There is nothing better than a fresh, hot, out of the oven homemade pizza.
The process from spinning the dough to pulling it out of the oven is an experience that makes that first bite so much more delicious.
Making homemade pizzas can be a challenge though. You need to perfect your dough, master the tomato sauce recipe, and ensure you have all the right tools for a seamless experience.
A perforated pizza peel is a must in your pizza-making kitchen. Not only does it ensure a smooth transfer from oven to cutting board, but it also ensures your ‘za is free from condensation and any excess flour.
So, what are the best perforated pizza peels? The best perforated pizza peels are generally made with aluminum, due to their lightweight nature and ease of use. Square perforated pizza peels are also preferred due to their ability to handle both small and large pizzas relatively easily.
Keep reading to learn what a perforated pizza peel is and why you need one, the key features to consider when purchasing a perforated pizza peel, as well as a list with reviews of the 7 best perforated pizza peels on the market!
What Is A Perforated Pizza Peel?
A pizza peel is like a mix of a giant spatula and a shovel that is meant to transfer your pizza in and out of the pizza oven.
Many pizza peels are often made with wood, and those are not perforated. They tend to be non-stick but relatively thick.
A perforated pizza peel is made with metal, is much, much thinner, with the same non-stick qualities and tons of holes on its surface.
Why You Need A Perforated Pizza Peel
There are other types of pizza peels that have their own perks. For example, wooden pizza peels are known for their non-stick abilities.
However, they also tend to be quite thick which can make the transfer in and out of the oven a bit tougher.
It seems that perforated pizza peels tend to be the best of both worlds. The stainless steel and aluminum materials they are made with also prove to be non-stick, and they are extremely thin.
The thinness in the pizza peel ensures an easy and smooth transition in and out of the oven without your pizza becoming oddly shaped, it gets rid of excess flour, and it is light in your hands making it accessible to many different people.
Eliminate Excess Flour
One downfall to wooden pizza peels is their inability to get rid of the excess flour on the pizza dough.
Why is this an issue? Well, turns out that excess flour on the dough tends to burn relatively easily, in turn burning your pizza more quickly.
Not only will your pizza potentially burn more quickly, but the burnt flour can also turn your oven into a smoke-filled pizza grave.
The smoke will infiltrate your pizza resulting in burnt tasting ‘za. Also, cleaning up becomes a lot more difficult with a burnt flour mess in the oven.
Fortunately, the holes in a perforated pizza peel are meant to rid of the excess flour on the base of the pizza.
This helps prevent the burning of the pizza and the mess in the oven! This is a huge benefit to this type of pizza peel that you cannot guarantee with another.
Less Dough Contact (i.e. Less Sticking)
One issue with wooden or non-perforated pizza peels is the amount of surface the dough is placed upon. Without holes, the entire pizza is touching either a wood, stainless steel, or aluminum surface.
This is why having holes in a perforated pizza peel is such a big benefit: with less space on the peel, the less space the pizza dough has to stick onto.
This also means less flour use. As you use flour to help avoid any sticking to the surface, with less surface it is not necessary to use as much flour.
Like we mentioned earlier, this helps with avoiding burning and resulting in better-tasting pizza.
However, one thing to note is being cautious of the size of the holes on the pizza peel. If the holes are too big and your dough is too soft, it can fall through the holes and your pizza will be ruined before you even got started.
Less Condensation (i.e. A Crispier Crust)
Often, pizza peels without holes tend to cause a lot of condensation in the pizza resulting in a soft and sometimes soggy crust.
This is because when the extremely hot pizza (which usually cooks at 500°F) hits a room temperature or cold pizza peel, condensation occurs between pizza and peel.
Without the holes, the steam has nowhere to go, causing excess moisture.
However, with a perforated pizza peel, the holes in the peel allow for the hot air to escape, limiting the amount of moisture. This means a crispier pizza crust!
Easier to Handle
Non-perforated pizza peels tend to be thick and extremely heavy, especially wooden ones. This can make them hard to use for certain people or exhausting for even the strongest person after removing multiple pies.
