Norpro Bamboo Pizza Paddle, 14 × 16, Brown

I really like this peel. Great size for home use. The bamboo seems a bit more slippery than my wood peel.

Because the edges are tapered (by nearly 0.5 inches all the way along leading edge and sides) along the entire blade the actual maximum diameter or dimension of a pizza using raw pizza dough is 12.75 inches. Raw dough will not be supported if larger than that resulting in topping migration if not actual spillage. If the dough is already cooked then this peel can handle any normal size pizza (say 16 inches or more) subject to weight and balance.Final overall dimensions are 13.75 inches wide (across the blade) and length of 23.75 inches. The handle length can be measured differently but if I draw a straight line across the back of the blade then the handle is about 9.75 inches long. The handle is about 1.625 inches wide where a user would grip and the overall thickness of the peel is about 0.5 inches.The handle will feel thick and overly wide to some users as the edges of the handle are not smoothed at all.To minimize any potential staining or discoloration that others have reported, etc., I do not allow a cooked (i.e., hot) pizza to linger on the peel. I just use the peel to first manufacture the uncooked pizza and then only to transfer the pizza to/from the grill or pizza stone and then onto a cheap metal pizza tray for resting and cutting. Not being a baker and lacking the appropriate equipment, I use Trader Joe's fresh pizza dough and typically grill the pizza instead of regular baking. I just buy several packages of dough and freeze as these handle freezing very well.The manufacturer suggested treatment with mineral oil. A very light coat would be recommended. You would need food grade so if ordering this peel, make sure that you either already have some on hand or include mineral oil in order to avoid a special trip to a store, etc. Using mineral oil will probably help reduce splitting as well enhancing the appearance of the peel. Look or search for "mineral oil for cutting boards." For cleaning - the manufacturer suggests wiping with a damp cloth followed by mineral oil. The mineral oil is not fully absorbed for a few days to a week or two so users may want to be careful about where and how they store this.For those having trouble sliding this under a pizza - in addition to using corn meal or flour for raw dough you might as well just make or assemble the pizza on the peel and consider using a small spatula to help guide the pizza onto a pizza stone or cooking surface as the wrist action takes a little bit of practice.Actual product is made of 3 layers more like a veneer with the center layer being thickest.Unfortunately mineral oil does not remove the glue remnants although over some time (about 2 weeks) the glue does break down or at least starts to do so and the mineral oil seems to help with that. To be safe I avoided using that side of the peel when in contact with the pizza. I did not want to use any cleaner type solution on the glue although in retrospect I might have tried wiping it with the inside of an orange peel.

I've been using this peel daily for a couple of weeks now.First the bad: I haven't been able to get the glue strip off from the label that was slapped directly to the peel. I've tried hot, sudsy water. Tried alcohol. Tried a citrus based cleaner. Nothing is getting the last of the gummy residue off. Which means I can only use one side of the peel.Next the indifferent: Yes, this peel is a little on the thick side. Maybe if you're using it to remove pizzas and things from the oven that might be a problem. It's not really a problem for me because I'm just using it to rise and rest bread loaves and then transfer them onto a baking stone inside the oven.And finally the good: As I said, I've been using it daily (and sometimes multiple times per day) for several weeks. It's standing up perfectly to the constant use. After I transfer my bread into the oven I wipe the peel down with a soapy rag, rinse it, and dry it with a soft towel. You can't tell this thing has ever been used. It looks very pretty hanging from the leather thong beside my oven. It's well constructed and while you can see where bamboo pieces were joined to form it, you can't feel a single bubble, gap, or seam. That's great for me because imperfections in the surface are likely to trap cornmeal or flour and be a real pain to clean up. It's also pretty heat resistant. It took me some practice to perfect the technique for transferring sticky dough from the peel to my hot baking stone and more than a few times the peel came in direct contact with the very hot stone but the peel is none the worse for it.For my purposes this is a wonderful peel that could only be made better by not having that stupid strip of adhesive that I can't get off.

I was looking for a pizza peel so that I could assemble my pizza and place it directly on to my hot, preheated stone in the oven. That's what this product is, a pizza peel. I didn't buy it to take my bread loaves out of the oven or hold my pizza while I cut slices from it. Pizza peels are used so that you can preheat your baking stone and place the raw pizza dough directly onto the heated stone - it creates a nice & crispy outside crust.The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because it is a tad bit on the thick side, so it takes a little getting used to when transferring the pizza to the stone without losing all of your ingredients. The key is to lightly dust the peel with cornflour/cornmeal or regular all purpose flour before placing the dough on it. Try to assemble the pizza quickly, and occasionally (gently) shake the peel back & forth to ensure the dough is still able to move freely on the peel. If it sticks, I just use an icing spatula or something similar to slide under and separate the dough from the peel. Also, I don't wash the peel or put it in the dishwasher - I just gently wipe it down with a wet rag and dry it for next time.