons:
- less durable
- vulnerable to thermal shock
- take long to heat up
Cordierite
Cordierite is a mineral that finds heavy usage in making kiln shelves. This sheds a light on its high durability and ability to withstand high temperatures without shattering or breaking.
Pizza stones made using this meat can serve you for a long time and are pretty easy to use. They’re able to hold their moisture well and draw in moisture from the dough during baking to leave you with a crispy pizza bottom. Though they cost a bit higher than ceramic stones, they still fall within the affordable range.
Pros:
- thermal shock resistant
- durable than ceramic stones
- can withstand high temperatures
- offer even heat radiation
Cons:
- long preheating time
- affordable
Steel
Steel pizza stones come as a single piece of pure steel metal. These baking plates are highly popular among bakers due to the metal’s excellent conductivity of intense amounts of heat. This enables the surface to heat faster than other stone materials, forming a crisp crust at lower temperatures than the other stones.
Pros:
- extremely durable construction
- virtually indestructible
- superior heat conduction and distribution
- creates super-crispy pizza bottom
- can handle extremely high temperatures
- resistant to thermal shock
- can be used as both hot and cold plates
Cons:
- can be quite heavy and a challenge to maneuver
- higher pricing
- requires regular maintenance (seasoning)
Cast Iron
Cast iron makes a good candidate for pizza stones because it has great heat retention and can withstand extremely high temperatures. The cast iron pizza stone models are virtually indestructible and won’t break, crack, or warp, and will last forever. They also have a high thermal shock resistance score, further enhancing their durability.
Pros:
- extremely durable
- thermal shock resistant
- excellent heat conduction/retention
- resistant to warping
Cons:
- highly susceptible to rusting
- require regular maintenance (seasoning)
- pricey
Top 10 Best Pizza Stone for Grill
1. Vminno 15”x 15” Round Engineered Tuff Cordierite Pizza Stone
If you regularly make pizza at home, this is a good pizza stone for you. Featuring a wallet-friendly price, the stone has a round shape and measures 15 x15 inches, so it is wide enough to make a big enough pizza for your whole family or friends.
The stone is made using cordierite material, which is treated in a kiln to high temperatures of up to 2000 degrees F for hours for superior strength and durability.
Pizza made using this Vminno stone is crispy at the bottom and soft on the side and tastes great! This is because the stone is capable of absorbing and holding a lot of heat and evenly disturbing it across its entire surface to ensure your pizza gets evenly cooked without getting burnt.
At only 6.5lbs, this stone is pretty light and easy to maneuver. Cleaning it super-easy with the included scraper. And unlike other stones, it doesn’t come with any unpleasant odors.
You can use it not only on your grill and BBQ but also in your oven. Other than pizza, you can also use this stone to make bread, biscuits, cookies, and more.
2. Unicook Heavy Duty Cordierite Pizza Stone
Pizza nights in the backyard will never be the same after you get your hands on this pizza stone for gas grill. The stone is made from natural Cordierite material for excellent thermal shock resistance and high durability.
The Unicook heavy-duty stone boasts high heat resistance up to 1450 degrees F, making it safe for use in grill without worrying about cracking or shattering.
It distributes heat evenly across the surface, ensuring optimal cooking for your pizza. It works for both fresh and frozen pizza, whether you’re using a grill or an oven. When not baking pizza, you can use this stone for baking bread or cookies at home.
You’ll like that the stone surface features invisible microspores that absorb moisture during cooking, preventing pizza sogginess associated with baking pans and enhancing the formation of a crisp crust for your pizza.
This rectangular cordierite stone measures 14.9″ by 11.8″ and has a good thickness of 0.6″ for excellent heat retention. It weighs up to 6.6bs which is on the lighter side compared to the steel stones.
When you order this pizza stone, you’ll get a free multi-use plastic scrapper to help you easily cut your dough and clean the baking stone after use.
3. Cast Elegance Theramite Durable Pizza and Baking Stone
Cast Elegance is one of the top brands in the production of the best pizza stone for grill models in the USA. This model from the manufacture is high-quality and will help you easily make perfectly cooked pizza on your grill or oven.
Designed using Cast Elegance’s Theramite material, this baking stone excellently absorbs moisture from your pizza dough as it bakes to ensure a crisp crust. It features a suitable thickness of 5/8-inch which enables it to retain heat pretty well to ensure your stone bakes evenly without any hotspots.
One of the things that set this baking stone from other models is that it is completely food safe. It is fired in kiln at extremely high temperatures and doesn’t let out any odors, making it 100% food safe!
The round stone has also been formulated and tested to withstand extreme thermal shock, so you should never worry about possible cracking when using it at higher temperatures.
Cast Elegance sends you a handful of bonus essential tools alongside this stone to help you get the most out of it. These include a scrapper for cutting and cleaning and a recipe book with up to 30 pages of ideas.
4. PK Grills 14-inch Round Ceramic Pizza Stone
We also rate this round ceramic pizza stone as the best pizza stone for grill and oven because it lets you transform your BBQ grill into an outdoor pizza oven. The stone is 14-inch in diameter and easily fits the most popular grill models.
