While you can never go wrong with takeaway pizza, we can all agree that food is more delicious when it’s homemade. Making pizza yourself gives you the creative freedom to add any toppings you’d like, and to experiment with flavours as much as you desire – for a fraction of the cost! All you need is a few key tools, most important of all, a high-quality pizza pan.
Fortunately for you, within this article we are going to reviewing a range of the best pizza pans out there. There’s a huge variety of pizza pans out there, each with their own benefits and setbacks which can make your choosing process difficult. Ultimately, it all depends on how you like your pizza. Each pan contributes to a different need, from thin-crust pizzas to the world-famous Chicago deep dish. By the end of this article, we’re certain that you’ll be sure about which pan to pick!
Best Pick
The versatility of this pan is unmatched, and it can be used in more ways than just one. It’s the most durable option and is sure to last you for years and years to come, making this the BEST pizza pan out there.
Budget Pick
This pizza pan is budget friendly and is sure to give you great quality results when you’re cooking from home. It’s both non-stick and dishwasher safe, which will definitely make your life easier in the kitchen.
Quick Comparison: 12 Best Pizza Pans
1. Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Baking Pan
This Lodge Cast Iron Baking pan boasts a few features which you could consider fundamental to your pizza pans. First of all, the pan is made from cast iron, which is renowned for its ability to hold and evenly distribute heat. This is crucial when baking pizza, for it means you won’t have to worry about rotating the pan or anything like that.
Moreover, this pan is pre-seasoned. Basically, this means that your pan won’t rust and that it can literally last for generations. Another great feature of this product is the handles. This takes the pan from merely a pizza tray to a fully-fledged, multi-use baking pan. You’re not limited to using this one for only pizza. It’s useful for cooking vegetables over a barbeque, to eggs over a stovetop.
Finally, let’s talk about the size of this pan. The pan itself is 14” in diameter, or the same size as a large pizza from Pizza Hut (and most other fast-food pizza chains). Pizza is a dish designed to be shared, and the fact that this pan’s size enables this is great.
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2. Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Non-stick Bakeware Pizza Pan
This pan is great for the modern home cook. Often, the worst part about cooking is the washing up. Fortunately, unlike many others, this pan is stainless steel and dishwasher safe. Another great feature of this product its non-stick nature.
Not only does this further assist in assuring an easy cleaning process, but it’s also a peace of mind thing. You can rest assured that your pizza won’t stick to the bottom of the pan and shred off the crispy bottom layer of dough when you try to dish it up. It never hurts to spray a bit of canola oil on the pan, though.
The pan itself, aside from being stainless steel, features a perforated base. This means that there are small holes all along the bottom. This is useful for allowing more moderated airflow along the base of the pizza, creating a crispier finish. For those who like their pizza dough to be crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside, we can’t recommend this style of pan enough.
Now, don’t be afraid that this might make the pan less sturdy or durable. The stainless steel in itself is actually quite thick, and the edges of the pan are even thicker. This will prevent any warping from occurring, keeping your pan solid for years to come.
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3. American Metalcraft TP10 TP Series Aluminium Pizza Pan
The American Metalcraft Aluminium pizza pan is a lightweight and inexpensive pizza pan which comes in a variety of sizes. This is an attractive looking pan, with a shiny and sleek design. The pans themselves are made of aluminium, meaning that they are not dishwasher safe, and instead must be hand-washed every time.
Aluminium is not as sturdy a metal as cast iron or stainless steel. Because of this, if you try and cut your pizza while it's still on the pan, then you’re going to leave scratches on the pan. This pan cooks pizza evenly, though remember to use cooking spray before use. This pan is not non-stick and could be left with stains and pizza remnants if you’re not careful.
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4. Wilton Premium Non-Stick Bakeware Pizza Pan
This pizza pan from Wilton is part of their bakeware range. The pan is 14” in diameter and 0.5” thick. It’s made from heavy-duty cold-rolled steel, which means that it’s stronger than other hot-rolled steel competitors.
The steel itself is non-stick, ensuring easy release of your pizza once it’s done cooking. The pan also offers hassle-free clean-up, being dishwasher safe. In shape it’s flat with a slightly raised edge, which allows you to pick it up and move it with ease. The only thing you should be careful about is to not cut your pizza while it’s still atop the pan. This is extremely likely to scratch the steel and damage the non-stick coating. If you wear off the coating in this way, you’ll have to resort to using cooking oil again.
