27 Gifts for the Pizza Maker (and Eater) in Your Life

Making pizza at home is not unlike embarking on a new athletic pursuit—take road cycling, for example. At first, you can get away with just a few basics: a bike, sneakers, a water bottle. But, before you know it, the world is filled with tools and gear that will make everything faster and shinier and more fun. The same goes with cooking, and for those whose veins run with tomato sauce and mozzarella, we’ve put together a guide of our thoroughly vetted products and editor must-haves for the pizza-obsessive (or even just the pizza-curious). 

A Serious Backyard Pizza Oven

Ooni Koda 16 Gas Pizza Oven

$599 at Amazon $480 at Williams Sonoma $599 at Ooni.com

Plenty of tools can help you better replicate the experience of a real pizza oven at home. But for pizza chefs who want to master professional-quality pizza, a top-rated outdoor pizza oven can help them get there. The Ooni Koda 16 heats up quickly, can cook pizzas in just a minute or two, and features a wide mouth for easy loading and turning. With so many options to splurge on, this oven was one of our favorite gas options in our tests. It’s widely beloved by serious home cooks for its ability to reproduce the restaurant pizza experience, and would make a fantastic stunner of a gift.

Bob’s Red Mill White Rice Flour

$33 at Amazon

Ask any home pizza enthusiast, and they’ll explain that loading (getting the pizza from the peel into the oven) is one of the biggest obstacles to success. Recipes often call for a dusting of semolina flour on the peel to keep it from sticking, but the drawback is that it leaves a gritty residue. Instead, try a trick from Dan Richer—chef at Razza Artigianale in Jersey City, New Jersey—and use a 50/50 blend of white rice flour and all-purpose flour on your peel. Rice flour doesn’t absorb moisture as easily as wheat flour, which prevents the dough from sticking and falls off easily in the heat of the oven.

A Smaller Turning Peel

Ooni Turning Peel

$60 $48 at Amazon

A good, broad peel is essential for building and loading your pie. But once it’s in the oven, you need to turn it easily and deftly to ensure the pie cooks evenly. A peel that works well for loading tends to be too big for this purpose. A smaller turning peel lets you be more nimble with shifting the placement of the pie in the oven, yielding a uniform result. 

High-Protein Flour

King Arthur Baking Company Bread Flour

View on Kingarthurbaking.com

Flour is the cornerstone of a pizza, and as such, it should be given as much consideration as any of the toppings, if not more. While you can make an acceptable pizza with all-purpose flour, reach for flour with higher protein content to get a crust with real chew and heft. The more protein in flour, the more gluten-forming potential it has: Higher protein flours will form stronger gluten networks, which gives bread and pizza their structure and texture. Many pizza chefs opt for 00 flour, a more finely milled flour made from durum wheat. Durum wheat produces stretchier gluten strands, giving the pizza a nice chew without any toughness. Both 00 flour and bread flour are excellent options, depending on your giftee's pizza goals.

A Sturdy Food Processor

Breville 16-Cup Sous Chef Peel & Dice Food Processor

$597 at Amazon $400 at Williams Sonoma $33 at Walmart

Developing a strong gluten network is essential to making an excellent pizza: It gives the dough strength and structure, yielding a crust with heft and chew. After extensive testing, Kenji found that a food processor can develop gluten more efficiently and effectively than a stand mixer. Our winning food processor from Breville is impressively quiet for the amount of power it delivers, and its uses go way beyond dough—it also shreds, slices, and purées.

A Box Grater for Cheesy Shreds

Cuisipro 4-Sided Boxed Grater

$42 $27 at Amazon $40 at Walmart $37 at Target

While convenient, pre-shredded cheese is not the best bet. Packaged shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking agent to keep it from clumping together in the bag, which also affects its meltability and texture when cold. (Yes, we love cold leftover pizza.) To ensure the very best texture for a cheese pull, it's best to grate the cheese yourself. The Cuisipro box grater is best-in-class with super-sharp holes and a 25-year warranty, making it a great gift for folks who like pizza loaded with cheese. 

