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Cooking & Food Talk => Pizza Forum => Topic started by: Troy on February 28, 2016, 09:52:51 PM

Title: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: Troy on February 28, 2016, 09:52:51 PM
I read some things that said water was the devil when it comes to wooden pizza peels, and they should be treated with mineral oil

but then i read other things where people didn't do ANYTHING to their peel and they've never had problems.

I'm leaning towards treating with mineral oil, but i'm not sure what to get or where to get it.
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: austin87 on February 29, 2016, 12:28:39 AM
Not sure about pizza peels but I just use regular plain old mineral oil that you get at the drugstore on my wooden cutting boards. It's usually in the section with Tums and ExLax. Fun fact, if you are constipated a couple tablespoons of mineral oil will lube the guts right up.

Another thought - a very dry pizza peel might be easier to slide pies off of. As long as it doesn't get wet (wipe it down with a rag rather than wash it) it's probably fine to nothing to it.
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: Troy on February 29, 2016, 01:01:49 AM
ok. in an effort for this to NOT be a $26 experiment, i'm going to hit up the drug store for some mineral oil.

I will NOT be consuming any though! :P
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: OoPEZoO on February 29, 2016, 03:19:06 AM
I've had my wooden (bamboo) pizza peel for probably 10 years and haven't done a thing to it besides a quick wash followed by an immediate dry with paper towels.  It looks/works as well as it ever did.  I do sprinkle corn meal on it when making the pizza to keep the dough from sticking, but no special treatments of anything.  That being said, mineral oil won't hurt anything.  If your peel is bare wood, it would probably help the durability.  With mine being bamboo, its pretty resilient on its own.
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: Nate on February 29, 2016, 04:09:25 AM
I've never done anything to my wooden peel other than wash it and towel dry. Still in great condition.

BTW, it's AWSOME you added a Pizza section.  8)
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: bear on February 29, 2016, 04:27:05 AM
Oil only increases it's ability to become flammable. Keep it natural is best IMHO
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: MikeRocksTheRed on February 29, 2016, 06:21:59 AM
I haven't done anything to my wooden peel, just all natural.  I went to a new pizza place last week that had stacks of peels and none of them were treated with anything.
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: mike.stavlund on February 29, 2016, 07:10:06 AM
My wooden peel is untreated.. has a check in it by still works well.  I wash it after use, and prop it up so it gets a quick and thorough air dry.  I'd also worry that oil would make your peel a little tacky, but in any case you'll need to use cornmeal to get your pies to slide.

Full disclosure, though:  I always had trouble getting my pies back *off* the fire, until I got a metal peel (for cheap at a restaurant supply store).  It's thinner and works better for getting underneath the edge and sliding them up onto the peel.  Now I used my wood peel to build the pizzas and deposit them in the oven/grill, and then remove them with the metal peel.  It helps the general work flow as well-- it's a major drag to have a perfect pizza burning while another perfect pizza is sitting on your only peel. 
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: OoPEZoO on March 01, 2016, 03:54:44 AM
This is what I use for removing pizzas.......and pork butts, and brisket, and meatloaf, and......

Picked it up on clearance a few years ago at either Lowes or Depot.  Its freakin awesome
The big kahuna
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61ZT8ZItZsL._SL1000_.jpg)
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: Josh G on March 01, 2016, 08:49:39 AM
My wooden peel is untreated.. has a check in it by still works well.  I wash it after use, and prop it up so it gets a quick and thorough air dry.  I'd also worry that oil would make your peel a little tacky, but in any case you'll need to use cornmeal to get your pies to slide.

Full disclosure, though:  I always had trouble getting my pies back *off* the fire, until I got a metal peel (for cheap at a restaurant supply store).  It's thinner and works better for getting underneath the edge and sliding them up onto the peel.  Now I used my wood peel to build the pizzas and deposit them in the oven/grill, and then remove them with the metal peel.  It helps the general work flow as well-- it's a major drag to have a perfect pizza burning while another perfect pizza is sitting on your only peel.

Two peels is definitely the way to go. One wood, one metal.   
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: pbe gummi bear on March 01, 2016, 08:27:31 PM
Oiled or not the peel will still work. :P Oil will keep the wood from drying out and cracking if you leave it in the sun and elements.
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: Troy on March 03, 2016, 10:10:24 AM
decided to oil it.

ordered this: http://amzn.to/1VTgpBK

I guess if i ever get a butcher block or a wooden cutting board I can use it for that too
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: Idahawk on March 03, 2016, 10:12:56 AM

decided to oil it.

ordered this: http://amzn.to/1VTgpBK

I guess if i ever get a butcher block or a wooden cutting board I can use it for that too

That's what I use on all my side tables , cutting boards and all that . Good stuff !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: MikeRocksTheRed on March 03, 2016, 10:14:07 AM
decided to oil it.

ordered this: http://amzn.to/1VTgpBK

I guess if i ever get a butcher block or a wooden cutting board I can use it for that too

I use that on my butcherblock cutting board.  It works great.  I like to put the bottle in a cup of hot water for about 5 minutes prior to using it...seems to work a lot better that way.   The Boos block stuff works good too. 
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: Jon on March 03, 2016, 11:56:43 AM
This is all you need for a cutting board: https://shop.riteaid.com/rite-aid-pharmacy-mineral-oil-usp-16-fl-oz-1-pt-473-ml-0033067 (https://shop.riteaid.com/rite-aid-pharmacy-mineral-oil-usp-16-fl-oz-1-pt-473-ml-0033067)
Title: Re: does a wooden pizza peel need to be oiled or anything?
Post by: MikeRocksTheRed on March 03, 2016, 02:02:25 PM
Well...it appears oiling your peel is a normal thing!  I just got a new stone in the mail and was checking out the website of the company it came from (although ordered via Amazon) (http://www.californiapizzastones.com/pizza/peels/pizza-peels-shovels.php) when I came across their page with peels, and sure enough they sell oil for them.

I'm doing a bunch of pizzas tomorrow night and should have a good write up as well as a review of my new 15" stone from this company.