If, like most people, you’re a pizza lover, you may also be curious about what way is best to bake a pizza. For the most part, wood and metal pizza peels are used. However, it begs the question—which one is the best one to use? Some people swear by a wood peel, while others prefer the metal peel. If you want to make the decision for yourself, keep reading to learn about both the advantages and disadvantages of using a wood or metal pizza peel to bake your pizza.
Difference Between a Wood and Metal Pizza Peel
Obviously, the main difference between the two is the material that it is made out of—one of metal and one of wood. A wooden pizza peel is beneficial because it is thick and sturdy, which makes it easy to move the pizza into the oven. However, the thickness of it also makes it hard to slide the carrying surface under the pizza.
A metal pizza peel, however, will be much thinner and therefore make carrying a pizza not as effective due to how flimsy it is.
Wood or Metal Pizza Peel: Which Is Better?
It’s hard to compare the two because of how different they are. They are both better at some things, so it just depends on what your priorities are and what you are hoping to get out of your pizza peel. As mentioned previously, a wooden pizza peel is much better for placing your pizza into the oven, while a metal peel works best for getting the pizza into the oven.
A wooden pizza peel tends to be difficult to clean because of the fact that it’s made out of wood and therefore it can get stained by pizza sauce and other ingredients. To protect the wood, you will most likely also have to continuously oil the peel to keep it from warping in the oven.
A metal peel’s disadvantage is that the dough will stick to it far easier than it will on a wooden peel. With a metal peel, cleaning up is also much easier.
Things to Look for in a Good Pizza Peel
If you’re shopping for a new pizza peel, you may want to consider a few factors first before heading out to shop. For one, you will want to consider the shape of the peel. A peel used in a pizza restaurant or by a professional chef will typically have a rounded edge, simply because it has to be able to work with pizzas in all corners of a large oven.
If you are planning on using your peel for amateur cooking at home, however, a square pizza peel may be the better choice. This is because a square peel makes it easier to fit into a home oven.
Another thing to consider when shopping for pizza peels is the length of the handle, something many people oftentimes overlook. For the most part, the handle has to be at least four to five inches long so that you don’t burn your hand when putting your pizza into the oven.
Interestingly enough, there are also some pizza peels that have holes in them. These are known as perforated peels and are made out of metal. These come in handy when you want to get rid of excess flour from the pizza dough as extra flour will burn in a hot oven, and create a burnt flavor on your pizza.
The only downside to buying a perforated pizza peel is that they tend to be a bit more expensive than a wooden peel or a plain metal one.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, both wooden and metal pizza peels are perfectly capable of baking a decent pizza. As mentioned previously, the one you choose simply depends on what you hope to get out of it. For example, if you want a peel that makes it easier to slide the pizza around in, you’re better off getting a wooden peel. However, if you want a pizza peel that will be easy to clean and maintain, then a metal peel is the best option for you.