The Best Pizza Peels of 2023
Sling pies like a pizzaiolo.
Expert consulted: Eva BleyerKitchen Appliances Lab Reviews Analyst
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To upgrade your at-home pizza making experience, consider a pizza peel. Designed with a large, flat surface and a handle for carrying the pie, the tool makes launching pizzas into your oven and removing them a much more seamless process.
To find the best pizza peels, our culinary pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab rounded up 14 popular pizza peels for evaluation. We tested them on both fresh and frozen pies, assessing design, performance and ease of use, to name just a few factors of consideration.
Our top picks:
When shopping for pizza peels, you'll see them in various handle and surface sizes as well as different materials, such as wood and metal. To use a pizza peel, just sprinkle the peel with flour, build your pie and easily slip it into your regular oven or pizza oven. Use the same tool to safely remove your pizza from the hot oven once it's done. No more fussing with tongs or a combination of spatulas: The best pizza peels make 'za a cinch to get on the table.
Read on for our reviews and to learn more on how we test pizza peels, what to look for in a pizza peel and answers to your most pressing questions. For more ways to help you perfect your pizza, check out our guide to the best pizza stones and learn how to use a pizza stone.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Can cut pizza on it
Cons
- Handle could be rounded for a comfier grip
This lightweight pick, made from a durable paper composite material called Richlite, stood out among testers for its ultra-thin composition. At 3/16 of an inch thick, it's comparable to a metal pizza peel. Testers noted that it was a cinch to maneuver under pies because of its tapered bottom and relatively light weight at just over 1 1/2 pounds. We love that it's dishwasher safe and you can slice your finished pie right on the peel, according to the brand. While the handle is rather wide and not rounded, it wasn't uncomfortable and still offered control when picking up and launching pies.
| Material | Richlite, a paper composite material |
| Surface dimensions | 14" wide x 16" long |
| Handle length | 5 inches |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes |
Pros
- Lightweight
- Long handle
Cons
- The metal can get scratched
Though this peel doesn't have a tapered end, the metal is plenty thin enough to get under pies with ease. Our tester noticed that the metal scratches from contact with your pizza stone or oven, but scratching does not affect the peel's performance. The 14-inch-long handle means you can slide pizzas and loaves in and out of the oven without getting too close to the heat, and the rounded handle and lightweight design make it comfortable to hold. The peel made pizzas easy to launch and take out of the oven, though it did require a little force to get under the pies (which is more common with long-handled peels).
| Material | Metal |
| Surface dimensions | 14" wide x 14" long |
| Handle length | 14 inches |
| Dishwasher safe | No |
Pros
- Easy to maneuver
- Nice aesthetic (can hang on a wall)
Cons
- Cannot fit pies larger than 12 inches
Consider this smaller pick if you're short on space or don't plan on slinging monster pies. The medium-length handle is rounded and fits nicely in your palm, making the lightweight peel easy to maneuver.
We love the beautiful cherry hardwood and charming logo that would look great displayed in a baker's kitchen — there's a hole at the end of the handle that allows for hanging. The peel has tapered edges on three sides and its wood surface is smooth yet not slippery, allowing for easy launching and picking up. One tester noted that the peel kept the pizza in perfect condition and exactly how it looked when they shaped and built it. Keep in mind that it can accommodate 10- and 12-inch pizzas, but larger pies will not fit.
| Material | Cherry hardwood |
| Surface dimensions | 12" wide x 14" long |
| Handle length | 8 inches |
| Dishwasher safe | No |
Pros
- Comfortable handle
- Perforations help pizza stay crisp
Cons
- Perforations will release flour on ground
This sleek, metal peel is a good pick for pizza ovens. It has a long, comfortable handle that will keep your hands away from the heat source and it's small enough to fit in the pizza-size cooking devices. The perforated peel helps keep the bottom of the crust nice and crisp, though some flour will likely escape through the holes. This is not as much of a concern, however, if you are cooking outside in a pizza oven. One tester had to use some force to pick up the pizza (likely because of the longer handle), but it slid under the crust seamlessly.
| Material | Aluminum |
| Surface dimensions | 12" wide x 14" long |
| Handle length | 12 inches |
| Dishwasher safe | No |
How we test pizza peels
The product experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab have tested hundreds of kitchen appliances and gadgets including pizza stones and pizza ovens.
