Baking Stones Can Be a Pain. Try These Lightweight Tiles Instead.

But for certain types of pizza (or during inclement weather when I’m stuck inside), a baking stone or steel is the best way to make high-quality pizza at home. Because home ovens only reach 500 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit, a baking stone is necessary to help replicate the crisp, browned crusts from a 800-degree-plus restaurant oven. 

The main downside of baking steels and stones is that they’re really big and really heavy. Our winning steel weighs 16 pounds and our winning stone clocks in at a little over 8 pounds. For those who can’t lift heavy items or don’t have much kitchen space, these tools can be cumbersome. 

Luckily, we found a more manageable alternative: baking stone tiles. These are essentially smaller versions of baking stones that fit together. Here’s why we love them.

These lightweight tiles weigh just under 1½ pounds each, making it much easier to move them in and out of the oven.

Having four separate tiles allows you to arrange them in your oven in a number of different ways. You could make a square with four of them for a small to medium pizza, a rectangle with six for a very large pizza, or a single row for long breads such as baguettes. 

While we don’t recommend washing your baking stones or tiles with water, you do need to periodically brush off any food residue. A lightweight tile allows you to do this right over the sink or trash can. Due to their smaller size, they take up a lot less space when stored outside of the oven (although you can keep them in there if you prefer). 

Not only are these tiles our favorite lightweight option, but they’re also our best buy. A set of six tiles is around $32. (By contrast, our favorite baking steels are between $75 and $100.)