So the question is if you can use pizza stones in an air fryer. The short answer is yes you can. But there are a few things you should keep in mind like how, when, what type of air fryer, what type of stone and a few more issues. If you are thinking of getting a pizza stone for your air fryer read this before you hit that buy button.

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What are pizza stones?

Pizza stones is a solid baking surface made of ceramic, stone (or more recently of salt) according to Wikipedia. They mimic the effects of cooking a pizza in a traditional masonry oven. They often absord moisture coming out of the pizza crust and therefore making your pizza more crispier. They also work like a heat battery which is their main advantage. When you preheat your air fryer oven the pizza stone absorbs a lot of energy. Once you put your pizza atop of your pizza stone it will radiate energy into your pizza and therefore cooking it perfectly.

Can you use a pizza stone in an air fryer?

Yes you can definitely use a pizza stone in air fryer but we recommend that you use pizza stones in an air fryer oven and not a basket style air fryer. We recommend using an air fryer oven for pizza stones for 2 reasons. First, air fryer ovens are usually a lot bigger and a pizza stone to be put in an air fryer at least needs a 13 inch length and width (since the smallest pizza stones we have found havea 12*12 inch). Second since basket air fryers are much smaller, the pizza stone can obstruct the air flow which is essential in an air fryer. Air fryers use convectional energy that circulate in the inside of the appliance. This is why your food can cook evenly in an air fryer.

An air fryer oven is the one that looks like a mini convectional oven that opens from the front. For example the Ninja Flip. A basket type air fryer is the one that you have to pull out from your air fryer device and put the food from the top like the Cosori XL.

Pizzas stones in a basket-style air fryer

You can use pizza stones in a basket-style air fryer but its a bit trickier. If you don’t own an air fryer yet make sure it will fit a pizza stone in your air fryer.

The smallest pizza stone I could find has a 9 inch diameter. So make sure the basket dimensions are at least 9 inches. You should look for air fryers with at least 6 quart capacity to fit a pizza stone inside. For example the Ultrean AF04 6QT has a 14 inch x 13.5 inch basket capacity that can definitely fit a 9 inch pizza stone in it.

Note that you should look for the basket dimensions and not the item dimensions. Unfortunately a lot of manufacturers don’t provide this information which I think is quite important.

Should you use a pizza stone in an air fryer?

You can but it is not essential. Some air fryer ovens come with baking trays (like the Ninja Flip). For me pizzas made on a traditional pizza stone just tastes better but it might be a placebo effect. But one thing for sure a pizza stone will take longer to heat up than a metal baking tray.

Do you need to preheat the pizza stone?

This is the part where you might be surprised. It takes around 45 minutes (up to an hour) to preheat your pizza stone adequately. Since stone is naturally heat resistant it needs a lot more time. Traditional masonry ovens (or dedicated pizza ovens) have a temperature inside around 800 degrees whereas even the best air fryer ovens only heat up to 510 degrees maximum.

How long does it take to cook a pizza in an air fryer?

It takes around 10 minutes but it depends on the temperature and the pizza size. You should supervise it throughout this time and take it out once the cheese has melted and the crust turns golden brown. Since the air fryer uses convection it is harder to burn your pizza in an air fryer oven.

Can you cook frozen pizza on a pizza stone?

Yes you can but obviously it will take more time. I would say for frozen pizzas it will take 15-20 minutes. This is where pizza stones come extra handy because the heated stone will conduct the heat better inside the frozen part. There is nothing worse when you are hungry, ready to eat your pizza and after the first bite you realize that the inside is still cold. Well with a pizza stone there is a much slighter chance for this.

How to cook a pizza by using pizza stones in an air fryer?

