Review
Baking Steel review: which size to buy, and what the warranty does not cover
A hand-seasoned carbon steel slab made in Massachusetts — $139 for the Original, with a lifetime warranty against defects.
Best for: Home pizza makers and bread bakers who want a crisper bottom crust than a stone and will preheat for an hour.
From $139, free shipping in the contiguous US See Baking Steel prices
A ceramic pizza stone can crack. A Baking Steel is a slab of solid carbon steel that sits on your oven rack and does the same job without that risk. The company says it conducts heat 18 times better than ceramic, which is their claim and not something we have measured. It comes in three sizes and a kit, priced from $139 to $239. This page is built from Baking Steel's own product pages and policies, read in November 2026. We have not baked on one.
Who this is for
- Home pizza makers whose oven reaches 500–550°F and who want a crisper bottom crust
- Sourdough bakers who bake several loaves at once and would rather skip the Dutch oven (the Plus is built for this)
- Anyone replacing a pizza stone that has cracked
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Baking Steel Original | $139 | 16 x 14 inches, 1/4 inch thick, 15 lb. Pre-seasoned by hand with flax oil, so it arrives ready to use. Preheat for 60 minutes at 500–550°F. |
| Baking Steel Plus | $179 | 15 x 20 inches, 1/4 inch thick, 22 lb. Sized for four sourdough loaves or two large pizzas at once. |
| Baking Steel Pro | $189 | 16 x 16 inches, 3/8 inch thick, 27 lb. For 16-inch pizzas. Preheat 60–75 minutes. Baking Steel says you also need its 16-inch peel. |
| The Baking Steel Kit | $239 | The Original steel plus a 14-inch peel, pizza dough mix and a cleaning item, according to Baking Steel's description of the kit. |
Pricing checked November 2026 on the vendor's own page. Prices change — verify before you buy.
What is good, and what is not
Good
- It arrives pre-seasoned, so there is no first-use seasoning step. Baking Steel says you can preheat it and bake the day it arrives.
- A lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship under normal household use: if it cracks or breaks in a home oven or on a household grill, they replace it.
- Three sizes, so you can match it to your oven and to what you bake. The Plus holds four loaves.
- Free shipping in the contiguous US and a 30-day return request window.
Not so good
- It is heavy and slow to heat: 15 to 27 lb, and a 60-minute preheat at 500–550°F. — this matters if you want pizza on impulse; it suits a planned bake.
- The warranty excludes thermal shock, warping from direct uncontrolled flame, outdoor storage and commercial use. Surface rust and discoloration are called normal and are not covered. — relevant if you plan to use it on a grill; Baking Steel itself warns that cooking over direct flame can warp it.
- The Pro needs a deep oven and a bigger peel. Baking Steel says to measure the rack depth, with 18 inches as its guide. — skip the Pro if your oven is smaller; the Original is the safer fit.
- The performance claims, such as 18 times the heat conduction of ceramic, come from the company itself. — a steel will not make the dough or technique better, so expect a better crust, not a different pizza.
The verdict
For most people the Original at $139 is the one to buy: 16 by 14 inches fits a standard oven and handles 12 to 14 inch pizzas. Choose the Plus at $179 if you bake bread, because it holds four loaves, and the Pro at $189 only if your oven has about 18 inches of rack depth and you want 16-inch pizzas. Read the warranty exclusions before you put it on a grill. If you bake pizza or bread every week, a steel that arrives seasoned, ships free and is covered against defects for life is a one-off purchase that replaces a stone that cracks.
If it is not the right fit
No single product suits everyone. If the drawbacks above rule it out for you, these are where we would look next — including options that earn us nothing:
| Option | From | Better if |
|---|---|---|
| A ceramic pizza stone | — | A cheaper way to try home pizza first. Stones can crack, which is the problem a steel is sold to fix |
| A heavy baking sheet, turned upside down | Free if you own one | Testing the idea before buying anything. It has far less thermal mass, so expect a weaker bake and no earnings for us |
| A Dutch oven (for bread only) | — | One loaf at a time, no pizza. Baking Steel positions the Plus as the multi-loaf alternative |
Questions people ask
Do I need to season a Baking Steel before using it?
No. Baking Steel says every steel is hand-seasoned with organic flax oil and baked before it ships. It suggests a thin coat of oil baked at 500°F for an hour once or twice a year to maintain the surface.
Which Baking Steel should I buy?
The Original ($139) suits most home ovens and 12 to 14 inch pizzas. The Plus ($179) is bigger for bread and two pizzas at once. The Pro ($189) is thicker and square for 16-inch pizzas and needs a deep oven.
Can I use it on a grill?
Baking Steel says yes, on gas or charcoal, heated together with the grill for 30 to 45 minutes. It also says direct flame can cause warping, and warping is not covered by the warranty.
Is shipping free?
Free for orders in the contiguous US. International orders ship with duties and taxes calculated at checkout, according to the shipping policy.