A Home for a Sourdough Starter

Sourhouse Goldie + Cooling Puck

$170 at Williams Sonoma View on Sourhouse.co

If the pandemic taught us anything kitchen-wise, it’s that sourdough isn’t a flavor, it’s a lifestyle. Learn to love what natural leavening can do and your baking will benefit, particularly your pizza. Using sourdough instead of commercial yeast gives pizza crust a serious depth of flavor. It’s less predictable and less traditional, but worth experimenting with—and a serious pizza nerd will be all about it. To house a starter and ensure it lives its very best life, the Sourhouse Goldie is a great gift. It’s a small proofer, pretty enough to sit on the counter, and it keeps your starter at the optimal temperature. Maintaining a consistent temperature will ensure a thriving starter, so you don’t have to worry about variations from day to day and season to season.

A Great, Stylish Apron

Hedley & Bennett Smock

$110 $88 at Amazon View on Hedleyandbennett.com

Yes, pizza is messy. Eating it is messy, and prepping it is even messier, from the dough to the sauce. Keep it clean with a proper apron. Hedley & Bennett’s aprons are beloved by our editors—and for good reason: They’re sturdy, easy to wash, boast plenty of pockets for an infrared thermometer (great for taking the temperature of a pizza stone) or Sharpie, and come with a lifetime guarantee.

A Do-It-All Peel

The Baker's Board Pizza Peel

$57 at Amazon $49 at Breadtopia.com

A professional pizza maker’s arsenal might include several peels: a metal perforated one, a small turning peel, and so on. But the essential one to own is a good wooden peel that’s sizable enough for stretching and topping your pies and also well-designed for loading them into a pizza oven. The Baker’s Board peel is lightweight, with a beveled edge to make transfer easy.

A Bench Scraper for Cutting Dough

OXO Bench Scraper

$12 at Amazon $12 at Target View on Webstaurant Store

Bench scrapers play double duty in the kitchen: They’re better than any other implement for removing and scraping bits of dough from countertops, and they help portion and cut through dough. Without a bench scraper, you’re left pulling at your dough with your hands to divide it or using a knife, which is difficult at best. A bench scraper makes quick work of the job. The more you rely on it, the cleaner your hands remain. OXO’s scraper has a rounded silicone handle that your giftee will appreciate for comfort and stability.

A Good Piece of Steel

Baking Steel The Original Baking Steel

$129 at Amazon $119 at Bakingsteel.com

A pizza will only be as good as the surface it’s baked on: An extremely hot surface allows the dough to cook quickly, giving it that blistered, beautifully brown appearance. Because steel heats more quickly and retains heat more efficiently than stone, it can better replicate the experience of a real pizza oven at home. The Original Baking Steel is, in a word, indispensable for great pizza made in the oven, and it’s a fantastic gift. In our review, it nailed everything from New York-style to Neapolitan pizza. Your giftee will benefit from its multipurpose utility: It’s great for bread, too.

A Super Accurate Scale

OXO 11-lb. Stainless Steel Food Scale With Pull-Out Display

$56 $50 at Amazon $56 at Williams Sonoma $13 at Walmart

Hands down, the one tool all bakers should own is a kitchen scale. Measuring ingredients, particularly flour, by weight instead of volume ensures total accuracy. Precision isn’t the only perk: Using a scale eliminates the need for measuring cups and multiple bowls, streamlining the prep process. The OXO scale is small enough to tuck away, but still sturdy enough to handle up to 11 pounds of weight. It has remained the longtime winner in our tests over the years and holds measurements for 15 minutes (a bonus when your giftee is juggling multiple pizza prep tasks).