A 14-inch diameter makes this stone large enough for preparing a big pizza for your friends when you have parties or for your family movie nights. Besides, you can use this ceramic stone to make other food items like bread, rolls, and bagels.
While most manufacturers fail to add handles to their pizza stones, PK Grills is an exception. They send this stone to you with a stainless steel rack for easy convenient handling.
Its surface is unglazed to ensure optimal heat distribution across the entire surface and absorbs moisture pretty well to give you crisp crusts.
5. Emile Henry Flame Top 14.5″ Pizza Stone
If you’re on the market for the best pizza stone for charcoal grill, you just found this Emile Henry Flame pizza stone. This stone is pretty versatile and works on charcoal, natural wood, and gas grills or ovens rated up to 900 degrees.
The round pizza stone is proudly made in France using an all-natural ceramic material. Its surface is glazed to resist scratches, chipping, and increase the stone’s durability. This means you can directly cut your cooked pizza on this stone without worrying about leaving screams and marks on the surface.
Because this glaze is micro-crazed, it doesn’t block heat distribution or moisture absorption, which are necessary for a well-baked pizza with crispy crust.
With the included handles, carrying this stone around and using it becomes easier for you.
The cleaning part is easy as this pizza stone has a non-stick glazed surface. Flours won’t get burned on and any cheese that melts on the surface wipes right away effortlessly. It is also dishwasher safe for an even easier cleaning experience.
6. Kamado Joe BJ-PS24 Big Joe Pizza Stone
Do you like coal-fired pizza? If yes, this Kamado Joe BJ-PS24 Big Joe Pizza Stone will definitely please you. It lets you make a delicious pizza in your backyard or balcony—with crispy crust at the bottom, a chewy center, and perfectly melted cheese. Cooking wood-fired pizza just got easy!
This best pizza stone for grill from Kamado Joe Ceramic Grills company. They designed this stone with a high-impact ceramic material to distribute heat evenly and absorb the extra moisture to give your homemade pizza a crispy crust every time.
The round stone is 15 inches in diameter and is designed to fit all Kamado Joe grills. It is also deep enough and will survive many pizza cooking sessions.
Unlike other ceramic pizzas that tend to crack easily, this Kamado Joe model is made with high-impact ceramic material that has high strength and doesn’t break easily. It is also made to withstand high grilling temperatures without cracking.
This pizza stone heats up pretty quickly and is ready for use in just a few minutes, making it incredibly easy to use for you. It is also easy to clean and the white color gives it a clean feel.
7. SOLIDO Rectangular 14″x16″ Pizza Stone
The Solido rectangular 14 by 16 inches large pizza stone will let you instantly convert your outdoor grill into a pizza oven. It is made using quality materials and is strong enough to withstand extremely high temperatures in your BBQ or grill.
The special heat spiral feature makes this pizza stone unique as no other baking stone bears such a feature. The feature helps solve the crust problem for good by enabling this stone to heat up faster than typical stones and retain more heat in the center for super-crispy crusts.
With a size of 14 x 16 inches, this pizza stone perfectly fits the most common grills as well as standard ovens. The stone is pretty large and has a rectangular shape to offer you an extensive cooking surface over the round pizza pan and stone models.
And on the underside of this stone, you’ll discover beautifully crafted feet that help keep your stone balanced. The feet also give you a more superior grip on your pizza stone and make it easy to maneuver compared to competing stones which sit flush on flat surfaces.
8. Cuisinart CPS-445, 3-Piece Pizza Grilling Set
This Cuisinart pizza grilling set is a great bargain if you’re just getting started with pizza grilling. It comes complete with the pizza stone, pizza peel, and a pizza cutter—making it a perfect starter pack at a great price point.
The stone is round and 13 inches in diameter. It is made from cordierite and it’s thick enough to retain heat and help you cook your pizzas evenly and with a crispy crust. What’s more, it absorbs the moisture pretty well for a soggy-free pizza.
You’ll have an easy time moving your cooked or uncooked pizza back and forth, thanks to the included pizza peel. You’ll also appreciate that this peel is made from sturdy stainless steel for durable and hassle-free maintenance. It also comes with a folding handle to allow for easy storage.
The pizza wheel easily cuts through the pizza pies and gives you perfect slices. It is pretty sharp out of the box and will effortlessly slice through the puffy crust and the crisp base with the first pass.
For a pizza grilling starter pack that comes at a great price point, you can’t go wrong with this Cuisinart 3-piece set. It makes your work of cooking, transporting, and cutting your home-baked pizza into perfect slices a breeze!
9. Heritage 15 inch Ceramic Baking Pizza Stone
Our second last spot for the best pizza stone for grill reviews goes to this Heritage 15-inch round baking stone. This is a suitable choice for anyone who is just getting started in making pizzas at home and wants an inexpensive stone they can grill pizza with.
Pizzas you make with this Heritage ceramic baking pizza stone will come out with delightfully crispy crust, just as you desire!
