ThermiChef 14" by 20" Pizza Steel (1/4" Thickness) - Multipurpose Cooking Steel for Ovens & Grills - Made in the USA

I got the XL size because I wanted to be able to use it as a 2-burner griddle, and for that, it works perfectly. Just in the first few days of owning it, I cooked 6 tortillas at once for tacos, browned 3 lbs of chicken in one go, and slowly caramelized 6 onions while keeping other pots and pans free for other tasks. For pizza, its intended use, it produces crisp crusts like a champ, and its size and shape make it perfect for chilling and using as a pastry slab for croissants. It's the ultimate "pan" for cooking for a crowd, and it makes my 12-inch cast iron skillet look small and cramped by comparison. Downsides? It's a thick slab of steel. It is quite heavy and, despite its versatility, it isn't enjoyable to move from oven to stove to fridge to counter all the time. Second, it takes a long, long time to properly heat and cool, which is why I wouldn't want to leave it in the oven permanently. Its heat sink abilities work against you in this way; it takes a lot for this thing to change temperature, and that's good if you're making bread or keeping something cold, but it's also a drag when you're trying to get it up to temp. If I'm using it as a griddle, I'll turn on the burners before I even get out the flour to mix the tortilla dough. Definitely not good for impromptu or short-notice cooking. These downsides come from the same qualities that make this steel so great, so they're not at all surprising. This is a tool that is both versatile and specialized: versatile because its ability to store heat on a large surface is useful in myriad applications, but specialized because that ability to store heat comes with some significant practical drawbacks for everyday cooking. This steel will get you great results for a particular set of tasks, and if you have the ability and luxury to plan ahead, it can't be beat.

The ThermiChef 16” x 16” Pizza Steel has completely transformed my home pizza game. It heats faster, holds heat longer, and delivers a perfectly crisp crust that I’ve never been able to get from tile or ceramic stones. The size is great for large pies, and the build quality is excellent. It is solid, heavy, and built to last. If you’re serious about pizza, this steel is absolutely worth it. Five stars all the way!

Really great product. I think they have solved their quality control and shipping issues. The bead blasting is great, and after 7 pizzas so far, it is clearly going to be a great addition to our kitchen. As the seasoning and burn are starting to take effect, pizzas slide right off onto the peel. The crust is nearly Italian Neapolitan style, as much as I can do in a 600F convection oven. 4 min on the steel, 1.5 min under the broiler on high... almost like being back in Italy! This was a bit more than getting one from my local welding shop, but this one is cleaner and bead blasted, which was well worth the additional expense. Not to mention Amazon return policy, which I would not have with the welding shop.

I was using a stone in an electric oven. The pizza was OK, but the bottom was a little too white and the round shape was a little stressful to land the pizza on. I was thinking about switching to steel anyway then the stone broke while warming up so I gave this a try. It came promptly, the packaging was intact, and the finish work was very fine. One thing to be aware of is that it is very thoroughly sand blasted down to bare metal (silver) to remove foundry scale. Some cheaper brands leave that to you. The seasoning instructions were easy and the result appears to be good. I was concerned that the oil seasoning would scorch under the broiler, but apparently not. It is easy to land the pizza on it (it nearly covers the whole oven rack, with an inch around for heat flow). I have a laser thermometer and it takes about a half hour longer to heat up than the stone, which illustrates its increased heat capacity, which is the point of a stone. It is big and heavy so the hanging hole in the corner may come in handy. However, I'll probably just leave it in the oven and never look at it. The instructions were clear and enthusiastic. It is made in the USA. So very pleased with it. It is strange that the review asked about ease of cleaning because basically you don't the instructions say to never use soap on it or you have to re-season it, like any iron frying pan. As for gifting, it would be a great one for someone who wants it, but I'd check first because otherwise they will have a hard time disposing of it. One addition. The edges are rough and sharp enough to cut you, given how heavy it is. The product would be better if the manufacturer were to slightly chamfer the sharp edges. I did it myself in 10 minutes with a file and sandpaper so it wouldn't slice my wife's hands, but they have a machine shop so it would be faster and easier for them to do it.

Measure your oven before getting the big one. The 16x16 barely fits in my oven and is super heavy. Makes great bread though. I use a all metal stock pot to cover the bread for cooking with steam.

Makes amazing pizza and bread! I was previously baking on French blue steel baking sheets with good results but this heavy pizza steel is a game changer. It's very heavy, so it stays in the oven. A strong person might choose to move it in and out. Very happy that I bought this.

Pizzas bake real nice, but this thing is extremely heavy. Very difficult to move about. Concerned that the weight will damage my oven racks.

If you are wanting to make New York style pizza without a pizza oven, this will get you as close as possible to the real thing. I always thought homemade pizza was super gross, but this steel truly makes the most delicious and authentic pizza with the best texture and crispiness. I purchased the 16” 1/4 thick steel because I was worried about my oven racks bending with a thicker one. My oven seems to hold up really well with the 1/4 thick steel and I haven’t seen any bending yet. This is the best pizza steel on the market! A lot of other brands try to upsell you on their pizza steels but I found this one to work just as well for a fraction of the cost.