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5. OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro Pizza Pan
The OXO Good Grips Pro Pizza Pan is a non-stick pan aluminized steel pan. The heavy-grade aluminized steel material of this product sees it distribute the heat fairly well throughout the pan. This delivers an even cook to your pizza dough.
What’s unique about this pan, however, is the double-layer ceramic-reinforced coating. Essentially, what this coating does, is that it prevents your pan from scratching, staining and rusting. This feature is sure to see the pain last for years to come. Another great aspect of this pan is the textured pattern all over the base. This micro-pattern promotes airflow along the bottom of your pizza, which too serves to maintain an evenly distributed cook.
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6. Heritage Black Ceramic Pizza Stone Pan
This pan stands out from the crowd in the sense that it’s not your typical steel or iron pan. Unlike those other options, this black ceramic stone pan will leave you feeling like a real deal pizza chef. The ceramic stone body of this pizza pan heats up faster than its metal competitors, and will hold heat for longer too.
Moreover, this stone pan is incredibly durable. Being made from stone and not metal, the stone will not stain nor scratch. Nor will it crack in the oven, as the ceramic that this pan is made from is built to last. In fact, these stone pans are generally built to last generations.
Yet another nice feature of this product is the fact that it comes with a pizza cutter. Without having to worry about scratching your pain, this cutter and pan make a great combo. Of course, with this pan being made of stone it’s not suitable for the dishwasher. However, it’s still a relatively easy clean. Cheese nor dough do not seem particularly interested in forging themselves to the base of this pan, and so the most effort you’d have to go through to clean it will be a simple scrub down.
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7. Home-Complete Cast Iron Pizza Pan
This is yet another Cast Iron pizza pan. Cast Iron is an extremely durable material which retains heat excellently. Not only that, but it’s known for its even heat distribution which will cook your pizzas evenly. However, this pizza pan is not limited to cooking pizza.
This pan has edges which stand quite tall over the base of the pan, which offer you a few more options than many other pizza trays. It’s entirely possible to cook an array of other foods in this pan, from mixed vegetables to eggs, or even pancakes. The slightly taller edges ensure that no food will spill out, unlike others. The pan is the average 14”, which is large enough to fit a lot of ingredients in, or to cook a large-sized pizza.
Another key feature in this product is the pre-seasoned nature of the cast iron metal. This means that the pan is non-stick, and that it won’t rust. One of the few drawbacks on this pan is that it’s not dishwasher safe. This wouldn’t be too much of a problem, however the cast-iron is quite coarse and gritty, which allows grease and food pieces to lodge themselves in causing you a hard time washing. However, this can be easily worked around with a simple soak, in most cases.Pros
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8. Wilton Perfect Results Non-Stick Crisper Pizza Pan
This Wilton pizza pan prides itself on delivering a really crispy crust. This steel pan is non-stick with perforated holes in the base. This design allows steady and even airflow, which contributes to the crispy base. Not only this, but the even airflow also helps to promote even cooking.
The standard 14” tray also has side handles to assist you with transportation in and out of the oven. The pan is technically dishwasher safe, though the company themselves recommends that you hand wash this one. Unlike some other pans which can be used atop a barbeque or stove, the perforated design of this one limits its use to oven only.
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9. New Star Foodservice 50752 Pizza Pan
New Star’s Foodservice Pizza Pan is an aluminium pizza pan which is 0.25” thick. The thin nature of this pan leaves it open to dent and scratch easier, so that’s something to be wary of. However, this also makes the pan extremely lightweight and easy to use. The design on this pan is sleek too, with a shiny body and gently sloped edges.
The pan comes in a variety of sizes, from 8” up to 20”, which is always a great option to have. Being made of aluminium, this pan is not dishwasher safe and requires a gentle hand washing. Aluminium will oxidize if you use it with dishwasher detergent, and you’ll lose the pans shiny glow. The pan isn’t non-stick either, which means you’ll have to use cooking spray on this one yourself.
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10. Chicago Metallic Deep-Dish Pizza Pan
This more niche pizza pan caters directly to the lovers of the world-famous Chicago deep-dish pizza. Unlike many others, this pizza tray is 1.5” deep, allowing you to create an authentic deep-dish style pizza. The pan itself is made from carbon steel, a lightweight yet durable metal. This makes the pan easy to pick up and carry around, especially compared to the cast iron skillet which too is often used to make this style of pizza.
