Brod & Taylor Bread Steel Max for Baking Bread & Cooking Pizza (14" x 14" x 0.15")

I cannot tell you just how many baking stones I have had break over the course of my life in my oven. This item right here, is a G A M E changer! If you do any sort of baking, you need this. If you any sort of cooking in your over, you need this. Long story short, this helps to stabilize the temperature of your over and will make you the nicest, crispiest crusts every. I am gluten free and let's just say, I have tossed more than my fair share of loaves of bread. This is so easy to use, superb quality and does exactly what it is support to do! Do yourself a favor and get one for your over. Don't skimp either, get the larger one. You won't be sorry. The price on this piece is incredible compared to competitors. It's solid. It's heavy, It does what is is supposed to do. Love this purchase.

I have commercial Fibrament baking stones, and they're terrific. But they're heavy as a guilty conscience, so I decided to try a baking steel. The average weight of a baking steel sold on Amazon is 15-16 lbs. That's not a lot of weight for most people *unless it's concentrated in a small mass.* With a baking steel, it is. So I decided to try out the Brod & Taylor 5-lb baking steel. This thin (0.01") steel produces hearth pizzas (baked directly on the steel) in about 6-7" superior to those baked on my Fibraments. It's so light that I can pull it out/put it in the oven with one hand at age 80 (I'm a small woman). The gains you might achieve by using a larger and/or heavier steel will be marginal. The only likely disadvantages to this one are its size--it's 14" square--and the extra 1-2 minutes it may take to bake your pizza on it compared to on a 16-lb howler. Unless you usually bake large hearth pizzas in rapid succession with hovering crowds awaiting them, this more modest, beautifully made and seasoned steel will do the trick. It also produces lovely results with hearth breads, including golden bottoms.

The Brod & Taylor Bread Steel has completely elevated my home baking. It heats evenly and holds high temperatures, giving a crisp, well-browned crust on both bread and pizza without burning the bottom. The steel feels thick and durable, and the size fits perfectly in a standard oven while still handling larger loaves. Cleanup is straightforward with a simple wipe down, and the weight adds stability during use. It is heavier than a baking stone, but the results are consistently worth the extra handling.

Ideal for baking sourdough in a home oven

Aside from the weekly cleanings, this thing stays in my oven. From sourdough to cookies to casseroles, it helps with baking in my oven. It is heavy, but looks lightweight. It is easy to clean. I have not had any issues with this product.

It heats faster than a stone. Cleaning is easily accomplished but like all steel, it should be thoroughly dried before putting it away. My only change would be to buy a slightly wider steel (depth is fine). I open bake sourdough bread and a wider steel would more easily accommodate two loaves. This size easily handles a 12 in pizza.

Great value and quality. Nice size for what i am needing it for.

Easier to use and lighter than the pizza stone.