We may earn a commission from links on this page.Making homemade bread and pizza can be greatly improved with the use of a pizza stone. Ive used one for years, and its the best way to get a well-browned bottom crust. I thought I had it all figured out, until the pizza steel arrived. If youre getting serious about cooking (and reheating) pizza at home, one of these tools should be in your oven. Whats a baking (or pizza) stone?A pizza stone is a plank or circle of ceramic or cordierite (a type of thermal shock-resistant ceramic). Theyre typically between a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch thick and can range in size from nine to 20 inches across.Compared to a pizza steel, ceramic stones are relatively lightweight, which makes them easy to move around and store when theyre not in use. They can stain (especially if youve flubbed a few pizzas like I have), but cleaning them requires little more than a good scraping once the food bits have burnt to a crisp. I use a metal bench scraper to dislodge big chunks, and then simply wipe off the smaller particles with a damp cloth.Unfortunately, they are susceptible to cracking or breaking. The material is very brittle, so if you drop the stone or knock it with something hard it could crack. The ceramic material is also porous, which means moisture can get absorbed (thats why I recommend a dry scrape or damp towel only after youre finished using it). If the stone has moisture trapped inside, when it goes into a 475F oven it can crack as the liquid rapidly evaporates. Amzdeal Pizza Stone $19.36 at Walmart $39.99 Save $20.63 Shop Now Shop Now $19.36 at Walmart $39.99 Save $20.63 Pros:LightweightThermal shock resistantEasy to storeEasy to cleanCons:Susceptible to cracking or breakingPorous and can absorb moistureWhats a pizza steel?Pizza steels arent quite as widespread in popularity, but maybe youve seen one before. They look like the sexier version of a pizza stone; they have the same shapes, rectangular or circular, but they begin to diverge from there. A pizza steel is made of carbon steel. Its better at conducting heat and, since its more dense, better at heat retention. Which means pizza steels can be effective even when relatively thin. They can range from 3/16-inch to a half-inch thick. But dont let the thinness fool youtheyre damn heavy. Like a cast iron pan or a heavy Dutch oven, this trade off can be worth it, but it undoubtedly makes it harder to lift, carry, or situate in a low cabinet for storage when its not in use.Unlike the fussy pizza stone, a pizza steel is robust and relatively indestructible. Water doesnt get trapped inside, as its not porous, and it doesnt give a damn about temperature shifts. Your pizza steel can last you a lifetime of pizzas if properly cared for. That is, unless it rusts.Thats right: If you dont ensure your pizza steel is completely dry before storing it, or if you store it with other wet things, you might be greeted with a rusty mess the next time you take it out of the cabinet. Although this sucks, its not the end. You can scrub off the rust with something abrasive, like steel wool, but youll need to re-season it with some oil. Here are other tips on getting rust off of your pizza steel.Otherwise, you can clean the pizza steel by scraping off the burnt bits with a strong spatula and washing off any grease with warm soapy waterjust be sure to dry it completely. I usually dab off excess water with a paper towel (dont scrub or bits of paper can get stuck) and toss it back into a warm oven to quickly evaporate any residual moisture. I'm a fan of the original Baking Steel. Baking Steel - The Original Ultra Conductive Pizza Stone $129.00 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $129.00 at Amazon Pros:DurableThermal shock resistantEasy to cleanCons:HeavySusceptible to rustingLarger sizes can be expensiveIf youre a person who has a small kitchen, makes pizza or bread only occasionally, or has limited mobility and strength for heavy, cumbersome objects, then you might opt for a small pizza stone. If youre okay with lifting something heavy and you know that baking pizza, bread, or burgers is something youll be doing weekly, then a pizza steel might be the better option for you.