Pizza Steel PRO by Hans Grill - XL 1/4" Thick Square Conductive Metal Baking Steel for Oven and BBQ, 13 x 13 Inches, Includes Beechwood Handle Metal Pizza Peel Review (2026)

Who this pizza steel suits

This steel is built for home bakers who want a crisper, more evenly browned crust than a ceramic pizza stone typically produces, since dense steel conducts and holds heat differently and can push more energy into the bottom of a pizza during a short home oven bake. Its 13 by 13 inch square footprint fits inside compact ovens and many outdoor grills where a larger rectangular steel would not leave clearance around the edges, which makes it a practical choice for smaller kitchens or apartment ovens. Because it includes a metal peel with a beechwood handle, it also suits someone who does not already own a separate peel for launching dough. Bakers who regularly make very large pizzas, or who want the biggest possible steel surface, will find the size here limiting rather than generous despite the XL label.

Material and construction

The plate itself is 1/4 inch thick solid steel, a thickness commonly used in home pizza steels because it heats up in a reasonable time in a standard oven while still holding enough thermal mass to recover quickly between pizzas. It ships seasoned with food safe oil, similar to how cast iron cookware is treated, which helps protect the bare steel surface from rust during shipping and initial storage. The included peel uses a metal blade paired with a beechwood handle, giving a cool-to-hold grip for sliding dough onto the hot steel and retrieving finished pizzas. Steel conducts heat far more efficiently than stone or cordierite, which is the main reason bakers choose it over a traditional pizza stone for oven use.

Using it in an oven or on a grill

In practice, a steel like this is meant to be preheated in the oven, often under the broiler or at the oven's maximum setting, for a stretch of time before the pizza goes on, so the surface has enough stored heat to crisp the crust quickly on contact. The same plate can be used on a BBQ grill as well as inside a conventional oven, giving some flexibility for outdoor cooking during warmer months. Because bare steel is reactive to moisture, it needs to be wiped down, dried thoroughly and given a light coat of oil after cleaning, the same basic care routine cast iron cookware requires, to prevent rust spots from forming between uses.

How it compares to larger steels

Against bigger rectangular steels like the Original Baking Steel or NerdChef Steel Stone, which run closer to 14 by 16 inches, this 13 by 13 inch square gives up some surface area in exchange for a size that fits more ovens and grills without crowding the edges. Larger steels can handle bigger pizzas in one bake and hold more total heat, which matters for anyone cooking for a crowd, while this size suits personal or medium pizzas better. Compared with a plain steel sold without accessories, the included peel is a practical add-on that saves a separate purchase, though dedicated buyers of premium thick steels sometimes prefer a 3/8 inch plate for even more heat retention.

Verdict and who should size up

For home bakers with a standard or compact oven who want noticeably crisper crusts than a stone delivers, along with a usable peel included in the price, this Hans Grill steel is a solid, practical pick. Anyone baking very large pizzas regularly, or chasing maximum heat retention from a thicker slab, should look at a bigger or thicker steel instead, since the 13 by 13 inch size and 1/4 inch thickness here are aimed at convenience rather than maximum capacity. With regular oiling and dry storage to prevent rust, it should hold up well as a long-term upgrade over a stone for most home pizza nights.

Frequently asked questions