This peel costs about twice as much as aluminum peels, and about 50% more than wood. I think it's worth it:
1) Smoother than wood so the pizza slides easier. I was afraid aluminum would scratch my counters.
2) Dishwasher safe / NSF approved
3) Much lighter than wood my wife can easily sling a 14" pie with it.
4) Much thinner than wood and short handled design means it stows more easily space is at a premium in our kitchen.
5) Looks nice we serve right off the peel The aluminum ones don't look as nice and typically have long handles which can be a hazard when serving.
I have to admit that at first I felt the price wasn't justified as it's an "engineered" material. After using it for a year it's clear that the material they use is very good. Some reviews mention a chemical smell. I'm very sensitive to these smells but have not been able to detect any. Perhaps they got a bad batch? Note: I've never run it through the dishwasher, as it really doesn't fit.
We've been making homemade pizza once a week for several years. Here are my top tips:
1) Check out "Good Eats" Season 3 Episode 9 "Flat is Beautiful" for an instructional video. YouTube is your friend.
2) A Pizza stone is best and the only way to get super thin crust pizza (my favorite) I have a traditional stone, my sister uses a cast iron griddle as a "stone" with excellent results. Pan pizza in a cast iron skillet works really well too (no peel or stone needed) use oil with no cornmeal.
3) Use the hottest setting on your oven (ours is 500F)and pre-heat for AT LEAST 30 minutes. I checked with some pizza shops and they are all > 650F. This gives a crispier crust without burning the cheese. You want the stone in one of the lower racks not the top rack.
4) Brush or spray a thin layer of olive oil on top of the crust before the sauce. This helps keep the crust from getting soggy.
5) Corn meal only no oil on the bottom. Get stuff which is fairly coarse. It acts like little ball bearings. Something like Masa Harina is too fine. No oil it will smoke and set off your alarms. If your smoke alarms tend to go off, crack a window in a different room and turn on your kitchen exhaust fan.
6) Build your pizza directly on the peel. No matter how much corn meal you use you will not be able to slide the peel under smoothly if you build the pizza on the counter.
7) Give your peel a good shake to confirm that the pizza isn't sticking before you put the toppings on (After the sauce and cheese). If it's sticking at all, use a spatula to lift up the edges of the pizza and put some more corn meal down, then shake again. If you have to shake it hard after you've put the toppings on, they will get all over the place.
8) You can make pita bread with any extra pizza dough. Roll it out super thin (~1/8") and throw onto a hot stone. Check it in 2 minutes or so and flip over after it has puffed up. Be careful, they cook VERY QUICK!
We use the Kitchenaid stand mixer pizza dough recipe, but double the salt and olive oil. Alton Brown (Good Eats) also has a great recipe (note he calls for Kosher Salt, which is less dense than table salt if you use a tablespoon of table salt, it will be too much)
Bon appetit!
If you've found this review helpful, please let me know!
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As a novice pizza maker, one of the best tools I've found so far is the pizza peel. This allows you the ability to place the pizza on to the hot stone, giving you the correct searing of the crust (as opposed to using a pan, which results in a soft bottom for your pizza).
Prior to purchasing this peel, I bought a cheaper wooden one from Amazon. It worked fairly well, and looked attractive hanging in the kitchen. However, it couldn't be placed in the dishwasher, and (probably due to lack of proper oiling, etc. on my part) it cracked after a few months of use.
This surface costs more, but I think will be worth it in the long run. The ability to put it in the dishwasher alone is worth the cost delta to me. Also, being able to run the pizza cutter over it without fear of cracking the board is a nice plus also.
The other distinct advantage is that this surface seems to have a lot less friction than the wood, making it easier to slide the pre-cooked dough off after it's loaded up an operation I find to be a little tricky. I'd advise using PLENTY of flour to assist in this (regardless of whatever peel you buy), but I think you'll find this Epicurean peel easier to use than wood in this regard.
Best Deals for Epicurean 23-by-14-Inch Pizza Peel
I bought this item because it was dishwasher safe and could serve as a cutting surface, but did not know what to expect. After receiving and using the peel, I could not be happier. After receiving the peel, we washed it in the dishwasher, and when the cycle finished we took it out and discovered no warping, and it was ready for use. We typically sprinkle corn meal on the top of the peel, roll the dough out on the meal, and then slide it onto the hot stone in the oven. I had no trouble doing this, and I had no trouble sliding the dough back onto the peel after 8 minutes in the oven. I kept the dough on the peel while I loaded it with toppings, and slid it back in. About 10 minutes later I was able to place the peel under the pizza and slide the heavy pizza back onto the peel. Since cutting on the peel is safe I sliced and served our dinner, with very successful results.
Honest reviews on Epicurean 23-by-14-Inch Pizza Peel
Five stars though I ding it for the color I have the "natural" color and saw the "slate" at a friend's
"Natural" looks better (to me) for the following reasons:
1) "Slate" shows wear a lot more than the lighter color.
2) "Slate" is VERY dark so unless you have black granite countertops, it really stands out and not in a good way.
3) "Slate" looks dirty with corn meal and stuff on it think of a black car it looks dirty as soon as any dust gets on it.
Below is my review of the "Natural" color
This peel costs about twice as much as aluminum peels, and about 50% more than wood. I think it's worth it:
1) Smoother than wood so the pizza slides easier. I was afraid aluminum would scratch my counters.
2) Dishwasher safe / NSF approved
3) Much lighter than wood my wife can easily sling a 14" pie with it.
