Are you a fan of homemade pizza? If so, you need the best cast iron pizza pans to make your pizzas taste delicious. Cast iron is an excellent material for cooking pizza, as it retains heat evenly and bakes the crust perfectly.
Choosing the right pan for pizza is not an easy peasy task with tons of products and deceptive descriptions.
Hence, in this post, we’ll review the best cast iron pizza pan on the market, why you should consider purchasing one, and what to look for in this equipment to make an informed decision.
Top 7 Cast Iron Pizza Pans
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Home-Complete Cast iron Pizza Pan | Oven-safe |
| 2. | Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan | Oven-safe |
| 3. | Lodge BW15PP Cast Iron Pizza Pan | Gas Stovetop Compatible |
| 4. | StarBlue 16 inch Cast iron Pizza Pan | Oven-safe, Dishwasher safe |
| 5. | Camp chef Cast iron Pizza Pan | 12 in. diameter |
| 6. | Pre Seasoned Cast iron Pizza Pan | 16 Inches Capacity |
| 7. | Bruntmor Preseasoned Cast Iron Grill Pan | 3 Liters Capacity |
Are Cast Iron Pans Good for Pizza?
Yes, cast iron pans are excellent for making pizza. The high heat retention and even distribution of heat make them ideal for achieving a crispy crust and perfectly cooked toppings. The heavy weight of the pan also helps to create a nice golden brown crust on the bottom.
To use a cast iron pan for pizza, preheat it in the oven at a high temperature for about 30 minutes. This will ensure that the pan is evenly heated and ready to cook your pizza. Once preheated, carefully remove the pan from the oven and place your prepared pizza dough onto it. Add your desired toppings and return the pan to the oven to bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Keep in mind that cast iron pans can get extremely hot, so be sure to use oven mitts or pot holders when handling them. Additionally, make sure to properly season your cast iron pan before using it for pizza to prevent sticking.
Overall, with proper care and technique, cast iron pans can produce delicious homemade pizzas with fantastic results.
Things to Consider When Shopping for the Best Cast Iron Pizza Pan.
Materials
Before splurging on bakeware, you want to ensure they are made of high-quality materials. With that being said, pizza pans are made of different materials, from stainless steel to cast iron. However, stainless steel or nonstick pans are not ideal for grilling.
Hence, you want to stick with cast iron if you are looking to use your pizza pan for grilling. They can handle high heat without warping. With their high heat tolerance, cast iron pizza pans allow you to cook on cooktops and handle your oven’s high temperature of up to 500 degrees F. Plus, they come in handy for reheating your leftovers.
Heat Distribution
The best pizza pan should have a flat bottom to ensure the heat spreads uniformly for perfectly baked food. So, ensure the bakeware you want to purchase has a flat base, guaranteeing that the product won’t wobble when in use.
Compatibility
A pizza pan made with cast iron should work well with any heat source, from campfire to oven. You don’t have to purchase separate bakeware for different heat sources.
Cleaning & Maintenance
While most cast iron pans cannot be tossed into the dishwasher for a convenient cleaning experience, handwashing them shouldn’t be difficult. The best cast iron pizza pan for you should only require a sponge, mild dishwashing soap, and hot water to rinse. Also, maintaining their natural nonstick property should only include applying some vegetable oil after every use.
Size
Pizza pans are available in a wide range of size options. Before choosing, you want to consider how spacious your oven and grill are. If they can accommodate large pizza pans, you might want to consider pans with ample cooking space to allow you to make large baked goods or cook more food shortly.
Handles
Cast iron pans should come with secure and solid handles to allow you to handle this heavy bakeware with ease. However, you might want to consider how much space the handles will be taking in your oven before purchasing a pan. While large handles might make the carrying experience a smooth one, you might have trouble fitting the pan in your oven.
Best Cast Iron Pizza Pans Review
1. Home-Complete 14 inch Cast iron Pizza Pan
Earning our top spot is the Home-Complete Cast Iron Pizza Pan, which is a 14-inch skillet pan designed to bake/cook a genuine pizza flavor. This pizza pan skillet is made from cast iron – a material known for its incredible durability and versatility.
Thus, the Home-Complete 14-inch cast-iron pizza pan boasts a superior ability to handle anything thrown at it, from grilling crispy pizza crust to grilling meats and vegetables, frying, and roasting. Also, this skillet is suitable for everyday use, meaning you can use this pan for cooking pancakes, burgers, bacon, and eggs.
Its cast-iron construction is responsible for its unparalleled heat retention, short baking period, and efficient cooking performance. No doubt, this best-cast iron pizza pan delivers an even, tasty, and crispy pizza crust.
That’s not all: Home-Complete 14-inch cast iron pizza pan is the perfect choice for newbies looking to try out different recipes in their kitchen. Thanks to its versatility, this skillet does everything, including baking, frying, and broiling.