Steps to cook pizza in an air fryer with a pizza stone

Put parchment paper under your pizza stone

If you are using a basket-style air fyrer make sure to put parchment paper under your pizza stone. This way it won’t scratch the coating of the basket while you use pizza stones in an air fryer. Also make sure that the parchment paper is big enough so you can grab it and take out the pizza stone after you are done. Parchment paper won’t get hot but everything else will be at extrereme temperature. So this is a good trick how to take out the pizza stone from the air fryer once you are done.

Put the pizza stone inside the air fryer and preheat it for 15 minutes

Most pizza stones in traditional pizza ovens are preheated for around 45 minutes because the stone takes up the heat slower (and also cools down slower which is why they use it in the first place). In an air fryer I’ve found that 15 minutes is usually enough to get your pizza stone to the required temperature

Put the pizza in the air fryer with a parchment paper under it

Parchment paper will help not to make your air fryer messy and it will also help you to take out the pizza very easily

Cook the pizza for about 15 minutes

Always check the color of the crust and the texture of the cheese. If the cheese is melted and turning brown and so is the crust then it is time to take it out.

Take out the pizza but leave the pizza stone there for a few minutes

I usually like to leave the pizza stones in the air fryer for a few minutes so it can cool down a bit before I take it out.

Here is a good video that shows you step by step how to use a pizza stones in an air fryer:

Is pizza better in an oven or in an air fryer?

I think both appliances can make very good pizza. Especially if the oven has a convection function, then you can reach the same outcome than with an air fryer. An air fryer uses hot air convection that dries your pizza even better.

One thing I must add that an oven heats up much slower and since it is a lot bigger it will use more electricity than a small air fryer oven.

Do you soak your pizza stone?

Since one of the main job of your pizza stone is to absorb moisture from the pizza therefore it is not a good idea to soak it before. Most people very rarely even wash their pizza stone so the stone doesn’t absorb any excess moisture. Although I like things hygienic so I’d advise to wash it sometimes but definitely wait at least a day before you cook with it again.

What type of pizza stone can go in an air fryer?

There are 3 types of pizza stones: ceramic, stone and made of salt. All of them can go in an air fryer. Just make sure you put your pizza stone before preheating to avoid thermal shock that can break your pizza stone (although it happens rarely with an air fryer).

What temperature do you cook your pizza in an air fryer with a pizza stone?

Preheat your air fryer (with the pizza stone inside) on the highest possible temperature for 45-60 minutes. Then also cook the pizza on this temperature. This should be around 450-510 degrees. Compared to traditional ovens that uses 800 degrees it is still a lot less. But no worries, it will just take more time but you’ll have a delicious pizza ready in no time.

Can I put an aluminium foil under my pizza?

Yes you can just make sure you don’t preheat your pizza stone with the aluminium foil. Since there is air circulation inside the air fryer the aluminium foil can fly and touch the heating element that can burn down your appliance. There are some foods that can’t be cooked in aluminium foil but a pizza is not one of them.

Which air fryer should I use pizza stones with?

As mentioned above it should be an air fryer oven that is big enough to fit in a pizza stone and can still circulate the air.

The Ninja Flip is one of them and it is one of the highest rated air fryer ovens on the market. The only downside of the Ninja Flip is that it goes up until 450 degrees.

Another great choice is the Cosori toaster that can be integrated with an application and has a Pizza preset that will help you to make the perfect pizza.

If you are looking for a basket-style air fryer then make sure it has at least 6 quart capacity and always check the basket dimensions. For example some Ultrean air fryers can fit a 9 inch pizza stone inside easily.

Conclusion

You can definitely use pizza stones in an air fryer. You just need an air fryer big enough that fits a 12” pizza stone in it (the smallest we could find). You should look for air fryer ovens (not basket type air fryers because they are small for pizza stones).

A pizza stone needs a lot of preheating. If you are short in time you should cook your pizza with a metal tray that can be preheated in a matter of minutes. Regardless of your choice we hope we could help you create the perfect pizza experience at home.

If you got yourself a pizza stone then try our pizza recipe or our delicious vegan pizza recipe too.