Some of the best pizza ever made was cooked on a gas grill. There’s just something about gas grills that creates a perfectly crispy crust and a gooey cheese topping. If it’s done correctly, it’s almost like magic. Unfortunately, far too many don’t know how to use their gas grill to create the perfect pizza. We’re going to change that by talking about one of the biggest secrets of making picture-perfect pizza and that secret is to use a pizza stone.
Pizza stones prevent the crust from overcooking and allows them to crisp up perfectly—which results in the perfect pizza. We should know because we’ve reviewed some of the best pizza stones for gas grills and found some models that are easy to use and create incredible pies.
- Editor’s Choice
Cast Elegance 16-Inch Round Pizza Stone (Amazon) – Review - Also Recommended
Cast Elegance 14-Inch Rectangular Pizza Stone (Amazon) – Review - Also Consider
Hanz Grill 15×12-Inch Pizza Baking Stone (Amazon) – Review
Editor’s Choice: Cast Elegance 16-Inch Round Pizza Stone
One of the first pizza stones that we’re going to review, and arguably the best, is this one from Cast Elegance. This is a 16-inch pizza stone that is durable, food-safe, and can withstand high temperatures. In fact, these stones are fired at over 2,000-degrees Fahrenheit during the manufacturing process to ensure that they perform well and don’t produce foul odors when they’re used—regardless of whether they’re being used for the first time or the thousandth time.
This is also a stone that is approved for use by health and safety agencies all over the world. This stone has passed stringent FDA standards, is approved for sale in the European Union, and has passed the LFBG German Food Code. It also passed as a RoHS compliant stone that’s free of hazardous substances. In other words, multiple agencies have certified that these stones are safe to use. Now, let’s find out just how effective they are to use.
These stones are made out of Thermarite—a material that can withstand extreme temperatures. It’s a product that can also withstand thermal shocks quite well and is engineered to be extremely durable. Thermarite is basically cordierite that’s been fired at high temperatures to make it extremely dense. And it’s that density that creates the perfect pizza crust.
Thermarite pulls just the right amount of moisture from the crust to allow it to crisp-up but do it without burning the bottom of the pizza. It’s available in a 16-inch size that’s perfect for serving large pizzas, and this product can be used in both gas grills and gas ovens.
If there’s any foreseeable problem that we think people are going to have with this stone is that it will eventually stain over time. This is a very common problem with pizza stones. However, this staining will never affect the stone’s performance, it will only affect how it looks, so consumers shouldn’t be concerned about it. This is the pizza stone that people are going to want to buy for making pizzas.
– This product is made from completely safe materials.
– It’s engineered for strength, durability, and high temps.
– It helps to create the perfect pizza crust environment.
– It might stain over time.
Also Recommended: Cast Elegance 14-Inch Rectangular Pizza Stone
The next pizza stone on our list is this one from Cast Elegance. That’s the same company that made the number one stone on our list, and we feel that this stone is equal in quality and performance to the first one. Why you might ask, is this product in the number two position and not the number one position. Well, we have two reasons for that fact. One, we can only put one pizza stone into the number one position, and two, this product is rectangular rather than round. Therefore, it has fewer uses than our number one pick.
Just because this product is going to be suitable for a smaller group of people, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a fantastic stone because it is. This product is made out of the same Thermarite as the 16-inch round stone so that it can withstand high-temperatures and always offers the best pizza cooking performance. This is a stone that can be used in both gas grills or ovens, and simply works every single time it’s used.
Like other Cast Elegance pizza stones, this model has not only been approved by various global agencies to ensure that it’s safe to use, but it’s also been fired up to 2,000-degrees Fahrenheit before it leaves the factory to ensure that it won’t produce any foul odors when it’s used for the first time. That’s not something that other pizza stones can always say.
Another thing worth mentioning about this stone is that it is 5/8th of an inch thick, which allows it to retain heat quite well. Although this product is only 14-inches long, it’s still 16-inches wide, and that allows it to hold a good size pizza. This product also comes with a bonus scrapper that can be used around the kitchen. All in all, we think that it’s a quality pizza stone that people are going to want to check out and maybe even buy.
– This has a nice shape for rectangular pizzas.
– It’s made out of heat-resistant and durable Thermarite.
– This stone won’t ever smell bad.
– It might stain over time.
Also Consider: Hanz Grill 15×12-Inch Pizza Baking Stone
The last pizza stone that we’d like to review is this one from Hans Grill. This model is approximately 14.96-inches by 11.81-inches and is 0.59-inch thick. We’re not sure what is used to make this product, but we’re pretty sure that it’s some sort of unglazed ceramic instead of Thermarite. However, with that being said, it still feels like a product that’s going to hold up quite well.
Like all pizza stones, this one is going to stain over time, but that’s perfectly acceptable because it won’t change the performance of this stone or impact how the pizzas taste after using it. It’s also a product that’s not going to have a chemical smell to it or have to be “cured” before use to ensure that it doesn’t smell. And that’s always a good thing as far as pizza stones are concerned.
Because of this stone’s size, it’s perfect for holding a large family size pizza. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same thing about the bonus pizza peel that came with this set. The pizza peel was a bit small and was quite a bit smaller than the stone itself. That didn’t impact how we rated this stone because we wanted the stone and not necessarily the peel, but it is something worth mentioning.
All things considered, we think that this is a pretty good pizza stone that’s perfect for gas grills or ovens. It’s not the biggest nor the best stone out there, but it is reasonably priced and seems to work very well. It’s definitely one that people should consider when they’re searching for their next pizza stone.
– This product doesn’t have a bad chemical smell to it.
– This product does an amazing job of baking pizzas.
– It seems to be a durable product.
– It might stain over time.
– The pizza peel it comes with is a bit small.
Pizza stones are a piece of equipment that not many people give much thought about. Most people will simply grab a stone that looks good to them and then press this stone into service—sometimes with disastrous results. As is the case with anything else the consumer purchases, it’s important for them to think seriously about the product they’re going to buy. After all, there is a difference between different pizza stones and once a person knows what to look for, the differences can be significant.
To help our readers make an educated decision about their next pizza stone purchase, we’ve decided to go ahead and write a guide on the subject. In this guide, consumers will not only learn how to purchase the best pizza stone for gas grills, but they’ll also learn how to use those stones correctly to achieve the best results. If that sounds good to our readers, then we encourage them to read on to learn everything they need to know about pizza stones.
Step One: Consider The Stone’s Construction
One of the first things that the consumer is going to want to decide upon is what their pizza stone is made of. Although the word “stone” is found in this tool’s name, most of the products on the market aren’t actually made of stone. Most of them are made from unglazed clay, ceramic, cast iron, or Thermarite. Let’s take a look at each of these materials to see how well they work.
Cast Iron
Cast iron is a durable material and will last generations if properly cared for. It’s also a material that heats up more quickly than ceramic or clay stones. This may cause it to burn the bottom of the pizza if used in gas grills. It’s also a material that does require a bit of care to ensure that it doesn’t rust.
Ceramic Or Clay
Ceramic and/or clay are materials that heat up slowly but hold onto heat quite well. That’s why a lot of pizza stones are made out of them. The biggest problem with clay or ceramic stones is that they can be a bit fragile and if dropped, they will most certainly shatter.
Thermarite
Thermarite is probably one of the best materials in which to make pizza stones. This material is made of Cordierite that has been heated to high temperatures. This is a material that’s basically made of firebricks and they will last a long time. Stones made with this material also tend to pull moisture out of a pizzas crust slowly, and this results in a crisper pizza crust. That’s why this material is considered to be the best of the best for modern pizza stones.
Step Two: Consider The Stone’s Size & Shape
The next thing for the consumer to think about is the size of the stone. They will want to make sure that the stone is large enough to hold the pizza they’re planning on cooking. 16-inch stones are generally good enough for large pizzas, while 14-inch stones are good for medium-size pizza. Consumers who are planning on cooking smaller pizzas might want to go with a 12-inch stone for small or personal pan pizzas. It’s also a good idea to think about the shape of the stone. Modern stones come in either circular, square, or rectangular sizes, so choose the one that suits you the best.
Now that we’ve uncovered two of the most important things that consumers should consider when purchasing a new pizza stone for a gas grill, it’s now time to turn our attention to helping our readers get the most out of the stone. Towards that end, we’ve created the following guide on how to grill pizza using a pizza stone.
Step One: Insert The Pizza Stone
The first step to perfect pizza cooked on a pizza stone is to insert the stone on a cold grill. Place it on the grill, close the lid, and then preheat the grill. Turn the grill to medium. Allow the grill to preheat at least 20-minutes before moving on to the next step.
Step Two: Place The Pizza On The Stone
Using a floured pizza peel, place the pizza on the stone. Make sure the pizza is well situated in the center of the stone and then close the grill’s lid.
Step Three: Grill The Pizza According To Directions
The next step is to grill the pizza. For a homemade pizza, this is usually 10-12 minutes, but for a frozen pizza, the consumer should follow the packaging’s directions. The pizza is done when the outer edges are golden brown all around the crust and the cheese is melted. When that’s done, remove the pizza and enjoy!
