Have you ever wondered if purchasing the best pizza turning peel is necessary?
I used to think my regular pizza peel could handle everything in a hot wood-fired oven a few years ago. However, constantly removing the baked goods to rotate them and put them back in was becoming bothersome, time-consuming, and too much effort.
As a result, I decided to invest in a turning peel, which turned out to be the greatest decision I’ve ever made for my baking career. This reasonably priced accessory makes spinning your pizza so effortless and simple, something that was previously exhausting with my original pizza peel.
If you’re already weary of repeatedly removing your pizzas solely for a rotation, here are the five turning peels that I personally use to make the crispiest pies with my preferred level of doneness.
🥇Best Turning Pizza Peel
- ooni Pizza Turning Peel: [Best Overall]
- ROCCBOX Pizza Turning Peel: [Best for Gozney Ovens]
- Chef Pomodoro 9-Inch Turning Pizza Peel: [Best for Large Blade]
- GI Metal Turning Pizza Peel: [Best for Wood-Fired Ovens]
- SHANGPEIXUAN Turning Pizza Peel: [Best for Budget]
🤔Do You Need A Pizza-Turning Peel?
Baking pizza at home requires a couple of essential pieces of equipment, like the pizza turning peel. They are designed to allow bakers to swiftly spin their pizza in the oven with minimal risk of the toppings falling or getting burnt.
Most professionals use the turning peels in their wood-fired pizza oven because of the high temperatures. Some residential pizza ovens, like Ooni gas ovens, can equally reach temperatures above 800 degrees F in minutes. So, it’s good for home chefs to own a turning peel to spin the pizza mid-bake.
It’s a must-have tool like pizza peel for at-home baking. However, turning peels make it much easier to rotate your pizza without taking the pie out of the oven every time.
⭐Best Turning Pizza Peel Review
1. ooni Pizza Turning Peel
How It Performs:
This model is made from high-quality aluminum. This makes it sturdy enough to withstand the extreme heat produced by Ooni pizza ovens. Thanks to its world-class craftsmanship, this peel is super lightweight. This allows you to maneuver and spin your pizzas effortlessly.
Furthermore, the blade measures 7 inches in diameter. So, it’s perfect for rotating your 12-inch Neapolitan pizzas. It didn’t perform well with larger pizzas but was great for smaller pizzas.
With the Ooni Koda 16, the 32-inch handle is right. It offers the much-needed control to turn your pizzas without getting too close to the intense heat. It’s also my go-to for other smaller pizza ovens like the Karu 12G to keep my stone-baked pizza’s edge from burning.
This best pizza-turning peel for Ooni performs excellently, just as advertised. However, I particularly love the glass-reinforced nylon on the handle. Aside from the premium feeling it offers, it’s comfortable to grip. Also, you don’t have to worry about the peel getting too hot to touch.
Also, the perforated circular head helps eliminate the excess flour to allow the base to crisp faster.
This fantastic turning peel is relatively more expensive. Also, it won’t work great with large pizzas exceeding 12 inches.
2. ROCCBOX Pizza Turning Peel
If you are serious about taking your baking skill up a notch or three, then you would be super pleased with the ROCCBOX Pizza Turning Peel. This model is designed to get underneath your pizza and gently spin it for quick cooking and even doneness. Plus, if you already own a Gozney Pizza Oven, this peel is specifically designed for your oven.
How It Performs:
This gadget outperforms its competitors. Although the manufacturer did not really state the peel’s material, it looks like sturdy stainless steel. I’m confident that this peel would last many years.
Furthermore, its state-of-the-art engineering ensures this peel is well-balanced. Thus, making it easier for a first-timer to learn the ropes in a few go.
On top of that, the incorporated slimline, circular surface does a good job of sliding beneath mid-bake pizza without ruining the edges or crust. Also, it makes managing your baked goods a cinch.
Just like Ooni pizza turning peel, this model’s 7-inch blade is perforated. The excess flour falls off, allowing direct heat to cook the base faster and firmer crust.
However, the handle is shorter compared to the Ooni’s. Its 13-inch long handle is perfect for portable outdoor ovens. This means more control, making it easier to slide, spring, and manage your baked goods than my top choice.
The ROCCBOX Pizza Turning is elegant and functional. I felt like a pro using this accessory to rotate my pizza.
Also, the handle is made of rubber, offering a comfortable and secure grip. This is particularly helpful when retrieving your piping-hot pizza with the peel.