A Roller Pizza Cutter

Oxo Good Grips Large 4-Inch Pizza Wheel and Cutter

$18 at Amazon $18 at Walmart $18 at Ace Hardware

Slice with the best of them with the OXO pizza wheel cutter. Sharp, oversized, and smooth-rolling, it features a zinc thumb guard to protect those pizza-making hands while portioning pies. The handle is nicely grippy, letting your giftee comfortably exert as much pressure as needed.

An Infrared Thermometer (Fancy!)

ThermoWorks Industrial IR with Circle Laser

View on Thermoworks

Aspiring pizzaiolos should all own a high-quality infrared thermometer. Controlling the exact temperature of your heat source, be it a home oven or outdoor pizza oven, is key to refining a pizza practice. Additionally, dough temperature is one of the most important components in mastering your crust: knowing the temperature of the air, the water, and the dough itself ensures a more consistent result every time. This thermometer is fancier than one that most cooks probably already own, making it an ideal gift, and its unique bullseye laser design (instead of a single dot reading) sets it apart from its competitors. 

A Mezzaluna

Gozney Pizza Rocker

$40 $32 at Amazon View on Gozney.com

No, it’s not overkill to own two different pizza cutters. A roller cutter is essential for slicing your pies, but a pizza rocker has a slight leg up. The vertical rocking motion ensures that toppings stay in place, as the pressure comes from above, not from the side. An excellent tool for the serious pizza aficionado, Gozney’s version is ergonomic (no more sweating as you labor over dividing your pies) and super sharp.  

A Powerful Immersion Blender

Vitamix Immersion Blender

$170 $145 at Amazon $170 at Williams Sonoma $170 at Sur La Table

A pizza is only as good as the sum of its parts. Anyone who likes tinkering around with pizza at home will enjoy the challenge of elevating every element to its best potential, including the sauce. Enter the immersion blender: a key tool for making fantastic tomato sauce at home. After simmering ingredients on the stove, it’s far easier to blend them right in the pot with a stick blender rather than transferring them (hot and messy!) to a standard blender. The Vitamix immersion blender is not only powerful, but also features a pan guard, which is especially useful for preventing bright red sauce spatters.

A Detroit Pizza Pan

LloydPans Kitchenware 10- by 14-Inch Detroit-Style Pizza Pan

$41 $39 at Amazon

There’s no right answer to the perfect pizza style, and if you know someone who loves a thick-crusted pie, gift this Detroit-style pan. Detroit-style pizza has a puffy crust with a golden, crunchy base. The toppings forgo the traditional approach and start with a layer of cheese beneath dollops of sauce. The magic of Detroit-style pizza is the dark, almost burnt edges and corners: The cheese under the sauce marries with the dough to emerge crispy and lacy around the sides of the pan. In our tests, this dark anodized pan—specifically designed for this style—yielded perfect results. We’ve also used it in an outdoor pizza oven to great success. 

A Multitasking Pair of Scissors

Dreamfarm Scizza Pizza Scissors

$30 $28 at Amazon $31 at Walmart $35 at Zola

Pizza cutters meet scissors in this cleverly designed tool from Dreamfarm in Brisbane, Australia. The stainless steel blades come apart for easy cleaning. The scissors feature a flat base, so they glide along the plate (or peel or pizza box) while you slice, with the vertical cutting action helping ensure toppings stay put.

A Cookbook About Pizza

The Elements of Pizza: Unlocking the Secrets to World-Class Pies at Home

$30 $20 at Amazon

There are many books about pizza, but Ken Forkish’s is a foundational tome worth owning. Packed with expert tips from Forkish’s long career as one of the most trusted baking authorities in the country and pizza restaurateur, this book covers all styles of pizza. Whether your giftee wants to master Neapolitan or is looking for a perfect cold-fermented dough recipe, this is a great gift.

A Finishing Olive Oil

Cobram Estate Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, 100% California Select, 375mL (Pack of 2)

$23 at Amazon

After all the hard work of creating the perfect pie, finishing it with something that matches the quality of the pizza itself gives it a little extra oomph. A great finishing olive oil should be noticeably flavorful. Cobram’s oil is grassy and fresh-tasting with a robust, buttery finish.

