I've just bought one more for myself and two for my daughter. I've been baking pizza from scratch for almost thirty years. I've owned one of these pans for about five years and I wish I had owned it all along.
I especially like to use it to make super-thin, super-crisp crusts, but it's also great for baking pizzas with thick crusts, because the crusts don't remain soggy. If I form a rim on the edge of any thick crusts I bake, no ingredients drip over the edge.
I also use it to heat frozen pizzas and to reheat homemade cinnamon buns.
It's easy to clean, easy to store, and its size and shape don't impede air circulation in the oven.
This is one piece of cookware I would hate to do without.
I am online right now because I am looking at more Chicago Metallic items which I might be interested in buying. I've been very happy with their products. My first Chicago Metallic purchase was a set which included a deep dish pizza pan and a crisper. I was most interested in the deep dish pan, but it turns out I am most pleased with the crisper.
Believe it or not, I've recently bought 3 more of these crispers. Two for my newly married daughter and one more for me.
I like to be able make 2 pizzas at once when I bake pizza from scratch. Having two pans saves me time.
My oven is smaller than most, so heat circulation can be poor when I use cookie sheets. The crisper's shape and composition help insure even heating.
I bought my original one on a whim at TJ Maxx's. As other reviewers have written, it is great for heating frozen items and store bought rolls. I especially use it for items that I might ordinarily put directly on my oven shelf like frozen pizza.
I've made a fair number of pizzas over the past 25 years and wish I had owned this pan decades ago.
My only problem with the pan is preventing the dough from going through the holes while I am spreading the dough by hand right on the crisper. Now I set the crisper on a cookie sheet while I am spreading the crust by hand. I then run a paper towel along the underside of the crisper to remove the bits of dough that are sticking through.
This may sound like an annoyance, but I often like to make super thin crusts and I REALLY do get the results I want.
When I bake a thicker crusted pizza, I make sure to form a raised rim around the crust so the ingredients are not "pushed" over the edge of the pan as they heat.
I sometimes use a fork to lightly prick a thicker crust if I am going to precook it without the toppings.
If you buy this pan, I hope you enjoy using it as much as I do.
