You might not expect it, but our top pick for the best cookware of the year? The HexClad pizza steel, hands down.
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You might be surprised, but our Best Cookware of 2025 isn’t a fancy pan—it’s a pizza steel. What makes it so special? HexClad’s version is the perfect blend of bakeware and cookware. It’s not only great for pizza lovers, but Deputy Editor Katie Bandurski has found infinite uses for it in her home kitchen.
Katie, who has tested the HexClad pizza steel for over a year now, says, “I’m beyond impressed with the crispy, crunchy results it yields on all kinds of eats.”
Still curious as to why this pizza stole the crown for 2025? Keep on scrolling.
Best Cookware of 2025
HexClad Hybrid Pizza Steel
This hybrid pizza steel is oven-safe up to 900°F, so you can even pop it on the grill!
What is the HexClad pizza steel?
This year, we’re all about multipurpose cookware that saves space and time—and the HexClad pizza steel is exactly that. It takes the brand’s iconic cookware design and turns it into a hybrid kitchen all-star. The slick, naturally nonstick surface makes food release effortless, and its versatility means it’s far more than just a pizza tool. We’ve used it for sweet potato fries, veggies, naan and more.
The 14.5-inch cooking surface gives you plenty of room to make a meal, it’s heat-safe up to a blazing 900°F for ovens or grills, and it weighs just under five pounds. Oh, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. Honestly, what’s not to love?
Why We Love It
Still wondering how a pizza steel could really be that much better than your trusty baking sheet? Let’s talk about the HexClad pizza steel.
Deputy Editor Katie Bandurski has been using it since March 2024, and after more than a year and a half, it still looks brand new. It’s now her go-to for everything from roasting veggies, crisping meats and browning fries to—of course—baking pizza.
After transferring her fresh pizza dough to the cool steel (no flouring needed), Katie added sauce and cheese. Then, she baked it at 450 degrees.
“I cooked it for about 15 minutes total, or until the cheese was charred to my liking,” Katie says. “I pulled it from the oven, and, like the frozen pizza, the pie danced around the steel—no sticking in sight! The dough was thoroughly cooked through with a slight golden hue on the bottom.”
Costco’s frozen cauliflower-crust pizza is a weekly ritual for Katie, but how does it do on the HexClad pizza steel? “After just a few minutes, I could already tell there was something magical happening,” she says. The crust emerged with a deep golden color, crunchy, and, once again, completely nonstick.
After a very successful frozen pizza upgrade, Katie was eager to see what else the pizza steel could do. “For my next test, I tried a frozen food I can never seem to cook properly: sweet potato fries,” she says. Usually a burnt, sticky mess. But on the steel? Zero sticking, caramel-kissed edges and crisp perfection.
Over the following weeks, Katie put the steel through everything: roasting veggies, cooking baby quiche and phyllo apps, browning plant-based meats, toasting naan and even sheet-pan meals—all easily accommodated by the roomy 14.5-inch surface. Every time, the results were evenly crisp, beautifully browned and fast.
Cleanup is equally effortless. Once cool, a quick soapy rinse removes everything. It’s technically dishwasher-safe, but handwashing is easier, mostly because the steel is a bit bulky for the dishwasher. Just avoid sharp tools (like a pizza cutter or knife) directly on the surface.
After a year and a half, the HexClad pizza steel remains the most-used piece of bakeware in Katie’s kitchen.
It is an investment, but based on Katie’s long-term testing our other HexClad reviews, we’re confident this is steel built to last.
Where to Buy
Best Cookware of 2025
HexClad Hybrid Pizza Steel
A grill-safe pizza steel that delivers fast, crispy and golden brown results every time.
Snag your own pizza steel straight from the HexClad site. It’s $149, backed by a lifetime warranty—and if our Deputy Editor’s experience is anything to go by, it’s poised to become your kitchen’s new superstar.
If you’re dreaming of next-level pizza nights or crave that perfectly bronzed crisp without sacrificing counter space to an air fryer, this pizza steel is the upgrade your oven’s been waiting for.
Check out our Best Kitchen Gadget of 2025 for perfectly grated cheese to top your pizza!
