If you are a pizza lover and love experimenting with homemade pizzas in the kitchen, you will be familiar with pizza-making tools like pizza peels. Do you know the exact difference between perforated and non-perforated pizza peels, and for what purpose they both used? In a debate about perforated pizza peel vs. solid pizza peel, which is better for pizza-making?
This blog is all about the exploration of the pros and cons of perforated and non-perforated pizza peels. Let’s start with the basics:
Table of Contents
What is a pizza peel?
A pizza peel is a pizza utensil, usually made of wood or metal. It is a tool to transfer pizzas in and out of the oven during pizza making. It is an essential tool and can make the pizza-making process much easier.
However, there is an argument among pizzerias about perforated and non-perforated pizza peels for a stance, which is the better option. Let’s explore this in detail:
Perforated pizza peel vs solid pizza peel
Perforated Pizza Peel
Pros of Perforated Pizza Peels
Perforated pizza peels have tiny holes or slots on the surface. It is a pizza tool used to transfer the pizza in and out of the pizza oven. These perforations (small holes) have built-in purpose and here are a few in discussion.
Better Air Circulation
The tiny holes on a perforated pizza peel allow better air circulation during baking. This results in a crispier crust and a more evenly cooked pizza.
Easy to use
The perforations cause resistance in the pizza peel which results in stickiness. This sticking makes it easier to transfer the pizza without sliding it out.
Variety of use
Perforated pizza peels are not only used for pizzas but are also helpful in other baking like bread, pastries, or grilled vegetable baking.
Cons of Perforated Pizza Peels:
Messy
Sometimes, if the perforations are large, it may result in toppings or cheese falling through the holes while transferring the pizza, creating a messy oven to clean up.
Limited Weight Capacity:
The holes on the surface of the pizza peel weaken the surface, reducing the weight-bearing capacity to hold. It means that perforated pizza peels are not recommended for larger and heavy commercial pizzas.
Pros of Non-Perforated Pizza Peels
Now it’s time to discuss the characteristics of solid or non-perforated pizza peel.
Better Support:
The solid surface without perforation, pizza peel provides good support for heavier pizzas and smoother transfer, thus recommended for larger and heavier pizzas.
Cleaner
NO messy ovens with solid pizza peel, as risk of topping has been minimize. Moreover easy to clean the solid pizza peel than perforated one.
Multiple Sizes:
As non-perforated pizza peels are available in the market in a variety of sizes, thus you may choose the perfect fit according to your requirements of pizza size and oven size.
Cons of Non-Perforated Pizza Peels
Challenging transfer
Stickiness of the pizza to the solid surface of non-perforated peel makes the transfer of the pizza a bit challenging.
Uneven Cooking:
Perforation is not there and the air circulation. Without sufficient air circulation, the crust may not be as crispy and evenly cooked as desired.
Conclusion
Let me sort out things more clearly for you. If you are going to make pizza at home and want a crispier restaurant-style pizza, you should choose a perforated pizza peel. However for larger commercial pizzas, where stability and strength are needed, one should choose solid pizza peel for a better handle grip and slippery transfer.
For a wood-fired oven, a perforated pizza peel is the best option as it allows more airflow resulting crispier crust. For a conventional oven, a non-perforated pizza peel can also work well.
The choice between perforated vs solid pizza peel also depends on the type of oven you’re using. If you have a wood-fired oven, a perforated pizza peel is ideal as it allows for better airflow and creates a crispier crust. But if you’re using a conventional oven, a non-perforated pizza peel can work just as well.
Cleaning of both pizza peels may also vary and be challenging and can affect your choice. You may visit the link for further details https://versatilepizza.com/how-to-clean-a-pizza-steel/.
Conclusion
Both have unique traits; we can’t say one is right and the other is wrong. The choice depends upon need and availability. We recommend experimenting with both to see which one works best for your pizza needs. Whichever one you choose, make sure to use it properly for the best results.