Original Baking Steel vs. Skinny Griddle: Which One Fits Your Kitchen?
By "Baking Steel – Make Restaurant-Quality Pizza at Home" | Published: 2026-10-18
Category: Comparisons
Deciding between the thick Original Baking Steel for pizza and the reversible Skinny Griddle for stovetop cooking? We compare their strengths, trade-offs, and ideal user.
Quick answer
Choose the Original Baking Steel if pizza is your priority and you want the thickest, most heat-retentive steel for blistered crusts. Pick the Skinny Griddle if you cook on the stovetop and want a reversible slab that excels at smashburgers and also makes excellent pizza.
Thickness and heat retention
The Original Baking Steel is a 1/4-inch-thick, 15-pound slab of solid carbon steel. That mass stores a huge amount of heat, which it releases into the dough over several minutes. The result is a fast, even bake with serious oven spring and a blistered bottom.
The Skinny Griddle is thinner and lighter—designed to be reversible and used across two burners. It heats up faster than the Original but doesn't hold as much thermal mass. For pizza, it still gives a crisper bottom than a stone, but the bake will be slightly less aggressive.
Versatility beyond pizza
The Original Baking Steel is a dedicated pizza tool. It lives on the oven rack and does one thing exceptionally well. If you want to sear a steak or cook smashburgers, you'd need a separate griddle or pan.
The Skinny Griddle is built for two jobs. Flip it smooth-side up on the stovetop and you get a professional-grade griddle for burgers, pancakes, and vegetables. Flip it back to the pizza side and it works in the oven. That dual use saves storage space and money.
Ease of use and storage
Both arrive pre-seasoned, so there's no initial prep. The Original is heavy (15 pounds) and lives best on an oven rack—you'll rarely move it. The Skinny Griddle is lighter and easier to lift, but because it's reversible, you'll handle it more often.
If counter or cabinet space is tight, the Skinny Griddle's dual-purpose design means you need one tool instead of two. If you have room to leave a steel in the oven full-time, the Original is simpler.
The trade-offs at a glance
- Heat retention: Original Baking Steel: thick, heavy, stores more heat → best pizza crust. Skinny Griddle: thinner, heats faster, holds less heat → good pizza, better for stovetop. If pizza perfection is your only goal, choose the Original.
- Versatility: Original Baking Steel: pizza only. Skinny Griddle: reversible for stovetop smashburgers, pancakes, and oven pizza. If you want one tool for two jobs, the Skinny Griddle wins.
- Storage and weight: Original: 15 pounds, stays on oven rack. Skinny Griddle: lighter, handled more often, stores easier. If you have limited cabinet space, the Skinny Griddle is more practical.
Product facts
- Baking Steel® Original — 1/4" Thick Pizza Steel: A 1/4-inch-thick, 15-pound slab of solid carbon steel that turns your home oven into a high-heat pizza oven. Steel conducts heat 18x faster than ceramic. You get blistered crusts and incredible oven spring in 5-7 minutes, but the weight and single-purpose design mean it's best left in the oven.
Baking Steel® Original — 1/4" Thick Pizza Steel - The Skinny Griddle: A reversible carbon steel slab built for smashburgers on the stovetop and pizza with a blistered, crispy bottom. No coatings, no replacing, ever. One slab replaces a griddle and a pizza steel, saving space and cost, though the thinner profile holds less heat for pizza than the Original.
The Skinny Griddle
Which one should you buy?
Best for
- Home pizza enthusiasts who bake pizza weekly and want the fastest, most consistent crust
- Cooks who already have a stovetop griddle and only need a dedicated pizza steel
Not for
- Anyone who wants a single tool for both stovetop searing and oven pizza—choose the Skinny Griddle instead
- Cooks who prefer lighter, more portable equipment—the Original is heavy and stays in the oven