A Sharp Mandoline

OXO Good Grips V-Blade Mandoline Slicer

$46 $39 at Amazon $46 at Target View on Webstaurant Store

Vegetable toppings can lead to a soggy pie. Prevent this tragedy by slicing them extra thinly with a mandoline. Ideal for toppings like onions, zucchini, and fennel, this OXO mandoline got top marks in our tests. Its multiple blades also allow you to make fantastic French fries on your (rare) nights off from pizza. 

A Transparent Dough Container

Cambro Containers

$26 $19 at Amazon

Bakers benefit from owning a transparent container with volumetric markings, like a Cambro. Pop dough in here to ferment, and it’s easy to keep track of how much it has risen. Bonus points: These containers also work beautifully for all manner of prep and food storage. They’re great for holding sliced or diced toppings, extra sauce, shredded cheese, and so on. They’re a fixture in restaurant kitchens for their durability and versatility. 

Something Sweet to Drizzle

Sonoma County Bee Company Small Batch Raw Honey

View on Sonomacountybeecompany.com

Salty and sweet are a match made in culinary heaven. Don’t sleep on the combination when it comes to pizza gift-giving. A drizzle of honey is a dreamy topping for a white pie (think of a combination like prosciutto, peach, ricotta, and honey). Or take a cue from one of the original inspirations with a spicy pie topped with pepperoni, mozzarella, honey, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. This jar from Sonoma County Bee Company is small-batch and special and makes for a great stocking stuffer.

Good Canned Tomatoes

Stanislaus Alta Cucina Whole Plum Tomatoes

$20 at Amazon

Any pizza maker worth their salt will want to make sauce from scratch. With so few ingredients, every element will shine, so there’s nothing to hide behind when it comes to quality. Start with excellent canned tomatoes—Alta Cucina’s have a balanced sweetness and vibrant color. Sure, canned tomatoes might seem like a quirky gift at best, but any serious pizza nerd will consider them a thoughtful and deeply practical present. Pair it with some good flour and a cheese grater, and they can start making pizzas ASAP. 

High-Quality Cheese

Maplebrook Farm Fresh Mozzarella

View on Maplebrookvt.com

The logic for choosing the best-quality flour, olive oil, and tomatoes holds true for cheese. Maplebrook Farm’s cheeses are crafted in Vermont, where each small batch of mozzarella is hand-stretched using house-made curd. The difference is evident in every creamy bite. Plus, this cheese is perfectly snack-worthy. (Yes, we’ll cop to eating it straight from the fridge.) 

A Diminutive Sheet Pan for Prep

Nordic Ware Naturals Aluminum Quarter Sheet

$21 at Amazon $15 at Walmart $11 $10 at Target

Forget piling carefully prepped toppings onto cutting boards or plates, or into bowls. One easy way to corral them is to use a quarter sheet pan. Small enough to not take up precious counter space and large enough to hold cheese, pepperoni, ramekins of olives, and more, these pans are brilliant multitaskers. While they’re great for organization, they’re also excellent for roasting or cooking small portions—for example, roasting mushrooms, peppers, or root vegetables for topping a pizza.

FAQs

What do you get someone who loves eating pizza?

For someone who loves the act of eating just as much—if not more—than making it at home, gift them a pizza subscription from Goldbelly or Lou Malnati’s. You might consider a variety of craft beer or wine to go with their pizza, too.

Why We're the Experts

• Posie Brien is a contributor to Serious Eats. 
• She has over 15 years of experience working as an editor at Food52 and King Arthur Baking Company, focusing on commerce and kitchen products.  
• We've reviewed tons of pizza and kitchen gear (a tough job, but someone has to do it), and we consider ourselves some of the most fanatical pizza nerds around, so we know a good pizza gift when we see one!