GoKawiilChances are, if you own a pizza oven, have stood near a pizza oven or have uttered the words “pizza oven” in the vicinity of your phone, it’s likely that the almighty algorithm has delivered up a steady stream of pizza oven accessories, from pizza oven stands to sizzler platters to pizza peels in every style and shape.
If you have cursed in the vicinity of your phone while trying to launch a pizza into your pizza oven without inadvertently creating a calzone, chances are even better that Big Internet Brother has targeted you for a sliding pizza peel. If, after dozens of practice launches, you haven’t mastered the art of the traditional wood or perforated metal pizza peel, even with all-powerful semolina flour gliders, you may be very tempted by the ease promised by such a tool as a sliding pizza peel.
The Best Pizza Ovens, Tested by CNET See at CNET
But is it worth it? Or is it just the Temu-niverse capitalizing on your desire for a homemade pizza that doesn’t come with a side of anxiety and despair? Reader, the temptation was too strong. I checked one out, and here’s the lowdown on what you can expect from a sliding pizza peel.
How does a sliding pizza peel work?
A sliding pizza peel costs $30 to $40 on Amazon. Pamela Vachon/CNET
A sliding pizza peel is essentially a lightweight wooden pizza peel with a manual conveyor belt attached. Rather than thrusting a stationary peel under your entire pie, you only need a small edge of maneuverability to start. Once the sliding peel gets a little purchase on the raw pizza dough, you pull the cloth slide toward you by its handle while pushing the wooden board underneath.
To launch the pizza with a sliding pizza peel, reverse the process: Use the handle on the cloth glider to push, sliding the pizza into the oven while pulling the sturdy board out from underneath it.
Cloth, you say? Well, not exactly. The conveyor mechanism moves like fabric, but think of it more like a nonstick baking mat. Many are made of woven fiberglass with a polytetrafluoroethylene coating, which is nonstick but still grips enough to hold raw or cooked pizza dough. It’s frankly like a flimsier Silpat or not unlike an oilcloth table covering.
PTFE, in case you’re wondering, is related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Yes, we’ve worked hard to avoid PFAS; however, the material’s pliability doesn’t encourage chipping, and it is also replaceable. The wooden board itself admittedly also spares every expense without the heavy lifting required of other wooden pizza peels — this is made from raw, lightweight bamboo.
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