Perforated pizza peels tend to be made with aluminum or stainless steel making them naturally lighter than a wooden one, but with multiple holes, the peel also uses less material.
This makes the perforated pizza peel much lighter and much more accessible to the masses.
Key Features To Consider Before Purchasing a Perforated Pizza Peel
Not every perforated pizza peel is the same. Therefore, it is up to you to decide between a few factors to make the best choice for your individual needs.
Here are the important things to keep in mind when purchasing a perforated pizza peel:
Material
Pizza peels can be made with wood, aluminum, or steel. However, perforated pizza peels are traditionally made with aluminum or steel.
One reason we recommended a perforated pizza peel is that not only are wooden ones heavy and thick, but they are also much harder to keep nice and clean.
They cannot get wet and require lots of upkeep. This makes them much harder to sanitize.
Therefore we recommend either aluminum or steel.
Aluminum
Aluminum is the lighter option between the two materials which makes it much easier to handle. This tends to be the biggest perk to aluminum pizza peels. They also have an extremely long life span.
They produce a crispy and delicious crust, and they are relatively easy to keep clean.
However, because they are lighter, they tend to not be as durable as steel– though they can last forever, they can morph or become oddly shaped.
Steel
Out of the two materials, steel tends to be the heaviest, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your preference. However, the heaviness also makes it the sturdiest option.
They also are easy to clean and ensure a crispy and crunchy crust.
The biggest downfall is it has the least amount of non-stick properties compared to the other materials.
Shape And Size
A second thing that needs to be considered is the size and shape of the perforated pizza peel. This is all dependent on your personal uses with the peel.
They can be shaped either square or round. Squared pizza peels work best for wide and larger-sized pizzas. They make it difficult to move smaller pizzas around as they are pretty large.
Circular peels work best for smaller-sized pizzas and if you plan on rotating the pizza while it cooks.
Choose your peel based on how you plan on cooking your pizza. If you have an uneven oven, you may need a round-shaped peel to ensure evenly cooked pizza.
However, if you have a pizza oven that cooks evenly and you cook for large groups, try the squared peel as it works best for large pizzas that do not need a lot of rotating.
Handle Length
The last feature you want to keep in mind when buying a perforated pizza peel is the handle length.
Some pizza peels come with longer handles, which work best if your pizza oven is fairly deep.
Other pizza peels come with shorter handles and would work best for smaller and more shallow pizza ovens.
Keep your oven size in mind when thinking about the right handle size for your pizza peel.
The 7 Best Perforated Pizza Peels
So, without further ado, here are 7 of the absolute best and highest quality perforated pizza peels on the market right now!
| Rank | Product | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Gi 14″ Aluminum Perforated Turning Pizza Peel | Best overall perforated pizza peel |
| 2. | Ooni 12″ Perforated Pizza Peel | Lightweight, durable pizza peel |
| 3. | Komista Perforated 12″ Aluminum Pizza Peel | Easily storable |
| 4. | Homevibes 12″ Perforated Pizza Peel | Best mid-sized option |
| 5. | L.K.E Perforated Pizza Peel | Beautiful light wood handle |
| 6. | Chef Pomodoro Aluminum 9-Inch Turning Pizza Peel | Best round perforated pizza peel |
| 7. | Komista Turning Round Pizza Peel | Great steel option |
1. Gi 14″ Aluminum Perforated Turning Pizza Peel
The Gi pizza peel is for those who take their pizza-making extremely seriously.
It is made in Italy and is one of the best perforated pizza peels on the market.
It is 14 inches wide as well as rectangular in shape, allowing for large pizzas to be cooked using this peel. It is made with aluminum, therefore it is lightweight and easy to handle.
The Gi has a blue 47-inch handle that makes this the perfect peel for deep ovens but also makes it a safe option as whoever is using the peel has a good distance between themselves and the flame.
