Homemade Pizza is tasty and so much cheaper than what you can buy. Tool up with these must-have pizza tools so that pizza night comes together easily.
Want to save this post?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I’ll send you budget recipes and money-saving tips every week!
The little guy shuffling around, chanting, “Pizza, pizza” may offer the cheapest pizza in town, but it’s certainly not the best. That would be homemade.
Making homemade pizza is cheap and delicious — and you just need a few pizza tools to make it easy.
Why Invest in Pizza Tools?
When you have the right kitchen equipment for making pizza at home, the process will be easier. When it’s easy, you’ll be happy to do it as often as the craving hits.
And you’ll save so much money in the process!
Check out these must-have pizza tools to make homemade pizza a regular menu item at your house.
Pizza Tools for Making the Dough
A kitchen scale – I use a kitchen scale to weigh flour. It’s super easy to put a bowl on the scale, zero it out, and start scooping flour into the bowl.
I only have to do one math problem instead of remembering how many cups I put in.
I’ve had this model kitchen scale for several years, and it’s performed wonderfully. We use it several times a day, for pizza and more.
A mixer – While you can certainly mix pizza dough by hand, it’s easier and less messy if you have a mixer of some sort. When I first started making homemade pizza dough, I used a bread machine on the dough setting. This works really well if you’re making 1 to 2 pizzas on a regular basis.
For making more pizzas, I recommend a KitchenAid mixer. Mixing up the dough takes just a few minutes and I let it rise in the mixing bowl.
A bench scraper – This is a handy tool for manipulating and cutting doughs. I use a rubber bench scraper that is flexible to get every last bit of dough out of the mixing bowl.
A pizza board – I use a large wooden cutting board for shaping the dough before baking and then we use the same board for cutting the pizzas.
Pizza Tools for Baking Homemade Pizzas
I’ve experimented with a lot of different pizza pans. I have a variety of different styles, sizes and shapes. I don’t have time to mess with pizza stones, so I prefer to bake the pizzas on pans that can go in and out of the oven or grill in turns.
Round pizza screens – My favorites are probably these pizza screens. There are a number of sizes. I’ve found them to be a great investment. I spray them with cooking spray and they come clean every time.
Round perforated pizza pans – I have also used perforated pizza pans with great results; these look similar to the ones I have.
A steel pizza peel – Since Bryan started grilling 6 to 12 pizzas each Friday night, we’ve added a metal pizza peel to our arsenal of pizza tools. He finds it handy for turning the pizzas on the grill to get even cooking.
I chose this pizza peel because it collapses for easy storage, but Bryan usually stores it on a nail outside by the grill.
Pizza Tools for Serving Pizza
A pizza cutter – I have a Pampered Chef pizza wheel that has lasted me almost twenty years. I love it! No complaints there.
But, we recently upgraded to a stainless steel pizza cutter rocker. It cuts the pizza more evenly and more quickly than a wheel.
Pizza night is a lot of fun. It’s the thing that everyone most looks forward to at the end of the week. Having the right pizza tools can make it fun and easy.
FAQs
I have purchased and returned/donated many a pizza stone in my lifetime. They just never proved their worth to me. I’ve found that pizza screens work better for me with less hassle and no breakage.
I’ve heard pizza ovens are cool, but I can’t justify the storage space or the purchase price. Since my husband learned to grill pizza, we get a similar style pizza without buying a unitasker appliance.
Pizza screens are what I’ve seen in many pizzerias here in San Diego and what I’ve used for ten years. The only time I’ve had dough stick to the screen was when it wasn’t sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. I currently use this dispenser bottle so I can easily spray my pans with olive oil.
Shopping Tips to Save You Money
Shop around. Keep in mind that you may want to shop around for some of these items to avoid overpaying. Different stores offer the same products for vastly different prices. Check for free shipping, etc. and use Rakuten for cash back if you can.
Borrow from a friend. If the item you have in your cart costs a pretty penny, consider borrowing one from a friend to see if you really like it before you invest. No use going through the hassle of buying and returning an item you don’t end up liking. Borrowing is free research.
