The Best Nerdchef Steel Stone

The test of any good pizza stone is how well the crust of your pizza turns out. If you’re looking for a stone that produces a gorgeous crust with the perfect amount of blistering, you’ll want to go with one of NerdChef’s steel stones.

All three of NerdChef’s pizza stones are identical with the exception of each stone’s thickness. The NerdChef Ultimate has a 0.5-inch thickness and a weight of 30 pounds, while the NerdChef Pro is 0.37 inches thick and weighs 23 pounds. The thinnest model is the NerdChef Standard, which has a 0.25-inch thickness and a weight of 15 pounds.

When deciding which thickness works best for your purposes, keep in mind that the heavier the steel stone, the better the heat conductivity will be. This means thicker stones have a faster cooking time and are able to produce a crispier crust.

Since NerdChef steel stones are made from a precision-cut, low-carbon steel, they are virtually unbreakable. Each of the stones comes pre-seasoned with flaxseed oil to keep your pizza dough from sticking to the pan.

Although the NerdChef steel stones are heavy, they come equipped with handy finger holes. Home chefs can use the finger holes to grab the stones from their kitchen cabinets or to get a good grip on the stone during the cleaning or seasoning process.

In addition to being an excellent kitchen tool for cooking hot foods, the NerdChef steel stone can also be used as a cold plate, as it conducts cold as well as heat. When you place ice underneath the stone, it becomes cold enough to keep an ice cream cake from melting.

• NerdChef steel stones are not dishwasher-safe. You’ll need to wash them with a mild dish soap and hot water. Dry the stones immediately after washing, as they are at risk of rusting. If you encounter any tough, stuck-on foods, you can use a metal spatula to scrape them off.
• Since the steel stones are heavy and become so hot during the cooking process, you’ll need to wear oven gloves or barbecue gloves to touch or lift them. You may prefer to leave the stone in the oven and use a pizza peel to remove the pizza from the stone. Then, wait for the steel stone to completely cool before taking it out of the oven.
• NerdChef recommends placing the steel stone on the second-highest rack and heating your oven using the convection or broil setting at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of 45 minutes. Afterward, you can slide the pizza onto the stone and bake it between 4 and 9 minutes (exact time depends on the particular oven and the thickness of the stone you’re using).
• When it comes time to re-season the steel stone, make sure the stone has been thoroughly cleaned and dried. Use either flaxseed oil, vegetable oil or lard to coat the surface of the stone, and then take a paper towel and wipe the surface of the stone. This will remove any excess oil, while still leaving enough to keep your foods from sticking to the stone. Set the stone in the oven for an hour at a temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the oven off, but let the stone remain in the oven until it’s completely cool.
• The cost of a NerdChef steel stone is directly related to the stone’s thickness. The NerdChef Standard is the thinnest of the three models, and therefore the lowest in price. You’ll pay a moderate price for the NerdChef Pro, which has a medium thickness. Since the NerdChef Ultimate is the thickest at 0.5 inches, it comes with the highest price tag.