Elevate Your Pie: Essential Pizza Party Supplies for Any Host

For frequent bakers, SAF Red's 1-lb pouch is a stress-free way to keep pizza night rising on schedule. Our experience shows this professional instant yeast delivers a reliable, lively fermentation, and the vacuum-sealed packaging helps preserve potency. The bulk size can be overkill for occasional use, and once opened you'll need airtight storage - ideally the freezer. Inspect shipments on arrival; a damaged seal is a contamination risk, so we decant into small jars and date them.

When you're prepping dough for a crowd, the DoughMate kit keeps things organized and stackable. During our review, the BPA-free polypropylene trays felt sturdy and sized well for most home fridges, each holding multiple dough balls for efficient batch proofing. The lid doesn't seal airtight, which can cause dry skin - lightly oil or add plastic wrap to help - and the included putty-style scraper is a weak link. Measure your fridge width too; the trays can occupy the full shelf.

If you’re portioning dough balls or dialing in hydration, the Escali Primo’s compact footprint slips onto crowded counters yet offers a generous 11‑lb capacity for big mixing bowls. In our testing, the sealed buttons and smooth plastic surface wiped clean easily after floury sessions, and the readout is quick and stable for everyday pizza prep. Downsides: the auto shut‑off can interrupt longer batches, the display isn’t backlit for dim kitchens, and 1‑gram resolution isn’t ideal for tiny yeast or salt measurements.

We like Reynolds Kitchens Stay Flat Parchment for painless prep—its non‑stick surface kept dough, garlic knots, and cheesy toppings from welding to our pans in testing. The SmartGrid lines are genuinely useful for cutting sheets to size and spacing items evenly, and the stay‑flat dispenser reduces that annoying parchment curl when you’re moving fast. Be mindful that the paper can wrinkle, char at higher temps, and may tear if you lift very heavy items; use a sturdier support or slide off instead of hauling.

These Cambro 6-quart rounds are workhorses for dough bulk-fermentation or sauce storage. In our testing, the durable commercial-grade plastic shrugged off bumps, and the translucent walls with clear graduations made tracking rise and volume effortless. They stack neatly to save space, though the round shape can be bulkier than square bins. Our experience shows the lids aren't fully airtight and feel thinner than polycarbonate, so for dough, lightly oil the surface or add wrap under the lid to prevent dry skin.

King Arthur Pizza Flour consistently turned out crisp‑edged yet pleasantly chewy crusts in our testing, making it a friendly pick for Neapolitan‑leaning pies at home. We appreciate that the bag includes a reliable recipe, which helps beginners hit good hydration and fermentation without guesswork. It does cost more than standard all‑purpose flour, and the protein profile may be a touch lower than some Italian ‘00’ options, so folks chasing maximum chew might prefer blending or longer ferments.

California Olive Ranch's extra-virgin olive oil is our versatile pick for drizzling over margheritas, tossing salads, and everyday roasting. In our testing, the mild profile played nicely with basil and mozzarella without overpowering, and the third-party certifications add confidence. Some bottles land with older harvest dates and taste muted, the pour spout can be finicky, and those craving a peppery bite may want a bolder oil. We suggest checking harvest dates and decanting into a cruet for cleaner pours.

Give your pies a sweet-and-heat finish with Mike's Hot Honey's Original & Extra Hot duo. In our testing, the squeeze bottles made controlled zig-zag drizzles easy, and the two heat levels helped please both spice-cautious guests and chili chasers. Fair warning: many reviewers (and we) find the heat milder than the name suggests, and the flavor can read like regular honey if spread thin. If the $34.99 price feels steep, use it as a finishing accent where the chili really shines.

Mutti’s PizzaSauce with Spices delivers that bright, clean flavor we look for, thanks to 100% sun‑ripened Italian tomatoes and a thick, concentrated texture that won’t sog out your dough. During our review, it spread smoothly and baked down to a vibrant, balanced base, plus it’s gluten‑free and vegan so it suits most guests at a pizza party. The 14‑oz can goes fast for multiple pies and the price sits above basic supermarket sauces, so plan on extras—and consider boosting the mild seasoning with your favorite herbs or chili.

Build a bright, balanced pizza sauce with Cento's peeled San Marzano tomatoes. In our testing, the natural sweetness and mild acidity made a clean base that isn't overly salty, so you can season to taste. They're widely available at a reasonable single-can price, though still higher than generic options, and delivery orders sometimes arrive dented. Some chefs prefer punchier premium brands for texture, but for most hosts these are a dependable pantry staple that deliver classic flavor without fuss.