To find the best pizza peels, we started by surveying the market to find the most popular pizza peels based on user reviews and availability. For this round of testing, we considered 14 peels. We evaluated them on several factors including the comfort of the handle, the ability of the peel to get under the pizza, the quality of the material, the durability of the peel and ease of cleaning.
Using both fresh and frozen pizza, testers build the pie on the peel, assessing the surface area, then launch the pie into the oven to evaluate how seamlessly it transfers a pizza into the oven.
We then use the pizza peel to remove the pie from the oven, checking to see how easily it slips under the crust and how easy it is to pick up and carry to the cutting or serving surface.
What to look for when shopping for a pizza peel
✔️ Material: The material of your pizza peel's surface affects how heavy it is and how the pizza sticks (or slides off) the surface.
- Wood: A peel made of wood or bamboo tends to be thicker and heavier than metal peels and often needs a tapered edge in order to get under pies. Look for a smooth surface that's not too porous (or else your flour will just get stuck in the material rather than sit on top), as it tends to offers a nice, not-too-nonstick surface.
- Metal: This material is often thinner and lighter than wood peels but may scratch. Because it's lighter, it can also have a longer handle (a heavy, wooden board with a long handle would be tricky to hold). Some metal peels we tested, however, were almost too slippery.
- Paper composite: Richlite, which is what our best overall pick Epicurean is made from, feels like a cross between plastic and wood. It can be both lightweight and durable and offer perks like the ability to cut on the board or put it in the dishwasher. The handle of the composite peels that we tested, however, was not as comfortable as the handle of the wood or metal peels.
✔️ Size: Our winners are between and 12 and 14 inches, which is great for fitting 8- to 14-inch pizzas. This size is ideal for a personal pizza or a pizza for two. If you want a large pie, it will be a little harder to launch and you'll have to make sure your pizza stone or oven is big enough.
✔️ Handle: In testing, we found that we had the most control with a nice rounded handle that wasn't too wide and had a good thickness to it. Longer handles help keep your hand safe from the heat source but can make it harder to lift and maneuver the pies. Shorter handles make maneuvering easy, but you may need to also use a grill glove if you're cooking with a pizza oven.
✔️ Design: A squared-off shape creates more space for stretching and topping your dough, while a rounder shape can make it easier to launch and get under pies. In thicker pizza peels, look for a tapered edge to more easily pick up the pizzas and slide them into the oven. Perforations help keep the pizza crust crisp as you transfer it to your cutting or serving board (though the effect is minimal).
How do you keep pizza from sticking to the peel?
Sprinkle the peel with semolina before placing the dough on top. Semolina is coarsely milled durum wheat or cornmeal which will help your pizza slide more easily off the peel. It will also add a pleasant, subtle crunch to the bottom of your crust. You can also use regular flour, but it's more prone to burning in a pizza oven.
Do you really need a pizza turning peel?
A pizza turner, or turning peel, is a much smaller, circular peel with a long handle that can get under and turn pizzas more easily than a pizza peel. Consider getting this tool if you have a pizza oven, as you should be turning your pie rather quickly in the small, super-hot oven to ensure even cooking on all sides. You can turn it with a small pizza peel, but this requires some skill.
In a home oven, the heat source is less concentrated so you don't need to turn your pizza as often — if at all — and you can turn it more slowly with your peel or with tongs.
Can you cut pizza on a pizza peel?
No, unless the brand specifically says you can. The only peel on this list that can accommodate cutting is our best overall pick, the Epicurean, which is made of a composite material. Cutting on wood or metal peels can scratch or damage the tool. Instead, transfer the pizza from the peel to a cutting board to slice. Transfer back to the peel or a platter to serve, if desired.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Eva Bleyer has tested hundreds of kitchen products — from blenders to kitchen scales — in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab. She conducted our most recent side-by-side test of both pizza peels and pizza stones.
Samantha MacAvoy is the assistant editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen and worked with Eva on this story, incorporating Eva's testing notes and even trying out the top-tested picks for herself. She has years of experience testing (and tasting!) food and beverage-related products.
Samantha (she/her) is the Senior Editor at Delish, where she edits the most-talked-about food news and features on the internet. In her previous role as Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, she taste-tested hundreds of products and recipes (tough job!). A graduate of Fordham University, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.
Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.
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