If you’re enthusiastic about making pizza but you’re unsure how you could improve your recipe – maybe it doesn’t need changing at all. Maybe all you need is a new pan. A good pan can make a world of difference when it comes to pizza.
You can improve even an average pizza by making it in a quality pizza pan, as it will bake more evenly, the crust will be crispier, and the toppings won’t have undercooked spots. So get ready to make and eat all the pizza you can.
The Types of Pizza Pans
All that is why we decided to make a quick overview of the options you’ll come across when looking for a pizza pan and save you the time you would spend going through the best pizza steel reviews when you’re not even sure what a pizza steel is.
Pizza Steels
The name is quite self-explanatory – a pizza steel is a pan that resembles a flat slab of steel you put your pizza on to bake it. Pizza steels are amazing heat conductors and are a guarantee that your pizza will be baked evenly.
Pizza Stones
Pizza stones are specifically made for pizza, usually out of ceramic or cordierite that gives your pizza that specific texture you get when making a pizza in an actual stone oven. By absorbing the excess moisture from the dough, a pizza stone will help you make the crispiest crust you’ve ever made.
Pizza Screens and Disks
If you like making your pizza with a very thin crust, pizza disks and screens are what you should look into. Because of the mesh bottom, heat transfers to the pizza dough much easier and faster, making the crust extra crispy, and speeding up the process of baking.
Deep Dish Pizza Pans
On the other side of the spectrum, if you like your pizza to have a very thick crust, you simply can’t go wrong with deep-dish pizza pans. The additional structure on the sides lets you form the edges of the pizza’s crust however you want to and make the dough as thick as you like it.
Types of Pizza Pan Surfaces
Every one of these types of pans can also come with different surfaces that the pizza will lay on. The surface can play a great part in how the crust turns out and how fast the pizza is baked, so here are the main types of surfaces you’ll encounter.
Solid Pizza Pans
Solid pizza pans are what we most commonly come across but aren’t the best if you want your crust to be crispy, as they transfer heat a bit slower than those with nibs or perforations, resulting in a little doughier crust.
Nibbed Pizza Pans
Nibbed pizza pans are the ones with an uneven surface with nibs and bumps all over them. It helps the airflow, helps the dough bake faster, and makes it crispier than you would get with a solid surface.
Perforated Pizza Pans
Perforated pizza pans are pans with holes in their surface, which help the pizza bake much faster than it normally would and help get some of the crispiest crusts you’ve ever encountered. You can also come across a super-perforated pizza pan, which is essentially the same thing, but with more holes and even faster cooking times.
Which One Should You Choose
When it comes down to your choice of pan, you should think about your pizza making style and try to enhance your technique with the correct tools. There’s a suitable pizza pan for any style of pizza you prefer, and it’s not that hard to find it when you know the basics of how they work.
You have a wide array of pans to choose from, but as long as you pick one that you think it’s best for you, there is no doubt that your pizza will become better for it. Just combine the love and knowledge you have with the right set of tools, and there will be no end to the good pizzas that come out of your oven.
Another honorable mention would be cast iron pizza pans, which are the most versatile of the bunch but also quite heavy. You do still have the option of getting one if you want to bake a pizza practically anywhere.
In Conclusion
Now that you have all the info you could need, there’s nothing stopping you from ordering your new pizza pan today and surprising your loved ones with a new level of home-made pizza they haven’t experienced before.