On the downside, the product’s base coating is not as smooth as most options we’ve reviewed, which means cleaning this skillet will take longer.
Strengths:
- Safe to use
- Quick cooking time and low energy consumption
- Suitable for grilling, roasting, and baking
- It comes with handles for convenient use
Weaknesses:
- The exterior is a bit rough
2. Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan
When it comes to making sumptuous homemade pizzas, the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan won’t disappoint you. It’s a perfect tool for toasting vegetables, baking treats, and doing lots more. This product comes with ample cooking space and a sturdy handle for easy handling and carrying experience.
This cast iron pizza pan delivers outstanding heat retention and transfer for even more efficient cooking. Thanks to the strong side handle, the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan offers a secure and smooth grip for a hassle-free cooking experience over your grill, campfire, stove, or your oven.
Furthermore, this cookware features robust construction with cast iron to ensure it lasts a lifetime and cooks pizza in less than 5 minutes under 400 degrees F. The Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan dissipates heat evenly and retains heat to ensure your pizzas are evenly cooked.
While this product sounds perfect, the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan has drawbacks. This pan is not dishwasher-friendly. Hence, you have to hand wash and do this carefully to avoid hurting yourself.
Strengths:
- Outstanding heat retention
- Features two sturdy loop handles
- Heavy-duty cast iron pizza pan
- 14-inch cooking space perfect for pizzas and other baked goodies
Weaknesses:
- On the pricey side
- Not dishwasher friendly
3. Lodge BW15PP 15 Inch Cast Iron Pizza Pan
Cast iron pizza pans outperform most steel options and pizza stones on the market. While this could be argued, the Lodge BW15PP offers ample cooking space and is built for making an authentic crispy crust.
Like the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan, this product comes with convenient handles for easy handling when used over a campfire, stove, grill, or in the oven. In addition, the loop handles come in handy for retrieving your food from the oven, especially when you can’t get your hands on pizza peel or own one. Also, it features a slight lip, which makes it easier to cook classic crust pizza or thin crust.
This product comes in a perfect size offering up to 15 inches of cooking space – ample space to cook pizzeria-style pizza. The Lodge BW15PP 15 15-inch cast Iron Pizza Pan is preseasoned to allow home bakers to use this bakeware straight out of the box.
More importantly, this pizza pan is made from cast iron, meaning it demands special maintenance to ensure it serves your purpose for many years to come. It’s best to wash with mild soap, scrub lightly, rinse, and bake for a short period to keep the pan sterilized.
Unlike most options flooding the market, the Lodge BW15PP 15 15-inch cast Iron Pizza Pan has high thermal shock resistance. This means you don’t have to worry about this product breaking or cracking due to sudden temperature changes.
Strengths:
- Sturdy cast iron construction
- Reasonable price point
- Comes preseasoned and ready for use
- Delivers crispier crust than ones from pizza stones
- Easy to use and handle
Weaknesses:
- Requires special maintenance for consistently excellent results
4. StarBlue 16 inch Cast iron Pizza Pan
Earning a spot on our list is the StarBlue 16-inch cast-iron pizza pan with its premium quality cast iron construction coupled with high-quality silicone handles to ensure this product delivers an incredible pizza-making experience.
This product is suitable for baking sumptuous homemade pizza and doubles well as a serving tray. This model comes with a 16-inch cooking space to allow you, home bakers, to make family-size pizza with ease. The StarBlue 16-inch cast-iron pizza pan comes with a reliable silicone handle to offer customers excellent value for money and protect their hands from getting burnt.
Furthermore, this pan has a round shape, so there are no corners or challenging spots to clean. This cast iron pan is effortless to clean up after use, albeit it’s not dishwasher-friendly. Like most of the products on our list, this best-cast iron pizza pan offers impressive versatility – meaning you can bake, fry, grill, sear, and broil your fish, meat, and veggies.
That’s not all: the StarBlue 16-inch cast iron pizza pan is suitable for both outdoor and indoor use. Hence, you can use this bakeware on the grill or in the oven without running into trouble. The best part of it all: this unit is backed by a 2-month 100% money-back guarantee to offer customers peace of mind with their purchase.
Strengths:
- Attains the desired temperature faster
- Uniform heat distribution
- Excellent heat retention
- Supplied with silicone handles
Weaknesses:
- On the heavier side
5. Camp chef Cast iron Pizza Pan
Camp Chef is one of the leading brands in this space, and its cast-iron pizza pan deserves a spot on our list – and for good reasons. This product is fabricated with cast iron. You can expect outstanding heat dispersion and retention for consistently excellent results. Luckily, this unit does not disappoint.
To ensure the Camp Chef cast iron pizza pan delivers on its promises, this cast iron pizza pan features True Seasoned Finish to bake delectable pies to perfection. This model features decorative handles to allow customers to handle the pan easily.
