Essential tools for pizza
Some of the tools you are going to find today are the same that you can see in famous Italian pizzerias. I defined them as essential tools for pizza because I think that this is what they really are: something that you need to have in your kitchen if you are serious in pizza making.
If you follow the pages of this blog or my social media you know already how important is to have the right tools to craft a perfect pizza. In the list below I collected pizza peels, pizza cutters, rolling pins, dough scrapers and more. For some of you not all tools may be linked to Italian pizza recipes.
I am pretty sure you will have some doubts for example on the rolling pin. You may have heard from some Italians that “you never use rolling pin in Italian pizza“. But this is simply not true. While we never use a rolling pin to toss a Neapolitan pizza, we can use a rolling pin for the roman style pizza “scrocchiarella“.
Remember that investing the right tools to make pizza will not make you a professional baker but will definitely make your life easier.
Following is a list of some basic and essential tools you may want to buy to improve your pizza. The majority of them can be used in the kitchen also for other purposes, of course. Remember that all the links below are affiliate links. So I will get a small fee if you buy from them. To you it comes at no cost but for me your support will help keeping this website alive.
Here is the list of recommended essential tools for pizza:
Discover them now!
Pizza Peels - Maneuver Your Pizza With Ease
The pizza peel is more than a utensil; it’s a crucial extension of the pizza maker’s hands. It ensures precision, safety, and ease throughout the pizza-making process. Mastering its use requires you to practice. Sometimes it even looks scary. This is why I think it is key to buy the pizza peels with the right properties and not just the first one that a search engine or an ads suggests to you.
The role of pizza peel is essential during the final pizza preparation. This is especially true for pizza styles that do not require the use of a baking steel or sheet tray. For example for Neapolitan pizza, after you stretched your dough ball, during the baking process and after it, having a good pizza peel will 100% make your life easier.
We have mainly two pizza peels consider: the one we use to put the pizza in the oven and the one we use to turn the pizza in oven. As you know, the first one is a bit bigger than the turning peel. In both cases you want one that is light, easy to clean and less sticky as possible.
Pizza peel 14''
A pizza peel stands as an indispensable tool for any pizzaiolo. It is actually a mandatory kitchen tool to keep Neapolitan style pizza in the oven. Always prefer perforated aluminum pizza peel for a smooth pizza baking.
You can use this pizza peel for Neapolitan pizza or in general for all pizzas that are not baked using a sheet tray or a baking steel. The size is important here, go for a bigger one, like 14”, unless you have a small oven.
Buy the best pizza peel:
Purchase at Amazon.com
Purchase at Amazon.de
Purchase at Aliexpress
Turning Pizza Peel
A turning pizza peel is often called in Italian “palino“. Translated it means “small peel”. Although not always indispensable, this is the best pizza tool to turn your Neapolitan pizza while in the oven. And you will feel like a real pizzaiolo!
Make sure you always buy a small pizza peel made of aluminum, perforated and with long handle. Also, don’t forget to warm it a bit before turning your pizza, to avoid any humidity to interfere with your operations.
Buy a recommended palino :
Purchase at Amazon.com
Purchase at Amazon.de
Purchase at Aliexpress
Wood Serving Peel
This is a multi-use pizza peel. You can use it to help you moving your pizza from the countertop to the oven. Or you can use it as a serving plate. I personally prefer its use in the latter way. Mainly because it is an heavy peel.
I personally have this pizza peel and I like it very much. Its surface is very smooth and pizza is never sticking to it. However I only use it as serving pizza peel. I find it too heavy for other uses. But I lovethe quality of this product.
Buy electric pizza oven Volt now:
Purchase at Ooni Global (US)
Purchase at Ooni Europe
Purchase at Ooni CA
Pizza Cutters
Don’t use a knife to cut your pizza slices. It is a very ineffective way to do so. Buy a proper pizza cutter instead. And if you want to act like an Italian pizzeria, then buy a pair of pizza scissors. They will help in cutting the crust without flattening it. In this way you can show to friends, family and social media followers how great pizza crust you managed to obtain 😉
Pizza Cutter
You can buy various pizza cutter size as well as various handle materials. I don’t really like to have in my kitchen materials that I cannot properly wash. For example I avoid wood and also plastic kitchen gear tools wherever I can.
To properly cut a perfect pizza slice I prefer a pizza cutter where the handle is resistant and easy to clean. Exactly like the ones I am linking below.
Buy your pizza cutter now:
Purchase at Amazon.com
Purchase at Amazon.de
Purchase at Aliexpress
Pizza Scissors
During past several year there is a new trend in Italian pizzeria: cutting the pizza with scissors. It seems to be a trend on social media but in reality this is coming from the past. A lot of pizzerias where cutting the pizza slice using scissors.
Nowadays scissors a re a big thing on Social media when showing the crust structure of Neapolitan pizza. Mainly because it preserves the airy crust.
