The Nonstick Baking Pan That Helps Me Make Pizzeria-Worthy Pies at Home
It’s not an exaggeration to say that, on average, I eat pizza once a week. Sometimes it’s takeout, especially if my favorite food truck is in town, and sometimes I rely on the convenience of store-bought. I’m still mastering the art of homemade pizza, so it’s rare that I make it myself, but even that’s not off the table completely. Plus, having the right supplies in my kitchen brings homemade pizza much closer to fruition. Until now, that’s usually meant new pizza cutters and toppings, but when HexClad reached out with news of its Hybrid Pizza Steel, I knew right away that I had to try it out.
Hybrid Pizza Steel
Hexclad
$149
What Is the Hybrid Pizza Steel?
Blending the convenience of nonstick cookware with stainless steel durability, the Hybrid Pizza Steel is a future-forward approach to baking steels that streamlines the process from start to finish. It’s safe to use with metal utensils and oven-safe up to 900°. This item needs less time to preheat compared with typical steels and stones. Oh, and you can even use it on a grill, how about that? It features a triple-ply construction with aluminum sandwiched in between that helps to speed up the heat. The bottom is a magnetic stainless steel base that’s compatible with induction, electric, and gas cooktops; and on the surface, its hexagon stainless steel design creates ridges that “form peaks over nonstick valleys, boosting your searing power.” Plus, the handles on each side make it easier to carry — though pot holders are highly recommended.
The Hybrid Pizza Steel can accommodate pies up to 14 inches in diameter, both fresh and frozen. It’s also dishwasher-safe and comes with a lifetime warranty. Additionally, at 4.5 pounds, it’s significantly lighter than other baking steels, which are sometimes over 50 pounds!
Why I Love the Hybrid Pizza Steel
I’m totally new to pizza steels, but as my old pizza pan was long gone, I’d been wanting a replacement for it for a while. When I heard about HexClad’s Hybrid Pizza Steel, I had to try it out. After seasoning the steel with oil as instructed, it was time to put it to the test with a frozen pizza. To be fair, it’s hard to go wrong with a frozen pizza (even though I’ve had more than a few mishaps in the past), so as long as it is cooked thoroughly on the steel, I’d be happy. As stated by HexClad, it didn’t take long to start using the Hybrid Pizza Steel — waiting for the oven to preheat took longer — and I felt confident that the result would be the deliciously crispy pepperoni pizza that I’d been craving.
In reality, the pizza turned out to be better than what I imagined. Most of the time, it’s somewhat crisp around the edges and a little doughy in the middle, which I thought couldn’t be helped. However, the pizza steel ensured that my cheap little frozen pizza had a nice crisp crust from one side to the other! It actually made me feel like I was eating a slice that was far more expensive than it was, especially once I added all my favorite toppings like Brightland’s Pizza Oil and Melinda’s Pizza Hot Sauce.
The Hybrid Pizza Steel is on the larger side, so I have to make room for it in our kitchen cabinet when it’s not being stored in the oven. However, it’s totally worth carving out space for it! After dragging my feet for years when it came to replacing my old pizza pan, this HexClad find turned out to be a fantastic upgrade.
Buy: Hybrid Pizza Steel, $149
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