The Camp Chef cast iron pizza pan is perfect for cookies, pancakes, rolls, and flat-top grilling. This bakeware offers a 14-inch diameter with enough cooking space to bake a family-sized pizza. This model is great for both outdoor and indoor use.
Strengths:
- It offers incredible durability and versatility
- Even heat distribution
- Decorative molded cast iron handles
- Suitable outdoor and indoor cooking functions
Weaknesses:
- Paint tends to chip off after a while
6. Pre Seasoned Cast iron Deep Dish Pizza Pan
Are you in the market for the best cast iron pizza pan for your grill? You can’t go wrong with the pre-seasoned cast iron deep-dish pizza pan. This model is made with high-quality cast iron to ensure this bakeware outperforms stainless steel or silicone baking pans flooding the market.
The pre-seasoned cast iron deep dish pizza pan spreads heat uniformly to ensure your pizza is delectable and the crust is perfectly brown. This model is a perfect alternative to Teflon-coated cookware. It has a natural nonstick cooking surface, safer and better for baking, broiling, searing, grilling, or cooking with incredible food release performance and a healthy cooking experience.
That’s not all: this pizza pan provides home bakers with a multi-purpose cooking surface to allow you to use on a campfire, BBQ grilling, stove, or in an oven. Hence, with this bakeware, you’ve nearly endless cooking possibilities.
This product comes preseasoned, allowing users to use it right out of the pack and making maintaining it a breeze. Remember that the pizza pan is not dishwasher friendly, albeit handwashing won’t be arduous.
Strengths:
- Firepit-friendly and oven-friendly up to 500 degrees F
- Comes preseasoned and ready to use straight away
- Suitable for all cooktops, including electric, induction, and gas range
- It offers ample cooking space to fit a 16-inch pizza
- Easy to maintain
Weaknesses:
- The pan has a gritty texture
7. Bruntmor Preseasoned Large Cast Iron Grill Pan
If you want to purchase one of the best pizza pans that comes ready to use, this 16-inch large skillet from Bruntmor. The exterior and interior surfaces come preseasoned, offering decent non-stick performance and protecting the pan from cracking and chipping due to sudden temperature changes.
What’s more?
Its large cooking surface offers plenty of room to fit 6 hamburger patties or a 16-inch pizza. Even better, Bruntmor Preseasoned Large Cast Iron Grill Pan doubles nicely as a serving tray to present your perfectly baked goods.
This large skillet is a perfect go-to for frying, baking, grilling, broiling, and many more without worrying about synthetic chemicals compromising your food. Thanks to its ample cooking space, the Bruntmor Preseasoned Large Cast Iron Grill Pan is ideal for use in the oven, on the grill, campfire, or stove.
In addition, it’s perfect for all cooktops, including electric, induction, and gas range. This product features two loop handles to allow home bakers to handle this large bakeware conveniently. Furthermore, it’s oven-safe up to 500 degrees F to support cooking any of your favorite recipes.
While you might not be able to toss this cast iron pizza pan into your dishwasher for a hands-free cleaning experience, hand washing this product is a breeze. It’s one of the pizza pans with the least maintenance we’ve tried.
Strengths:
- Excellent cooking performance
- Simple to maintain
- Large cooking space
- Works on all cooktops
- It comes with dual handles for easy handling
- Arrives preseasoned and ready to use
Weaknesses:
- Poor quality control
Frequently Asked Questions & Answered
It depends on the product. Generally, cast iron pans require hand washing with a sponge, hot water, and mild dishwashing soap. After hand washing, you apply vegetable oil to the surface to protect the pan and its natural nonstick properties. If this sounds arduous, then you should consider other options.
Yes, you can use a cast iron pizza pan on a grill. Make sure to preheat the pan on the grill before adding your pizza dough and toppings. This will help ensure even cooking and prevent sticking.
It typically takes about 15-20 minutes for a cast iron pizza pan to fully preheat in the oven. However, this may vary depending on your oven’s temperature settings, so it’s always best to monitor the preheating process closely.
Absolutely! Cast iron pans are versatile and can be used for various dishes like breads, cookies, frittatas, and more. Just make sure to adjust cooking times accordingly as cast iron retains heat well.
Conclusion
Baking finger-licking pizzeria-grade pizzas at home demands a premium, high-performing cast iron pizza pan. Sadly, this bakeware is not created equal. So, you need to know what to look out for in this equipment when trying to purchase the best cast iron pizza pan.
Luckily, in this post, we’ve shortlisted the top 7 options on the market and included a comprehensive buying guide to ensure you make the right choice. However, if you’re in a rush, you can’t possibly go wrong with our favorite equipment – A home-complete 14-inch cast iron pizza pan.