It’s absolutely perfect for the Roccbox pizza oven. This means you might find its performance lacking with other brand’s ovens.
Considering its high price, this best pizza turning peel for roccbox’s quality could be better. This peel arrived with some scratches and dents – maybe it’s just mine. Likewise, the grip handle wobbles. I wish it were held in place with more than one screw.
3. Chef Pomodoro 9-Inch Turning Pizza Peel
The Chef Pomodoro Turning Pizza Peel earns a spot on my list for all good reasons. This product has a larger aluminum blade, a detachable wooden handle for easy storage, and an affordable price point. This is a great buy if you are not looking to shell out more on a turning peel and love the retro-feeling of wooden accessories.
Here’s How It Performs:
After baking nearly everything from sourdough pizzas to naan bread, I’m impressed with how easy it is to reposition baked goods in an 850 degrees F oven.
Made from a robust commercial-grade aluminum alloy, this peel is highly resilient and can withstand high temperatures without bending or sagging. Compared to the Ooni’s, this accessory has a larger 9-inch head. The advantage? It makes managing delicate baked goods like cookies and dough easier without ripping them.
The head rocks a flat bottom design. So, getting beneath your partially baked pizza is not a problem.
That’s not all: it features a long 47-inch wooden handle. I find Chef Pomodoro’s 9″ Aluminum Turning Peel perfect for both at-home and commercial baking. Also, it’s detachable, which means you can thoroughly clean the hard-anodized aluminum head.
Chef Pomodoro’s 9″ Aluminum Turning Peel is an excellent option for all bakers. I love the scratch-resistant property of the aluminum blade. Thus, making it easier for me to maintain its sleek, pristine look.
Furthermore, the handle is designed for easy grip, and its well-balanced weight allows me to use minimal effort when shifting pizzas around. Unlike other long models, I appreciate this peel being detachable. It makes cleaning off the mud and storage easy—no need for extra storage space.
The handles are extendable, which is the boon and bane of this product. The handles don’t snap securely. So, it’s a hassle using this peel at its full length. I ended up using this peel as a short-turning peel.
4. GI Metal Turning Pizza Peel
When baking authentic Neapolitan pizza in a full-fledged wood-fired oven, the GI Metal Turning Pizza Peel is your best bet. This professional accessory is made with durable steel that ensures it outlasts you. Also, it comes with a longer handle than the Ooni peel, meaning it easily gets to the farthest point of your oven without the risk of burns on your hands.
How It Performs:
Made from commercial-grade stainless steel, this turning peel withstood extreme temperatures and high-volume baking without warping or discoloration.
I also used this peel to pick up a fall-out burning log without incurring any damage. It’s just that strong and trustworthy.
The head is about 8 inches in diameter. Thus, making it perfect for repositioning your small baked goods. I find it perfect for spinning 12-inch pizzas without an issue. However, I’d prefer the Ooni turning peel if you need an accessory that can turn and retrieve your baked goods without dropping them.
While it doesn’t come with perforations like other models I’ve reviewed so far, its performance is unaffected. Every pizza came out charred with a crispy crust.
Furthermore, It’s sturdier than the long-handled Chef Pomodoro Turning Pizza Peel. Sadly, it lacks the expandable feature. This means you can’t convert the GI-turning peel into a short form for portable ovens or easy storage.
Unlike the Chef Pomodoro Turning Pizza Peel, the GI turning peel comes with two high-grade plastic handles for better grip and control. Also, the middle plastic grip slides along the handle to ensure you find the perfect grip position for you.
The handle is about 47 inches long. I find it suitable for pizzerias with high-volume baking. It makes turning pies so simple and fun.
This professional-quality peel can be a hassle to store. Where would you place a 47-inch long peel? Also, I find it troublesome to use for portable ovens, except for Hulk-sized options. For everyday at-home baking, this peel is not your go-to; I recommend the best-selling Ooni Turning Peel.
5. SHANGPEIXUAN Turning Pizza Peel
Made from aluminum, this oven-safe turning peel comes at the most affordable price point. Cheaper than other models on this list, this accessory performs almost exactly like any high-end options mentioned in my review. For what’s it worth, I think this aluminum peel looks dashing with its all-black design.
How It Performs:
This essential accessory features top-of-the-line aluminum construction. The blade comes coated with a food-grade non-stick material to prevent burning and make turning your items problem-free.
Its 9-inch blade is more sizable, allowing you to reposition more than just smaller pizzas. It’s great for baking bread, large pizzas, and other bland food. The brush handle is 40 inches long, more than enough to access every inch of your pizza oven.
