What temperature should my pizza stone be?

Around 750–850°F for Neapolitan-style in a pizza oven, 600–700°F for New York style, and 500–550°F for a stone or steel in your kitchen oven. Point the thermometer at the center of the stone — when it reads in range, launch.

Can a cheap infrared thermometer really handle pizza-oven heat?

Yes, as long as its range goes high enough. Look for a maximum reading of at least 950°F — the budget picks above all qualify. The bargain models that stop at 600°F are the only ones to skip.

Why does my pizza have a pale, soft bottom?

Nine times out of ten, the stone wasn't hot enough when you launched. Give the oven a full 15–20 minute preheat, check the stone with your infrared thermometer, and only launch when it reads in range.

Accessories

Best Infrared Thermometer for Pizza Ovens: Stop Guessing, Start Launching

By Dad·6 min read·Updated July 29, 2026

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The best infrared thermometer for pizza oven cooking is a simple point-and-shoot tool that reads your stone's surface temperature in about one second — and for most folks, an affordable model like the Etekcity Lasergrip or ThermoPro TP30 is all you need. Here's the plain truth: the number one reason first pizzas go wrong isn't the dough or the toppings. It's launching onto a stone that isn't hot enough yet. An infrared thermometer takes the guessing out. Point it, pull the trigger, read the number. When the stone says ready, it's ready. You've got this.

🏆 Dad's Top Pick

Etekcity Lasergrip 1080

Best budget pick for most people

Check Current Price

Quick Comparison

Product	Best For	Fuel	Max Temp	Size	Price	Rating
Etekcity Lasergrip 1080 Etekcity	Best budget pick for most people	Battery (AA)	Reads to ~1,022°F	Any oven	$	4.5	View →
ThermoPro TP30 ThermoPro	Best accuracy for the money	Battery (AAA)	Reads to ~1,022°F	Any oven	$	4.6	View →
Ooni Infrared Thermometer Ooni	Made for pizza ovens; great in hand	Battery (AAA)	Reads to ~1,022°F	Any oven	$$	4.5	View →
Klein Tools IR1 Klein Tools	Tough build; fine for indoor steels/stones	Battery (AAA)	Reads to ~752°F	Kitchen ovens	$	4.4	View →
Fluke 62 MAX+ Fluke	The buy-it-once pro tool	Battery (AA)	Reads to ~1,202°F	Any oven	$$$	4.8	View →

Prices are approximate and subject to change. Always verify current pricing before purchasing.

Why you actually need one (the one-second explanation)

Your pizza cooks from two directions: the flame above and the stone below. The stone is what makes the bottom crisp instead of soggy. But you can't tell a 550°F stone from a 750°F stone by looking — they look exactly the same. That 200 degrees is the difference between a pale, floppy bottom and that beautiful leopard-spotted char.

An infrared thermometer reads the stone's surface heat from a safe distance, instantly. No touching, no guessing, no sacrificial first pizza. I'd say it's the coolest tool in my kit, but it only measures hot things. (I'll see myself out.)

For Neapolitan-style pizza you generally want the stone around 750–850°F. For New York style, 600–700°F does the trick. Your kitchen oven with a steel or stone? Aim for 500–550°F. Point, read, launch.

Dad's picks, from budget to fancy

Good news: this is one of the cheapest upgrades in all of pizza-making, and the affordable ones genuinely work. The Etekcity Lasergrip is the classic starter — it reads high enough for pizza stones and costs about as much as two takeout pizzas. Check the current price on Amazon and you'll see what I mean.

Step up to the ThermoPro TP30 and you get a wider temperature range and a tighter reading. The ones to be careful with are bargain-bin models that max out around 600°F — that's fine for a frying pan, but a proper pizza oven stone will blow right past it. Look for a max range of at least 950°F, ideally over 1,000°F.

If you want the one the pizza nerds carry, Ooni makes its own infrared thermometer built exactly for this job, and it feels great in the hand. Any of these will do the trick — the important thing is owning one at all.

How to use it right (three small tips)

First, aim at the center of the stone, not the flame or the oven wall. The stone is where the pizza lands, so the stone is the number that matters. Take readings in a couple of spots — the back of the oven usually runs hotter than the mouth.

Second, know the tool's one honest weakness: infrared reads surfaces only. It can't tell you the air temperature inside the oven, and shiny stainless surfaces can fool it a little. For the stone, though, it's spot on — and the stone is the whole game.

Third, use it between pizzas. Every launch steals heat from the stone. A quick reading tells you whether to wait two minutes before the next pie. That's how you keep pizza number four as good as pizza number one — no half-baked ideas.

The bottom line

If you own a pizza oven and you don't own an infrared thermometer, this is the next thing to buy — before fancy peels, before oven covers, before anything. It's inexpensive, it works the moment you unbox it, and it fixes the single most common beginner mistake in one squeeze of a trigger.

Grab whichever pick fits your budget, check the current price on Amazon, and go make the stone earn its keep. Your first perfectly-crisped bottom crust will make you grin like a kid.