Another great feature of this pan is the silicone-based non-stick coating. This is especially useful for these Chicago deep-dish style pizzas, which can sometimes be susceptible to sticking and tearing on the pan. The pan is dishwasher safe, though despite this it’s recommended that you hand wash it. This is because the silicon-based coating can be weakened after multiple runs through the dishwasher.
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11. Calphalon 4 Pack Mini Pizza Pan
These mini pizza pans come in sizes of 5” or 7”, which is less than half the size of your standard pan. However, they do come in a pack of 4. This would be a great way to share, for it allows you to have 4 different pizza flavours as opposed to just one or two like a regular pan would allow. This separates these pans from the rest, thanks to this unique style.
These trays also have all the great features you’d expect from a traditional pizza pan, too. They have a ceramic-based non-stick interior, which prevents rusting, sticking and scratching, leading to an incredibly durable pan. They are also dishwasher safe, which makes for a genuinely easy clean up. Yet another great feature on these ones is the perforated bottom, which will see that your pizzas cook evenly.
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12. AirBake Nonstick Pizza Pan
At 12.75”, the Airbake non-stick pizza pan comes in at an odd size. However, some people find the traditional 14” pans to be too large to fit in their oven. If this is the case for you, then this pan might be your saving grace. This pan features a unique insulating system, which is said to prevent burning.
It has two layers of aluminium which trap the heat in between. Rather than having the direct oven heat blowing onto the bottom of the pizza, there’s a layer of aluminium which blocks it. This sees the pan to be quite thick, at 1.4”.
The perforated base of this pan makes for a nice and even, crispy pizza base. Moreover, this pan boasts a dishwasher safe quality, meaning no hand washing required!
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Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Pizza Pan
You’ve got a few important things to think about before choosing which of these pizza pans to purchase. Ultimately, it all will come down to your preference. How you enjoy your pizza is a crucial thing to consider. If you like a crispy crust, you might choose a different pan to if you were a lover of deep dish.
Size too can matter a lot. Most regular pizza pans come in at a size of 14”, though as you would have seen our list includes a variety of diameter sizes. You’re going to have to consider the size of your oven, as well as the size of your dishwasher if that’s how you intend to clean it.
Here, we’ll run over the most important things you need to consider before choosing a product from our list.
What Material Should You Choose for Your Pizza Pan?
Most, if not all pizza pans are made from either cast iron, aluminium or steel. Each different metal has its own benefits, depending on your needs, and how you enjoy your pizza. We’ll discuss them all in detail first, before giving you a dot point summary at the end.
Cast Iron
Cast Iron is the heaviest of all the options. If you’re elderly, or have wrist or arm issues, this pan may be too heavy for you to use and we’d recommend a different option. The thickness of cast iron means that it retains heat very well. Not only this but it heats up faster than other options too, which generally speeds up cooking time.
These cast iron pizza pans are incredibly durable too, and are known to be passed down from generation to generation because of this. Because of the weight of cast iron, most pans feature two looped handles to hold, as opposed to a single paddle-type handle. This makes them easier to move around.
Cast iron, being such a great conductor of heat, also allows you to use it atop a stove or barbeque. This is perhaps what separates the cast iron range from other metals. The cast-iron pans are not only traditional used for pizza, but also for any cooking you want.
It’s important to consider that these pans cannot be washed in the dishwasher, though. You’ve got to hand wash them, which can sometimes be a greasy process. Also, some cast iron pans do not come pre-seasoned. This means that, unless you season them yourself, the pan will not be non-stick and will also rust. It’s important to know whether or not the cast iron pan you’re buying is pre-seasoned, otherwise it might have a shorter life span than you were expecting. The seasoning process is not an overly taxing one, though. It is essentially just baking oil onto your cast iron, through a process called polymerization.
Steel
Steel is a lighter weight option compared to cast iron. Because of this, steel pans are easier to use and more accessible. Steel is a great conductor of heat, though if you’re not careful this could become a drawback too. The steel pan is the one most likely to leave you with a burnt crust if you leave it in the oven for a few minutes too long.
Despite being much lighter weight than cast iron, steel is still quite durable. Better yet, it’s also dishwasher safe. Many steel pans also come with some sort of non-stick coating on the inside, which is great to prevent stains and allow for the pizza to slide right off the tray.