The blade is strongly attached, thanks to its triple-riveted connection. I had zero worries about my pie falling off due to weak joints.
The SHANGPEIXUAN Turning Pizza Peel comes in a simple design yet functions. There are fewer joints. This means you don’t have to deal with shaking peels.
In addition, the aluminum surface delivers a uniform heat distribution that guarantees evenly cooked meals. Also, it has a slightly larger surface area than the Ooni. Thus, it is more suitable for turning and transferring your pizza or other baked goods onto the cutting board or plate.
Also, it’s detachable and extendable, like the wooden Chef Pomodoro Supreme Aluminum Turning Pizza Peel. So, you don’t have to create extra storage space or purchase a short peel for your portable ovens.
The handle’s edges are quite sharp and can cut you without caution. Aside from that, I noticed the head started to warp with my Ooni Koda 16.
📰Criteria for Choosing the Best Pizza Turning Peel
Pizza-turning peels are not created equal. They come in numerous shapes, sizes, and designs. So, before making a decision, here are some key factors to consider before making a pick:
Material
Turning peels were traditionally made from wood. However, modern models have paddles made from metal and attached to a wooden or steel handle. Peels with metal paddles are easier to maintain and more durable than other materials.
In addition, they are usually thin to provide bakers with more control. This makes them more suitable for turning, moving or lifting pizzas.
There are two common metal options: steel and aluminum. The former is cheaper and lighter but less durable than its counterpart. Most budget-friendly turning pizzas are made of aluminum, while professional chefs prefer the reliability of the premium steel models.
Size
Most turning peels come with varying paddle sizes, 6 – 11 inches in diameter. The right choice depends on the pizza size you intend to bake. The smaller turning peels are most suited for spinning smaller pizzas.
For example, I prefer giving my 12-inch Neapolitan pizza a good spin with my 8-inch tunnel peel. However, I’d recommend using a larger turning peel for New York-style pizzas.
Handle length and comfort.
The handle’s length has a significant effect on usability and comfort levels. Typically, they are 20 to 70 inches long.
The right handle length for you depends on your oven size. For a backyard pizza oven, peels with a handle length ranging between 20 to 30 inches should do the trick.
On the flip, you might need longer handles up to 70 inches depending on the diameter of your unwieldy wood-fired ovens.
Ease of use
It doesn’t take long to realize how bad a decision you made when you struggle with rotating your pizza. Wooden peels can be challenging since they are too thick to slide easily under the dough and spin pizza without damaging the pizza’ crust. Also, their heavy weight makes them difficult to maneuver. This means lesser control and a higher risk of ruining your pizza.
👩💼How to Use a Pizza Turning Peel?
Baking on high heat requires turning your pizzas at 10 – 15 seconds intervals for even doneness. This is a lot easier to do with a turning peel, and here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Using a launching peel, place your pizza on an oven stone. This is quite different from a turning peel. It’s safer to use a launching peel to avoid failed launches.
Step 2: warm up your turning peel by placing it close to the flames for a few seconds.
Step 3: once the peel is warmed, slide it underneath the pizza to ensure it’s loose from the oven’s floor.
Step 4: after breaking the pizza from the stone, pull the turning peel back while making a circular motion to rotate the pie.
Step 5: keep track of the pizza and spin it as necessary until it’s evenly done.
Step 6: while you cannot use your turning peel for launching, it’s perfect for taking out your perfectly baked pizza.
💡What size pizza turning peel do I need?
Turning peels are available in different diameters. Typically, from 6 to 10 inches. The general rule of thumb is to pick a smaller peel for baking small-sized pizzas and vice versa. It comes down to personal preference. However, I find using a 7-inch peel perfect for spinning my 12-inch Neapolitan pizzas.
Conclusion
If you’re baking pan pizzas, a turning peel may not be necessary. However, a turning peel is an indispensable tool for those who have a passion for stone-baked pizzas and a big appetite. It’s an affordable accessory that greatly enhances your pizza-making skills and enhances your game.
With a turning peel, you’ll have complete control over the level of doneness of your pizza. Additionally, it’s practical to create a domed effect on your pizza to prevent the crust from burning and to ensure that the toppings are evenly cooked.
For those dedicated to creating unforgettable homemade pizzas, it’s worth considering the products I suggested in this post. Personally, I highly recommend the Ooni Turning Peel as it’s my go-to tool for achieving an authentic, charred finish on my baked creations.
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