Our Pick: American Metalcraft
Check price on Amazon →Best Pizza Screen (2026): The $10 Tool Pizzerias Use for Crisp Bases
A pizza screen is a disc of aluminum mesh. It weighs a few ounces, costs less than a pizza, and is how a lot of New York slice shops keep a base crisp on a busy deck. Here is which size to buy and how to use one.
By The Pizza Oven Review Desk · ~7 min read · Updated 2026-08-23
American Metalcraft 18716 Seamless Pizza Screen, 16 in
American Metalcraft
The foodservice-standard 16 inch screen with nearly 8,000 owners at 4.7 stars.
Check price★ Our Top Pick
Best Overall
American Metalcraft 18716 Seamless Pizza Screen, 16 in
The foodservice-standard 16 inch screen with nearly 8,000 owners at 4.7 stars.
Not sure yet? Compare all 4 picks below ↓
The best pizza screen is the American Metalcraft 16 inch seamless screen: the foodservice standard, about $17, and the one with nearly eight thousand Amazon ratings behind it. Winco's 16 inch seamless is the same format from the other restaurant-supply name at about the same price, and is the right buy if the American Metalcraft is out of stock. For a 14 inch pie or a smaller oven, American Metalcraft's 14 inch is the pick at about $8. New Star Foodservice rounds out the page with a restaurant-grade 16 inch that often ships in multi-packs.
What a screen does: it holds a stretched dough on an open mesh so hot air reaches the base directly, which crisps a thin pizza faster than a sheet pan and without the launch skill a stone demands. You build the pizza on the screen, set the screen on the oven rack or directly on a stone, and slide the pizza off the screen onto the stone for the last two minutes if you want more char. It is the standard trick for a New York style pie in a home oven, and it is how many slice shops manage a full deck. The limits: a screen does not store heat, so it will never match a steel for bottom browning, and a wet, high-hydration dough will sag through the mesh.
Disclosures: no brand paid for placement and none knew this ranking was being written. Pizza Oven Review is an Amazon Associate; purchases through our links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and that never moves a ranking. Every product below was verified live through Amazon's Creators API on 2026-08-23. Prices are approximate at time of writing.
The short version
- Our Pick: American Metalcraft 16 in seamless screen, about $17. The foodservice standard; 7,800 owners at 4.7 stars.
- Same thing, other supplier: Winco 16 in seamless, about $17.
- Smaller pies or ovens: American Metalcraft 14 in, about $8.
- Season it: wipe with oil and bake empty at 450°F for 30 minutes before first use, or the first pizza sticks. A seasoned screen releases cleanly for years.
- Best used with a stone or steel: bake on the screen for six to eight minutes, then slide the pizza off onto the hot surface to finish the base.
| Screen | Size | Construction | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Metalcraft 18716 | 16 in | Seamless aluminum | 16 in pies, the standard |
| Winco 16 in Seamless | 16 in | Seamless aluminum | Same format, alternate supplier |
| American Metalcraft 18712 | 14 in | Seamless aluminum, heavy weight | 14 in pies, compact ovens |
| New Star Foodservice 16 in | 16 in | Seamless aluminum | Multi-packs |
The 2026 screen field, all seamless aluminum. Ratings from the live Amazon page on 2026-08-23.
01 · Best Overall
Our PickAmerican Metalcraft 18716 Seamless Pizza Screen, 16 in
The foodservice-standard 16 inch screen with nearly 8,000 owners at 4.7 stars.
On the bench: 16 inch seamless aluminum screen from American Metalcraft's listing; 4.7 stars across roughly 7,780 Amazon ratings on 2026-08-23.
The one in the pizzeria. The American Metalcraft 18716 is a 16 inch aluminum mesh disc with a seamless rolled rim. Build a stretched New York dough on it, top it, and set the screen on a rack at 500°F or directly on a preheated stone. Six to eight minutes later the base is set and crisp enough to slide off the screen onto the stone for a final minute of char.
At about $17 it is not the cheapest screen on Amazon, but it is the one with 7,800 ratings, and a screen is a decade purchase. Buy the real one.
- Size
- 16 in
- Material
- Seamless aluminum mesh
- Use
- Oven rack or on a stone
- Price
- ~$17
What we like
- Foodservice standard, 7,800+ ratings
- Seamless rim, nothing to unravel
- Crisps a base without launch skill
Worth noting
- Needs seasoning
- Not for very wet doughs
Who should buy it: Anyone baking 14 to 16 inch New York style pies in a home oven, or feeding a crowd from a stone that cannot hold heat for back-to-back launches.
What we don't like: Needs seasoning before first use. A wet, high-hydration dough sags through any screen.
Bottom line: American Metalcraft is the name on the screens in most pizzeria kitchens, and its 16 inch seamless is the one to buy. The seamless rim means no crimp to trap dough and no wire end to unravel, the mesh is the standard gauge that crisps without marking the base, and the owner record is the deepest in the category. Season it once and it lasts years.
02 · Same Format, Alternate Supplier
Winco 16 in Seamless Aluminum Pizza Screen
The other restaurant-supply 16 inch seamless screen, at the same price.
On the bench: 16 inch seamless aluminum screen from Winco's listing, Creators-API-verified live on 2026-08-23.
Interchangeable with the pick. The Winco 16 inch seamless is the same gauge of aluminum mesh on the same seamless rim. Season it the same way, use it the same way, and it lasts the same decade.
Winco also sells a 14 inch and a range of sizes down to 8 inches for personal pies.
- Size
- 16 in
- Material
- Seamless aluminum mesh
- Price
- ~$17
What we like
- Same format as the pick
- Winco foodservice build
- Full size range available
Worth noting
- Fewer ratings than American Metalcraft
Who should buy it: Anyone who finds the American Metalcraft out of stock or priced above normal.