Shop used. Surprisingly, or not, plenty of people have good intentions about making homemade pizza and then never get around to making a single recipe. You may be able to find slightly used or even new pizza tools at thrift stores, on Facebook market place, or at garage sales.
Great Pizza Recipes
Want to get started making homemade pizza? Here are some fan favorite pizza recipes:
This post was originally published on December 10, 2015. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Tell us what you think!
We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.
Donna
I finally got one of the pizza screen pans like you have in this post… and wow, it’s a game changer! I’m ordering 2 more! Perfect crispy crust! Thanks for the heads up!
Jessica Fisher
So glad it’s working for you!
Erin
Can I ask what sauce recipe you use on your pizza’s the most? I have your freezer cookbook and see the recipe for the red sauce, but I also see the pizza sauce recipe. Which is the one that you use the most?
Jessica Fisher
I use them both quite a bit, it just depends on what I have on hand. I alternate those in my freezer. If I forget to thaw, I use this one as well: https://goodcheapeats.com/2013/04/last-minute-pizza-sauce/
Heather M
I have the very sam Pampered Chef pizza cutter. And have had it forever! I LOVE IT!! We use it all the time, for pizza, quesadillas, whatever.
Leigh
I think I may need to order the pizza screens. It is $4 each for the 4 pack.
Katie
How do you get the pizza onto the screen? We also have a Friday pizza traditions, so we make it often, but we always pat the dough out onto the pan. Seems like that wouldn’t work with the screen? Do you form the crust on the counter, then flip it onto the screen somehow, like you see in movies? I’d really like to try the screens (using your link, of course 😉 ), but can’t wrap my head around how you get the dough there without a peel (which I don’t have or want).
Claire
I am also curious about the pizza screen. What do you do with it?
Jessica Fisher
I place the formed dough on the screen and then top it and bake. https://youtu.be/xMXydSWIg2M shows how I form the dough.
Claire
Oh! I understand. lol. It’s a baking pan for the pizza. I thought maybe it went on top of the pan. LOL.
Jessica Fisher
I form the crust in the air/with my hands and some on the cutting board and then move it to the screen. Here’s my video of making mini pizzas: https://youtu.be/xMXydSWIg2M
Joyce
A dear friend just sent me a new fantastic Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. I am in heaven! Cannot wait to use it to make those wonderful breads and pizza dough. We have a pizza stone we love to use. Now to find a good recipe for both!
Jessica Fisher
Yay! Let me know how you like this one: https://goodcheapeats.com/2009/07/basic-homemade-pizza/
karen b
funny you mention, not having the time to mess w/ a pizza stone…………that is the only thing we use for our pizzas 🙂 to me its not a problem only takes a minute or less to clean after is been seasoned well, & not long before 🙂 love mine but never had anything else.
Jessica Fisher
Haha! Well, when I read how you weren’t supposed to form the pizza ON the stone, it was a deal breaker for me. Since we go through 8 pizzas a night, that’s a lot of moving from counter to stone.
Katie
That’s why I never used the stone I received years ago–I didn’t have a way to get the pizza onto the heated stone. I’d imagine if I cooked it that way I’d be happier with the crust, but I really don’t have a place to store a peel and the stone was too small for anything other than a small/medium pizza, so it never happened. Maybe someday when I get that super big kitchen with oodles of storage?
Jessica Fisher
The pizza screens give it a really crisp crust because the dough has access to the heat. Perhaps not exactly the same as a stone, but great texture.
Cole
I love our pizza screens! I bought one after I saw an episode of “My Grandma’s Ravioli.” (Italian grandpas were making shrimp pizza on a pizza screen.) Such a good investment for someone with a tiny apartment kitchen like me. 🙂
Amary Right
I love the cast iron pizza pans from Lodge. They are my very favorite. I love your blog and read regularly, first time commenting, though. Thanks for all you do!
Jessica Fisher
Thanks so much for chiming in!