What size pizza screen?

[Mare]

I realize the screen should not be smaller than the pizza.  That said, should the screen be about the same size as the pizza, or larger?  Or does it matter? 

I plan to use the screen on a pizza stone, but perhaps without, in summer.

Mare

[Pete-zza]

Mare,

I have found that pizza screens are cheap enough such that I can have several of them. I have the following sizes: 9", 12", 14", 16", and 18". That way, I can use the closest size. If I had to pick just one size, it would be the 16" since that would allow me to make pizzas all the way up to that size. The 18" would be too large for small size pizzas and, while it fits in my oven, may not fit in other ovens.

Peter

[Mare]

Thanks, Peter.  So in terms of the quality of the pizza after baking, there's no advantage to either same-size or larger-size screens, is that right?  I thought perhaps the metal rim of the screen might help the edge of the pizza to brown.   

Mare 

[Pete-zza]

Mare,

If I had to guess, I would say that the rim isn't going to make a material difference to the finished pizza. I think the rim is there because of the manufacturing process because you need something to frame the mesh part of the screen and hold everything together. I don't think the metal rim was put there to help brown the rims of pizzas better.

Peter

[Mare]

Just to clarify -- I didn't think that browning was the purpose of the rim, just that it might be an effect of it.    That doesn't seem to be the case, though.

Mare