How do I use a pizza peel?
When your pizza is ready for the oven, slide it onto the peel, carry it to the oven and let it slide off. Because the peel has a handle, you can place the pizza in the right spot near the heat.
To turn the pizza, slide it back onto the peel, turn it a bit and put it back, or use a turning peel for that part. When the pizza is ready, take it out with the peel.
Some pizza ovens come with a peel. Start with that one; once you have more experience, you can try another type.
Five kinds of pizza peel
Some peels combine them, for example a perforated steel peel with a nonstick coating.
Wood
Usually has a sloped front edge, which makes it easy to slide a pizza from the worktop onto the peel. Without that edge, it is really just a pizza board.
Aluminium
Light and strong. Treated aluminium has a smooth finish and costs a little more, but lasts a lifetime if you take care of it.
Stainless steel
A bit heavier than aluminium, but also stronger and stiffer. Lasts for many years.
Perforated
Holes in the blade make the pizza slide off more easily, and excess flour falls through instead of burning in the oven.
Nonstick
Has a nonstick coating, like the one on your frying pans.
What is a turning peel?
A smaller peel, usually round, made to turn the pizza while it stays in the oven. With a normal peel, you have to take the pizza out to turn it, and it cools down a little. If you want to up your pizza game, a turning peel is a must-have.
What should I look for when buying a pizza peel?
Online, it is hard to judge quality, so read reviews or ask someone you trust. Look closely at where the handle and the blade are attached: that is the weakest point of a peel, and if something breaks, it will probably be there.
How do I store a pizza peel?
Hang it up or stand it somewhere safe. We prefer hanging it: then it cannot fall over.
Which pizza peel do we use?
A perforated peel. We like the feel of it, the pizza seems to stick to it less, and the excess flour falls through the holes instead of ending up in the oven.
Pizza sticking to your peel? See What to do if pizza sticks to the pizza peel?