Those are good scissors:
Purchase at Amazon.com
Purchase at Amazon.de
Purchase at Aliexpress
Dough Scrapers and Rolling Pins
You need a pizza dough scraper for mainly three purposes: helping in rounding, cutting the dough during kneading and portioning and to take the Neapolitan pizza out of the proofing box.
As you can imagine you can use a pizza spatula for the purpose above. It all depends on what you find more convenient to use. The main difference between a spatula and a dough scraper is the handle direction and the position of your hand when dealing with the pizza dough. This is really up to you.
When making pizza, I strongly recommend you not to buy plastic dough scrapers. The main reason is that they do not have a sharp edge and cutting the pizza dough or the Neapolitan pizza dough balls is not that convenient.
But then why do you need a rolling pin? I know, this can open a big discussion and big battles even between Italians. I am pretty sure a lot of them will hate me for adding a rolling pin for pizza. However the reality is that there are some authentic Italian pizza styles and focaccia that require you to use a rolling pin. Probably the most famous pizza that can be stretched with a rolling pin is the roman round pizza.
Pizza Spatula
A reliable spatula is essential for precise pizza dough portioning, ensuring uniform sizes for consistent baking. Its flexible edge facilitates easy scraping and lifting, ideal for dough manipulation and transferring to baking surfaces.
This versatile tool streamlines the process, providing control and accuracy in dividing dough, whether for individual pizzas or batch preparation.
Buy a spatula dough now:
Purchase at Amazon.com
Purchase at Amazon.de
Purchase at Aliexpress
Classic Dough Scraper
As an alternative to a pizza spatula you can buy a classic dough scraper. This will be a very handy tool especially when portioning pizza dough or for rounding. I don’t find it ideal to take the Neapolitan pizza from the proofing box.
In any case this is one of the tools you want to have in your kitchen when preparing a classic Italian pizza. To me this is key to prepare the dough for the bulk proofing.
Buy a classic stainless scraper:
Purchase at Amazon.com
Purchase at Amazon.de
Purchase at Aliexpress
Pizza Rolling Pin
There are some authentic Italian pizza styles that have to be stretched very thin. This is the first way to get a crunchy crust. One of them is the roman round pizza. To achieve the right thickness with ease a rolling pin will be of a great help.
I one again selected a rolling pin keeping in mind the material is made. Not an old wood rolling pin but a more modern and easy to clean stainless one.
Buy the rolling pin for pizza:
Purchase at Amazon.com
Purchase at Amazon.de
Purchase at Aliexpress
Pizza Screens
A pizza screen can be handy for two main reasons: baking certain pizza styles making sure that the crust will not burn but also have a pizza resting before serving it, avoiding that the moisture alters the pizza crust.
Personally for my Italian pizza recipes, I never found any need to bake using a pizza screen. But I find them incredibly effective to have the moisture from the pizza crust evaporating. This is especially true for pizza in sheet tray. As I often serving it only part of it, I like to remove the pizza from the sheet tray and having it resting on a grill or on a pizza screen. This is also why I recommend to have several pizza screens of various size, mainly matching the sheet tray or pans you have available to make your pizza.
Below I am sharing some links to buy pizza screens and also some cooling racks that – although meant for other purposes – are perfect also to be used to dry the pizza crust.
Pizza Screens
It does not matter if you are using it for baking your pizza at hot temperature preserving the crust or only to cool your pizza. Having a pizza screen is the next step of your pizza making journey and believe me you want one.
This is the classic kitchen tool that you don’t know you need until you actually use it. I have a set of them of different sizes and shapes. I founfd pizza screens of a big value.
You can buy Ooni steel now:
Purchase at Amazon.com
Purchase at Amazon.de
Purchase at Aliexpress
Pizza Cooling Rack
I use cooling racks of various sizes especially when I prepare pizza in sheet tray.As I was saying before, I don’t generally serve the entire pizza at once, so I need to keep the crust crunchy for some time before serving more.
The only way to preserve the crunchiness of the pizza crust is to avoid that the moisture does not evaporate. So I always move my pizza to a cooling rack!
Buy various size pizza stone:
Purchase at Amazon.com
Purchase at Amazon.de
Purchase at Aliexpress
Pizza Baking Board
Steel Baking Board
If you are kneading pizza dough by hand or if you are portioning youre Neapolitan pizza dough ball, you better have a smooth surface to work on. I love to work on a steel baking board. Very clean and effective.
A Steel baking board ensures easy dough handling for perfect pizza balls every time. Moreover it is very easy to maintain and keep your kitchen clean.
Buy the best steel baking board for your pizza dough now:
Purchase at Amazon.com
Purchase at Amazon.de
Purchase at Aliexpress
Wooden Board
If you are really nostalgic and you still prefer the touch and feel of the wood, then I totally understand. And having a baking board made of wood is absolutely fine. I actually hav one that I use to make home made pasta, so I understand 🙂
Actually the wooden baking board has the advantage of a surface that absorbs a little bit of moisture. So in some pizza dough it can be very useful.
You can Buy a wooden kneading boardl ike this: