The right pizza pan makes the difference between a soggy bottomed pizza and one that has a crisp crust.
Pizza pans can be divided between perforated and non-perforated and between dark colored pans and silver pans.
For pizzas, we strongly prefer dark, perforated pans. The toppings on a pizza insulate the crust from the heat above and so the heat must come from the bottom else the crust will not cook properly and will be soggy. Dark pans absorb heat while silver colored pans reflect heat and slow down baking. Perforations speed up baking allowing hot air to reach the bottom crust.
We sell two models of perforated pans. Both are top of the line pans from Wilton, their premium brands. The Avanti pizza pan is a very heavy duty pan—we joke about it being bullet proof. The gauge steel is about twice our heaviest bake ware. It is very resistant to dents and has a great nonstick finish. The large handles make it easier to retrieve from the oven.
The Excel pizza pan is another quality pan. If you don’t compare it to the Avanti pan, it is a heavy duty pan but not nearly as heavy as the Avanti pizza pan. Where the Avanti pan is a slate gray color, the Excel pan is black.
For toughness and durability, the edge goes to the Avanti pizza pan. For color and therefore heat absorption, the edge goes to the Excel pan. (The Avanti pan is dark enough to absorb heat but won’t do so as quickly as the darker Excel pan.)
We do sell silver pans and people do make pizzas with these pans. We recommend darker pans.