4) Much thinner than wood and short handled design means it stows more easily space is at a premium in our kitchen.
5) Looks nice we serve right off the peel The aluminum ones don't look as nice and typically have long handles which can be a hazard when serving.
I have to admit that at first I felt the price wasn't justified as it's an "engineered" material. After using it for a year it's clear that the material they use is very good. Other reviews mention a chemical smell, but I'm very sensitive these smells I have not been able to detect any. Perhaps they got a bad batch?
We've been making homemade pizza once a week for several years. Here are my top tips:
1) Check out "Good Eats" Season 3 Episode 9 "Flat is Beautiful" for an instructional video. YouTube is your friend.
2) A Pizza stone is best and the only way to get super thin crust pizza (my favorite) I have a traditional stone, my sister uses a cast iron griddle as a "stone" with excellent results. Pan pizza in a cast iron skillet works really well too (no peel or stone needed) use oil with no cornmeal.
3) Use the hottest setting on your oven (ours is 500F)and pre-heat for AT LEAST 30 minutes. I checked with some pizza shops and they are all > 650F. This gives a crispier crust without burning the cheese. Also, you want your stone on one of the lower racks in the oven.
4) Brush or spray a thin layer of olive oil on top of the crust before the sauce. This helps keep the crust from getting soggy.
5) Corn meal only no oil on the bottom. Get stuff which is fairly coarse. It acts like little ball bearings. Something like Masa Harina is too fine. No oil it will smoke and set off your alarms. If your smoke alarms tend to go off, crack a window in a different room and turn on your kitchen exhaust fan.
6) Build your pizza directly on the peel. No matter how much corn meal you use you will not be able to slide the peel under smoothly if you build the pizza on the counter.
7) Give your peel a good shake to confirm that the pizza isn't sticking before you put the toppings on (After the sauce and cheese). If it's sticking at all, use a spatula to lift up the edges of the pizza and put some more corn meal down, then shake again. If you have to shake it hard after you've put the toppings on, they will get all over the place.
8) You can make pita bread with any extra pizza dough. Roll it out super thin (~1/8") and throw onto a hot stone. Check it in 2 minutes or so and flip over after it has puffed up. Be careful, they cook VERY QUICK!
We use the Kitchenaid stand mixer pizza dough recipe, but double the salt and olive oil. Alton Brown (Good Eats) also has a great recipe (note he calls for Kosher Salt, which is less dense than table salt if you use a tablespoon of table salt, it will be too much)
Bon appetit!
If you've found this review helpful, please let me know!
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I had read the reviews before buying, but it seemed like only a few mentioned the smell, so I figured I'd take my chances. Well, it definitely smells. I'm not a scientist and I haven't contacted the company, but I did want to share with others, that if you care about these sort of things, or have a sensitive nose, a portion of this pizza peel definitely has a strong "dissected frog"-like aroma. It's pretty gross. Due to this, I haven't used it, nor have I washed it (which, I've read, can make the smell worse). I have pin-pointed the odor (on the one I received) to come directly from the engraved "Epicurean" logo. The rest of it only smells very faintly. If I wasn't thinking of using one side as a cutting surface and the other side as a pizza peel, I might be able to overlook this issue. However, I'm concerned that the more it is cut into, the more it will smell. Of course, then my concern grows from a bad odor to, "what the heck may be leaching into my food?" It's really a shame, because I love all the other aspects of thing, Renewable Resource, Made in USA (less transportation than imported items), light, NSF-Certified, Good Size, and generally great reviews. So, 5 stars for those redeeming qualities, but minus 2 stars for such a strong formaldehyde-like odor.
I've found many great products by reading the competition's reviews, so if you're thinking about the Epicurean, but are concerned about the possibility of the odor, here's my two cents:
Despite the origins of the odor (formaldehyde or not), I'm quite picky about these sorts of things, so I think I am going to somewhat-reluctantly return this otherwise nice item and replace it with the Totally Bamboo pizza peel. It currently only has 1 review, however, other Totally Bamboo items seem to get high stars. Even though it is imported, it does seem to be otherwise eco-conscious. Oh, and there's no complaints of it smelling funny, and the description specifically states that it is formaldehyde-free. Hmmm...
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Just an UPDATE: I did end up sending it back and am happy that I don't have the worry of "wonder what that smell is, on my pizza?" I LOVE the smell of garlic, so I'd be happy to have that around (it's great when we dehydrate it in the Excalibur whole house smells garlicky-goodness!!)
I ended up buying a Lodge Pro-Logic P14P3 Cast Iron Pizza Pan, Black, 14-inch which is GREAT! It works for pizza, should also work for "almost" crepes (haven't tried it yet), and makes a nice "lid" for our Lodge Pro-Logic P14W3 Cast Iron Wok, Black, 14-inch.
As an aside, sometimes we make flat bread pizzas, which fit well on something such as Norpro Stainless Steel 10 X 15 X 1 inch Jelly Roll Baking Pan, with something like these Matfer 321005 Exopat 11-5/8-by-16-3/8-Inch Nonstick Baking Mat these are examples, as we use a combo of sizes and brands for our oven and toaster/convection oven. Choose your sizes according to your needs.
We like a variety of pizza, so it's nice to have a variety of pans, especially for a party. These all work great for that purpose, as well as cookies, etc. Mmmm...
I rely on reviews here at Amazon to help me make informed buying choices. I hope this review has helped you in the same manner. :)
