What is a Detroit Style Pizza Pan?

Certain parts of the globe have put their own touch on traditional cuisines. When done well, these locations become highly recognized for certain meals, and tourists always make it a point to dine at a restaurant that serves them.

Cities in the United States are widely renowned for putting their own stamp on basic American cuisine like pizza and hot dogs. Detroit is one such city, where several eateries have become well-known for their wonderful pizzas.

The rectangular pizza with an unusually thick crust has a distinct taste and form that can only be achieved by baking on a Detroit-style pizza pan.

In this article, we’ll look at the distinct kind of pans used to cook Detroit-style pizzas. LloydPans manufactures the pan we’ll be looking at here in the United States.

What is a Detroit Style Pizza Pan?

So, what distinguishes a Detroit-style pizza pan? There are a few features that distinguish these pans and make them unique.

Rectangular vs. round

First, consider the form. While most people anticipate pizza to be round, classic Detroit style pizza is rectangular with an extremely thick crust. This panin is rectangular in design and is 10 inches by 14 inches in dimension.

While we’re on the subject of measurements, this pan is 2.5 inches deep and has slanted sides. The pan’s depth enables you to easily build deep dish pizzas, and the sloped sides make it a little simpler to remove the pizza when it’s through baking.

These pans are constructed of hard-anodized aluminum and meet the same standards as the original blue steel pans. Seasoning is not necessary due to the hardening process that these pans go through.

If you’ve never heard of seasoning a pan, let’s take a brief detour.

How to season a pan in the oven?

Seasoning is the process of coating a pan with a firm, thin layer to make it nonporous and prevent corrosion. It also prevents food from clinging to the surface.

When a pan is constructed of bare metal, it must be seasoned in the oven before it is used for the first time. So, how do you season an oven pan?

It’s rather straightforward. You add some vegetable oil into the pan and distribute it evenly. Then you bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately one hour. You wipe off the extra oil when the pan has cooled. That’s all there is to it.

Now, back to this Detroit style pan.

Made of hard-anodized aluminum, not blue steel

As previously stated, this pan is composed of hard-anodized aluminum. The original Detroit pizza pans were made of blue steel, but modern pans are made of hard-anodized aluminum, which does not need to be seasoned.

The hardening process of these pans achieves a similar outcome to what we discussed previously in the section on how to season a pan. The hardening process forms a thick coating that strengthens and protects the raw aluminum, making it non-porous and preventing corrosion.

In terms of durability, this pan has a double-thick, flat rim. This additional thickness adds strength and endurance, allowing it to keep its form for years.

Easy release coating

Another advantage of the anodization technique is that it produces a surface that is simple to release or practically nonstick. You won’t have to worry about your pizza sticking to the pan as a consequence. Even a well-cooked, crispy pizza releases easily from this pan.

LloydPans’ Dura-Kote coating is a non-toxic, permanent coating that is PTFE free.

Another advantage of the hardening process is that the hard surface is scratch resistant and heat safe up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. Because it is scratch resistant, using metal spatulas is not only safe, but also usual practice with these pans.

What are the drawbacks of Detroit style pizza pans?

We’d want to tell you that these pans are ideal, but there are a few things we believe you should think about.

First and foremost, these pans are not dishwashing safe. These pans must be hand cleaned in warm, soapy water, rinsed, and towel dried. The finish on these pans will be destroyed if washed in a dishwasher. Fortunately, the easy release coating on these pans makes hand cleaning a fast and simple operation.

Another factor to consider is look. While these pans appear fantastic overall, they may have some tiny flaws. These flaws are really grip marks from the pans’ coating procedure.

Because these Detroit-style pans are intended for commercial usage, practicality takes precedence above looks. These flaws have no effect on the pan’s covering.

The price of this pan is another disadvantage to consider. This pan will set you back two to three times the price of a standard pizza pan.

This pan, on the other hand, is a commercial-grade pizza pan that allows you to make true Detroit-style pizza that you just cannot imitate with a more typical pan.

Final Thoughts

If you want to make an authentic Detroit-style pizza at home, this pizza pan from LloydPans is your best bet. LloydPans is well-known for producing the greatest Detroit-style pizza pans, which closely resemble the original blue steel pans that are no longer available.

While there are a few drawbacks to this pan, they are minor in compared to the advantages it gives. We are convinced that anybody wishing to recreate that iconic, Detroit-style pizza will be pleased with this pan.

Features

• One 10 in x 14 in x 2.5 in deep dish Detroit style pizza pan is included.
• Conforms to the standards of the original blue steel pans
• Same pan as used in Detroit restaurants
• Made for commercial and home use
• Made of hard-anodized aluminum
• Will not rust
• Dura-Kote, easy-release coating, and PTFE-free.
• Pan does not require seasoning
• Safe to use with metal spatulas and utensils
• Heat safe up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit
• Made in USA
• It comes with a 5-year guarantee that covers material and workmanship problems.