What we don't like: Smaller owner base. Otherwise identical.
Bottom line: Winco is the other name on foodservice screens, and its 16 inch seamless is functionally the same disc as the American Metalcraft. Buy whichever is in stock or cheaper on the day. Winco's owner base is smaller, which is the only reason it sits second.
03 · Best 14 in
American Metalcraft 18712 Seamless Pizza Screen, 14 in
The 14 inch size for standard home pies and compact ovens, about $8.
On the bench: 14 inch heavy-weight seamless aluminum screen from American Metalcraft's listing, Creators-API-verified live on 2026-08-23.
The size that fits everything. The American Metalcraft 14 inch sits on any oven rack, drops into a 16 inch outdoor pizza oven, and holds a 13 inch pie comfortably. It is also the right screen for a 14 inch electric countertop oven.
Same seasoning rule as the 16: oil, bake empty, do not scrub.
- Size
- 14 in
- Material
- Seamless aluminum mesh, heavy weight
- Price
- ~$8
What we like
- Fits compact and countertop ovens
- Cheapest on the page
- Works in outdoor pizza ovens
Worth noting
- 14 in maximum pie
Who should buy it: 12 to 14 inch pizza bakers, compact-oven owners, and outdoor pizza oven owners who want a screen for wetter doughs.
What we don't like: Too small for a 16 inch New York round.
Bottom line: Most home pizzas are 12 to 14 inches, and a 14 inch screen fits them with a rim of mesh to spare while also fitting the 24 inch wall ovens and countertop pizza ovens a 16 inch disc will not. At about $8 it is the screen to buy if you are not sure which size you need.
04 · Best for Multi-Packs
New Star Foodservice Restaurant-Grade Seamless Pizza Screen, 16 in
Restaurant-grade 16 inch screens that often sell in packs, for households that bake several pies at once.
On the bench: 16 inch seamless restaurant-grade aluminum screen from New Star Foodservice's listing, Creators-API-verified live on 2026-08-23.
Buy in multiples if you bake in multiples. The New Star Foodservice 16 inch is a restaurant-grade seamless screen that often ships as a pack. Build every pizza on its own screen, stack them on the counter, and rotate them through the oven. That is the pizzeria workflow and it is the reason screens exist.
Same aluminum, same seasoning, same decade of use.
- Size
- 16 in
- Material
- Seamless aluminum mesh
- Format
- Often multi-pack
What we like
- Efficient per-screen price in packs
- Restaurant-grade build
Worth noting
- Pack sizes and prices move
- Single units cost more than the pick
Who should buy it: Households that bake three or more pizzas per session.
What we don't like: Single-unit price is less competitive. Pack sizes change.
Bottom line: New Star Foodservice supplies the same seamless 16 inch screen and frequently lists it as a multi-pack, which is how pizzerias buy them. If you bake three or four pies for a table and want them all built and ready before the first goes in, a pack is the efficient buy. Single-unit pricing is less competitive than the two above.
More ovens worth comparing
Beyond this guide, the highest-rated ovens across every fuel and budget, with a live price check on each.
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Quick shop: every pick
Skip the scroll, the whole lineup, with a live price check on each.
- American Metalcraft 18716 Seamless Pizza Screen, 16 inBest OverallAmerican Metalcraft · Around $17Check price on Amazon
- Winco 16 in Seamless Aluminum Pizza ScreenSame Format, Alternate SupplierWinco · Around $17Check price on Amazon
- American Metalcraft 18712 Seamless Pizza Screen, 14 inBest 14 inAmerican Metalcraft · Around $8Check price on Amazon
- New Star Foodservice Restaurant-Grade Seamless Pizza Screen, 16 inBest for Multi-PacksNew Star Foodservice · Check priceCheck price on Amazon
How we chose
Screens are commodity restaurant supply, so the ranking is decided by construction (seamless rim, which does not trap dough or unravel), size against the pies you bake, and owner consensus at scale on the live Amazon listing read on 2026-08-23. The three makers here supply working pizzerias; we did not include the unbranded multi-packs that come and go.
Questions, answered
What does a pizza screen do?
It holds the dough on an open aluminum mesh so hot air reaches the base directly. That crisps a thin pizza faster than a sheet pan and without the launch skill a stone needs. It does not store heat, so it will not brown a base as hard as a steel; the standard move is to bake on the screen, then slide the pizza off onto a hot stone or steel for the last minute or two.
Do you have to season a pizza screen?
Yes. Bare aluminum grabs dough. Wipe the screen with a thin coat of oil and bake it empty at 450°F for about 30 minutes. It darkens, and that dark layer is what releases the pizza. Do not scrub it back to bright metal.
Pizza screen vs pizza stone: which is better?
Different jobs. A stone or steel gives the crispest base for a launched pizza. A screen makes building and moving the pizza easy and works for wetter doughs and bigger batches. The best home setup uses both: start on the screen, finish on the stone.
Can you put a pizza screen in an outdoor pizza oven?
Yes, and it is a good trick for thin or wet doughs that would stick to the peel at 900°F. Bake on the screen for 60 to 90 seconds, then slide the pizza off onto the stone to finish. Aluminum screens are fine at pizza-oven temperatures.
What size pizza screen should I buy?
Match the pizza, with an inch to spare: a 14 inch screen for 12 to 13 inch pies, a 16 inch screen for 14 to 15 inch pies. If your oven is a compact or countertop model, a 14 inch screen fits where a 16 will not.
Filed under Buyer's Guide
Part of Accessories & Technique
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