The one downfall to this pizza peel is the price. It is the priciest on this list; however, you are paying for quality with this one.
If you are trying to up your game in the pizza-making world, this peel is for you.
2. Ooni 12″ Perforated Pizza Peel
The Ooni pizza peel is great for its adaptability.
Where most rectangular peels are not equipped to spin your pizza, this rectangular Ooni one can. This ensures evenly cooked pizzas every time.
Coming in at 12 inches, it is on the smaller size allowing for personal pizzas only.
However, it is made with aluminum and is extremely lightweight so it is a great kitchen tool to have around.
The Ooni peel has a sleek black handle that elevates the look of the pizza peel. However, one thing to keep in mind is that the peel is quite short.
If you have a smaller and more shallow pizza oven, the Ooni peel would work well for you.
3. Komista Perforated 12″ Aluminum Pizza Peel
The Komista pizza peel is great for those on a budget or those just starting out on making pizzas as the price point is fairly affordable.
However, the lower price does not mean lower quality. This pizza peel is made with lightweight yet durable aluminum making it easy to use in the kitchen.
It is 12 inches so it does work best for smaller pizzas. It also has a shorter black handle that makes it best for use in smaller pizza ovens.
One other perk to this pizza peel is the small hole in the top of the handle. This allows for hanging for easy and out-of-the-way storage of the pizza peel.
4. Homevibes 12″ Perforated Pizza Peel
The Homevibes Pizza Peel is another great option for those on a budget as the price point is low compared to some other options.
Compared to the also more affordable Komista pizza peel, the Homevibes peel has an extra-long black silicone handle.
It comes in at 18 inches, which makes this one better for deeper and larger ovens.
Like the other peels on this list, the Homevibes is made with aluminum therefore it is extremely light and easy to handle.
Homevibes also claims this peel is bound to last 6-8 times longer than a wooden peel, making this an excellent investment.
5. L.K.E Perforated Pizza Peel
The next pizza peel on our list is the L.K.E perforated pizza peel, which is the best option for those who care most about aesthetics.
The L.K.E peel is the most pleasing to the eye with a beautiful light wood handle that would look great in any indoor or outdoor kitchen.
It also has a small hole at the end to allow it to be stored by hanging on a wall.
Not only is it pleasing to the eye, the L.K.E pizza is aluminum and lightweight, and it also is capable of spinning pizzas, which is not the case for all rectangular peels.
In addition, it is durable and has a long lifespan, and at a decent price point.
6. Chef Pomodoro Aluminum 9-Inch Turning Pizza Peel
The Chef Pomodoro Peel is great for those who have to spin their pizzas as it is a round shape.
The round shape makes it an easier and smoother process of spinning the pizza.
This is great for those who have ovens that do not produce heat evenly.
It is also made from aluminum so your arms will not get tired from the consistent spinning of your pizzas.
This pizza peel comes with a beautiful wooden adjustable handle that allows you to take the handle from 28 inches to 47 inches. This adaptability makes this pizza peel work well with many types of ovens.
The biggest downfall to the Chef Pomodoro pizza peel is the 9 inch size. While it makes it easy to spin pizzas, because the surface area is so small, there is not a lot of room for error.
This means you have to be extremely careful with choosing the size of your pizza and taking them in and out of the oven.
7. Komista Turning Round Pizza Peel
The Komista round pizza peel is great for those interested in a steel option, which tends to last longer and be easier to clean.
However, one thing to keep in mind is steel is much heavier than aluminum.
This may be an issue for most people, and why we have only included one on the list.
Compared to other pizza peels which weigh between 1 and 1 ½ pounds, the Komista turning peel weighs 2.55 pounds.
Now that may not sound like a huge difference, but when you are consistently rotating pizzas, it could become a little exhausting.
However, this pizza peel is still a wonderful round option. It is durable with a long handle that has a sliding and adjustable grip to make holding the peel easy for everyone.
It is great for spinning pizzas and works best in ovens that require the spinning of the pizza for even cooking.
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