Heritage understands pretty well that ceramic alone isn’t durable for a pizza stone. They have engineered this model with a heat-resistant coating to shield it from extremely high grilling temperatures and increase its durability.
The coating also stops the stone from smoking due to high temperatures, ensuring it doesn’t affect your pizza flavor in any way.
Maintenance is easy for this pizza stone because it is highly grease and burn resistant. It comes coated with a non-stick glaze that keeps the dough from sticking on it and creating a mess, making cleanup a breeze.
Keep in mind that this pizza stone is packed complete with a bonus pizza cutter to let your slice through your cooked pizzas with ease!
10. Culinary Couture Pizza Stone for Grill and Oven
The Culinary Couture pizza stone for use with grill and oven is the last model on our list. The stone is shipped to you in secure, high-quality packaging enforced with polyethylene foam to ensure it reaches you in tip-top condition.
It comes in a round shape with a 15-inch diameter and boasts a thicker design (¾-inch) than most of its competitor stones. This makes it capable of retaining heat quite well to let you easily achieve crispy pizza crust every time.
The pizza stone is well-engineered using cordierite ceramic material for high strength, high-temperature resistance, and excellent durability.
It can withstand blazing temperatures of up to 10000 degrees F. This makes it safe for use with both oven and grill and you can use it without fears of breaking due to thermal shock.
Stain- and odor-resistant properties of this cordierite pizza stone assure you that you make healthier pizzas for your family and friends every time.
Apart from pizza, you can use this versatile pizza stone also works great for making other treats such as chicken tenders, cookies, bread, or shrimp.
How to choose Pizza Stone For Grill
Pizza stones aren’t built to the same quality and performance standards, so you need to know what to look for to help you get the best grill pizza stone for your specific needs.
Keep the following things in mind when shopping for a pizza stone for use with a grill
Construction
As you have seen from our list above, different models are made using different materials. We looked at each of these materials and their characteristics earlier on, so we won’t go there again.
The most popular materials are ceramic, cordierite, and steel. The first two are inexpensive. Ceramic is less durable than cordierite. Both stone materials will make perfect crisp crusts.
Steel is the crème de la crème of pizza stones. It is extremely durable, superior heat conductor, and cooks your pizza pretty fast. It also makes your pizza bottom super-crispy. However, it comes at higher pricing than ceramic stone.
Depending on your budget and special needs, you should be able to easily decide which of these two models to buy.
Size and shape
The perfect model for you should come with the right size that can easily fit in your grill as well as the oven and be spacious enough to hold the different types of pizza you plan to prepare.
In terms of shape, you should consider going for rectangular models. The standard rectangular pizza stone for grill measures 16 x 14 inches and offers you enough surface area for pizza while being versatile enough to cook other food items like baguettes, calzones, etc.
If you’ll be using your stone to only grill pizzas, a round or square model will be enough.
Thickness
The thicker stones tend to absorb and conduct heat better, resulting to evenly cooked pizzas with a perfectly crispy crust. This makes them a good choice for professional pizza bakers.
Keep in mind, however, that thicker stones are usually heavier and take longer to heat up. More depth has a direct relation with quality and tends to come at a higher cost.
Too thin stone can get cracked easily, especially those made from ceramic or clay. Consider going for a stone that’s at least ¾-inch thick for good durability and longevity.
How To Use A Pizza Stone In Your Grill Or Smoker
First time using a pizza stone om grill? If yes, you’ll be surprised by how easy this process is. It’s not much different baking pizzas in your oven.
The following quick guide takes you through key steps for making pizza in your grill or smoker:
Step 1. Preheat the grill and stone
You’ll first need to pre-heat your grill and the pizza stone for bbq at the same time. Fire up your grill and let it heat up to the maximum grill temperature. This should take around 15 minutes for a gas grill.
Step 2. Prep your pizza
As you wait for your grill and stone to heat up, prep your pizza for baking. Roll and stretch it out. In case your dough is sticky, consider sprinkling it with some cornmeal to prevent it from sticking on the stone surface. Finally, add the pizza sauce and your desired toppings.
Step 3. Transfer your pizza to the grill
With your grill and stone heated up and ready, open the hood and evenly sprinkle some cornmeal on the stone surface to further minimize stickiness. Gently transfer your raw pizza onto the stone and make sure it’s well centered on the stone.
Close the hood and give your pizza time to bake. We suggest that you lower the temperature down a bit to medium so that it’s not too much for the pizza. But still hot enough to enable the pizza to form a crispy base during the baking process.
Step 5. Get the ready pizza out of the grill
After the pizza is completely cooked, use a wide spatula and slide it off the stone and onto a sheet pan. Remember to turn your grill off and leave your pizza stone in there to cool off slowly. Alternatively, you can leave the stone to cool on the counter.
Video: How to Use a Pizza Stone on Your Grill
Final Verdict
Grilling is a great way to make perfectly even cooked pizza with a super-crispy bottom. And having the right pizza stone will make this easily achievable.
Now that you have everything you need to know before you go shopping for a pizza stone for a grill, including some of the best pizza stone for grill models available on the market today, you should have an easy time deciding on the right model to get for your pizza grilling needs.