BelGioioso's pre-sliced fresh mozzarella is a party-friendly choice for quick pies, salads, and antipasti. In our testing, the clean, milky flavor and consistent quality stood out, and the log format made portioning effortless. It's pricier than many supermarket mozzarellas and can turn rubbery if blasted with high heat; for pizza, we add it late or combine with low-moisture shreds for better melt. Produced by an award-winning cheesemaker with simple ingredients, it's a reliable upgrade for hosting.

When you want a crisper, evenly browned crust, we found the American Metalcraft Aluminum Pizza Screen’s open mesh boosts airflow under the dough so moisture escapes and bottoms bake beautifully. The heavy‑gauge aluminum is surprisingly lightweight for frequent launches and pulls, and at this price it’s an easy commercial‑grade upgrade for weeknight pies or big-batch party service. Just know it’s hand‑wash only, can warp if hammered with repeated high‑heat cycles, and aluminum can stick unless you season it or dust generously with flour or cornmeal.

Among peels, we like Ooni’s perforated design for smooth launches—the holes shake off excess flour and help reduce sticking, while the lightweight anodized aluminum blade slides under pies effortlessly. During our review, the tapered edge and slim profile gave great control when turning and retrieving pizzas from a blazing hot oven. Just note it’s pricier than basic peels and the perforations can drop small toppings or semolina; for very wet dough, use parchment or a wooden peel to avoid mishaps.

For show‑stopping pizza parties, the Ooni Karu 16’s multi‑fuel design lets you cook with wood or charcoal for flavor, or add the optional gas burner when you want convenience. In our testing, it rocketed toward 950°F and the 16‑inch deck handled big, hand‑stretched pies, but we did need to rotate pizzas to manage uneven hot spots across the stone. It’s pricey, bulky, and demands outdoor storage space, yet the results and flexibility can be worth the learning curve if you’re serious about Neapolitan‑style heat.

The Baking Steel Plus Tray is a powerhouse upgrade—during our review its 1/4‑inch carbon steel stored serious heat and delivered crisp, restaurant‑style bottoms in just a few minutes. The expansive 15 x 20 in. surface lets you run two 12‑inch pies or multiple loaves at once, great for party throughput, and it arrives pre‑seasoned and built in the USA. It is heavy at around 22 lbs and needs hand washing and occasional oiling, and the price is higher than a basic stone, but the results justify the heft.

The Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo brings wood-fired results to the countertop, turning out leopard-spotted Neapolitan crusts in minutes. In our testing, it preheated fast and cooked back-to-back pies quickly, with presets for styles and manual control for tinkering. The catch is the price - around $1,000 - and a 12-inch limit, which can slow service for bigger crowds. We also saw hot spots, so plan on a quick rotate mid-bake for even color and blistering.

For checking stone and steel temps before launching a pie, the Etekcity Lasergrip 1080 is handy, with a wide -58°F to 1130°F range and adjustable emissivity to suit different surfaces. In our testing, the backlit LCD was easy to read by the grill at dusk and the controls were straightforward. However, accuracy can drift at very high heat, some users report failures after battery swaps, and the trigger feels a bit chintzy—so calibrate against a known source and treat it gently.

For nailing perfect doneness on sausage, chicken wings, or calzones, the Thermapen ONE is the quickest probe we've used. During our review, it locked onto temperatures in about a second with +/-0.5°F accuracy, and the auto-rotating, backlit display was easy to read at awkward angles by the grill. The premium build and speed come at a price that's higher than many rivals, and some users report long-term reliability hiccups. Also note the backlight can feel dim in darker patios.

Swap the wobbly wheel for Dreamfarm's Scizza when you want cleaner slices and intact toppings. We found the hardened stainless blades glide through crust, while the nylon spatula base protects non-stick pans and stones and lets you lift and serve in one motion. It's pricier than a basic wheel and the long length can be awkward in a standard drawer, but performance is stellar. If aesthetics matter, the shears look less traditional, yet they're a crowd-pleaser once guests try them.

OXO’s 4-inch pizza wheel slices cleanly through thick crusts—during our review the stainless blade tracked straight and the soft, non‑slip handle kept our grip secure even with extra cheese. The die‑cast thumb guard is a small but confidence‑boosting safety touch when you’re cutting for a crowd. That said, our experience shows the plastic hub doesn’t love repeated dishwasher cycles and some users have seen rust or failures, so hand‑wash to extend life—and note the size can feel bulky for tiny personal pies.