Unlike cast iron pans, though, steel trays are generally for oven use only. Being such a great conductor of heat, if you were to use this above a stovetop you’d likely be left with a burnt meal. Because of this, it’s less versatile than the cast iron alternative. Also, many steel pans feature the perforated base, which is absolutely incompatible with a stovetop cooking. However, there do exist a variety of steel pans – the Chicago deep-dish pan included.
Aluminium
Aluminium is the lightest option of them all, and most often the cheapest too. The best thing about aluminium is that is heats very evenly, causing a consistently uniform cook. Aluminium pans also look great. They often have a sleek silver shiny finish that’ll see your pizzas looking like they’ve just been served from a high-class restaurant. Unfortunately, without proper care this nice look will wear off relatively fast.
Because aluminium is so lightweight, it can be dented and scratched quite easily. Because of this, it’s important to gently hand wash these, rather than put them through the dishwasher. Also, you should never expose aluminium pans to a temperature higher than it states on the packaging, or you are more than likely to warp the pan.
Also, aluminium pans are typically not non-stick, so it’s important that you always spray them with cooking spray before use. If you forget to do this, then some melted cheese or dough could fuse to the pan and you’d have to scrub vigorously to get it off. This would likely cause the pan to scratch and lose its shine.
What Style of Pan Should You Choose?
There are a few different styles of pan, and the one you’ll choose truly depends on your personal pizza preferences. We’ll explain the three major pan types here to make it easier for you to choose.
Perforated Pan – Crispy Crust
The perforated base of these pans is designed to allow an even amount of airflow along the bottom of the pizza. This ensures that the bottom of your pizza crisps up more so than it would on a standard flat pan.
However, cleaning these pans can be annoying, especially if you’re using homemade dough. Sometimes the dough can get stuck inside the holes which is really frustrating to clean. Perforated pans are also specifically designed for oven use only, and cannot be used atop a stove or barbeque.
Solid Pan – Thin Crust & Versatile
Your solid pan varieties are almost always made from either aluminium or cast iron. The aluminium ones have a small lip lining the sides of the pan. This is great for your thin-crust pizza variants. Thin crusts can sometimes be prone to burning, which is why aluminium is a great choice, as it distributes heat better than steel.
The cast iron solid pans too are great for thin crust, however these are better due to their versatility. As already mentioned, you can use these as a skillet atop your barbeque or stove, which is something you can’t do with any of the other variants.
These pans must be hand-washed, usually. Due to their flat and solid design though, this isn’t too much of a problem so long as you’re gentle. Overall, they’re easier to clean than the perforated variants.
Deep Pan – Chicago Deep Dish
For the fanatics of Chicago Deep Dish pizza among us, there’s really no other choice but a deep pan. Any pans above 1.5” deep are what you’re looking for here. These pans are most often made from steel. If you wanted to, you could even use these pans to cook a cake or any other baked goods in, making them just about as versatile as they come.
What Size Pan Should You Choose?
The regular large pizza size is 14” in diameter. This is your average sharing size for a pizza between two people. And, nothing is stopping you from baking a pizza that’s smaller than the pan.
However, if you’re never expecting to need to cook a pizza so large, a 10” pan might be perfect for you. As you’ve seen in the list, there are also the 5” and 7” mini varieties, which can be great for a novelty share snack, or as an excuse to bake several pizzas which different toppings.
Should You Buy a Pan with Non-Stick Coating?
Non-stick coatings are a great way to ensure that nothing sticks to the bottom of your pan, causing a hassle to clean up. However, some non-stick coatings are made from silicon or other plastics, which could cause a potential health hazard. If you heat the pan above recommended safety temperatures, this coating could melt and fuse to your pizza, which is a choking and poison hazard.
For this reason, we would most recommend ceramic-based non-stick coatings. This is purely precautional though, and if you’re sensible a silicon-based on will be fine. Also, some non-stick solutions can wash off in the dishwasher, meaning you’ll have to hand wash the pan. It’s always important to be sure about what type of non-stick coating the pan you’re going to buy has.
Final Thoughts
By now, we hope you’ve got a good idea about what sorts of pizza pans there are out on the market. We hope you’ve figured out what to look out for based on your needs. We’ve covered an abundance of brands, styles and sizes. As we’ve seen, each style and material have their own positives and negatives.
Whether or not you’re looking to buy a pan just for yourself, or as a family heirloom to last generations, we’re sure you’ll be able to find the perfect pan out there for yourself. After all, if you do it right, you can’t go wrong with a delicious home-made pizza. All you’ve got to do is find the right pan.