Emile Henry Pizza Stone Review

We purchased the Emile Henry Pizza Stone so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.

Who doesn't love pizza? It is a meal woven into the fabric of many households for our kids' birthdays, our Super Bowl parties, and Friday nights. That's why we are all so particular about that perfect pie, crust, and taste, whether it's pan or thin, delivery or home-cooked.

I've made pizzas in the oven, on the grill, and in a pizza oven, so I was more than ready for the Emile Henry Pizza Stone to do its job. I created balls of dough, stocked up on sauces and toppings, and picked up a few frozen pizzas to round out the testing. When the pizza making was done, I moved on to baking some bread, just to make sure I had all the options covered. Here's what I found.

Design: Great for serving, too

Emile Henry tends to create products that look good, and this neat pizza stone is no exception. I got the burgundy red stone to test, but other colors are available. It’s a sure bet one of them would fit in nicely with your particular kitchen shade and décor. Besides using the Emile Henry Pizza Stone for making pies, it would look good enough as a board for serving charcuterie, a seafood platter, or a little pastries dish. If you host many dinner parties and have ever needed a versatile food platter, this is it.

The two handles on the sides are one of the best things about the stone. They made it easy to get the stone in and out of the oven, even when wearing thick oven mitts. While they add to the space needed for storage, it’s a sacrifice I was willing to make.

While I'd normally leave a pizza stone in the oven to cool off after using it, it made sense to remove this one from the oven for serving. The surface is sturdy enough that you can cut the pizza right on the stone, and it retains heat well enough that it keeps the pizza warm while everyone is eating. That heat retention is also excellent when cooking one pizza after the other.

Performance: Does it all, does it well

While the surface of the Emile Henry Pizza Stone isn’t nonstick, it certainly isn’t as sticky as an uncoated ceramic stone. But although the stone is glazed, it’s excellent at creating a crisp crust on pizza and other baked goods. Homemade pizza, frozen pizza, and bread all crisped nicely on the bottom, and all of them easily slid off the stone, even when a little sauce or cheese dripped.

When I baked bread on this stone, it didn’t even think about sticking—in fact, it slid across easily, and I could pick it up with a mitt when baking was done. Pizza was similarly nonstick, and it even slid a bit when I tried to get the peel under the pizza. That’s a good thing to keep in mind when retrieving a pizza, but it wasn’t a real problem.

While this stone shouldn’t be used over an open flame, it’s fine in the oven or on a grill. It’s not going to replicate the results of a pizza oven that can cook a pie in 60 seconds, but it does provide a great crust. On average, it took about 6 minutes to cook a fresh thin- or medium-crust pizza fully. If you're a fan of deep-dish pizza, Emile Henry makes a deep-dish pizza pan that would make a great companion for this stone. For frozen pizzas, I used the time and temperature recommended, which worked well.

Material: Coated ceramic

Unlike most pizza pans that are made from a porous material that pulls water from the dough to create a crisp crust, the Emile Henry Pizza Stone is made from a glazed ceramic substance. Not only does the coating make this stone more attractive, but it also brings along other benefits. The coating seals the ceramic, so it won’t stain horribly—although I did notice some slightly darker areas on the stone after some use. It also means that this is more versatile than other pizza stones.

While I’d be at least a little bit wary of using a porous pizza stone for baking pastries that might leak butter or sugary substances, I’d be more than willing to experiment with this pizza stone for croissants or cookies.

Cleaning: Easy-peasy

What is most surprising about this pizza stone is that it’s dishwasher-safe. It might be too tall for some dishwashers, but it’s great to know that the pan can be exposed to soaps without ruining it. If you feel like there are never enough hours in the day and desire a quick kitchen clean-up, this stone gives you those 10 or so minutes back.

For food that may be burned on the surface, the company suggests soaking the pan in water with some vinegar, but when I used it, I didn’t have any food that stuck enough to need much more than a little scrub with a sponge. Most of the time, I simply had crumbs that could be brushed away.

Price: Very reasonable

While there are some pizza stones that cost less than the Emile Henry Pizza Stone, which is retail-priced at $65.00, it’s still neatly within the average range of prices. Many others out there, in fact, cost even more than this stone. Considering the many benefits of this pizza stone, the price would be reasonable even if it were more expensive. At this price, it’s a bargain.

Emile Henry Pizza Stone vs. Cast Elegance Round Pizza Stone

The Emile Henry Pizza Stone and the Cast Elegance Round Pizza Stone (view at Amazon) are both round—and that’s where the similarities end. The Cast Elegance stone is made from cordierite and is 16 inches in diameter. The Emile Henry is made from glazed ceramic, and the baking surface is 14 inches in diameter.

While the Emile Henry stone is slightly smaller, the 14-inch size is still great for standard 12-inch pizzas and leaves enough landing room to get pizzas onto the stone. Meanwhile, the serving handles, the stick-free coating, and the ability to clean the stone in the dishwasher make it the clear winner. Unless there’s a specific need for a 16-inch pan, get the Emile Henry.