Not to make pizza, but for a crisp, browned crust from a home oven, yes. A stone stores heat and gives it to the dough faster than air can; a perforated pan is the cheaper, quicker middle ground.
What a stone does
It stores heat, and gives it back to the base of the dough fast. A home oven’s wire rack has almost no thermal mass; a preheated stone has a great deal. The base cooks in minutes, before the toppings overcook — which is how a pizzeria oven works.
It improves pizza and bread crusts. It does nothing for a cake.
Thickness is the specification
Thin stores less and gives its heat to the first pizza. Thick takes longer to heat up and holds it, for a second and third bake. About half an inch is a good minimum.
The stones on this site
Unicook, $33.99 — 15 × 12 in, 0.6 in thick, 6.8 lb, cordierite rated to 1,450 °F, with a scraper.
Ritual Life, $36.95 — 15 in cordierite to 1,500 °F, with handles and a carrying tray.
Emile Henry, $109.95 — 18 × 14 in ceramic with handles, for the grill as well as the oven.
The middle ground: a perforated pan
A perforated pizza pan heats in minutes, not an hour, and its holes let moisture escape so the base crisps — less than on a stone, much more than on a solid sheet. The BAKKENMASTER 13-inch pair is $15.99 and the Emporio Kitchen pair $15.43, both rated to 450 °F.
Fit, and airflow
Leave about an inch of air at each side. An oven circulates around its rack, and a stone cut to the exact inside width blocks the path. Most toaster ovens are too small for a 15-inch stone — measure the cavity first; see measure before you buy.
The other thing to buy
A pizza peel, or a plan for one — getting a topped pizza onto a 500 °F stone without one is where most first attempts end. See do I need a pizza peel and preheating and what it is for.
Prices quoted in this text were read on 2026-10-18. The live price is at the top of the page.
What readers want to know
How long do I preheat a pizza stone?
45 minutes to an hour at the oven's highest setting, usually 500 to 550 °F, with the stone on a rack in the lower third. The oven reaches temperature long before the stone does — a stone that has only had 15 minutes gives a pale, soft base.
How thick should a pizza stone be?
About half an inch or more. A thicker stone stores more heat and holds it for a second and third pizza; a thin one gives its heat to the first and takes longer to recover. The Unicook on this site is 0.6 in thick and weighs 6.8 lb.
How do I clean a pizza stone?
Let it cool completely in the oven, scrape off stuck bits, and wipe with water — no soap, which soaks into the porous stone. Never put a hot stone into cold water, which can crack it. Dark stains are normal and do not affect the bake.
Last reviewed 18 October 2026