Basically, a hard, inelastic surface is best. I have an inch-thick steel plate from a scrapped injection mold die I use. You want the suddenness of deceleration which, if you had a slow-motion camera, you would see causes the plastic head to deform outward and then snap back elastically, which assists in the inertial pull. Simply put, take your hammer handle between your thumb and index finger and just tap it on different candidate surfaces. The one that produces the most bounce is the one you will have to strike the least hard against to achieve bullet pull. I would avoid concrete or other textured surfaces, as you don't want a sharp point to penetrate the plastic surface and start a crack in the head.
Like 44AMP, I have a couple of the old press-mount screw-in collet closing pullers from before I knew any better, and they wear your wrists out and work slowly and often distort bullets some. But like Jetinteriorguy, I eventually picked up a Hornady Cam-Lock puller (twenty years ago, now) and found it plows through pulling surplus ammo really fast and easily. The Cam-Lock closes the collet the way a lathe drawbar collet closer works, with one easy 90° turn of the handle that takes little force. It eliminates all the screwing-downs involved and keeps the closing force consistent. Properly set up, it doesn't damage jacketed bullets.
But still, for odd calibers and one-offs, the hammer puller is quick to grab and has no setup involved. Mine is a Quinetics puller. I got it long ago, so others may be making good ones now, too. I think the Quinetics puller was the original and that they were the OEM supplier for RCBS, at least at one point in time.
This Quinetics video shows the use of the standard puller and uses a stone for the anvil. It's a good demonstration of the hammering technique.
This Quinetics video shows their chuck upgrade gadget that reduces the number of times you have to smack the hammer. They say it fits all inertial pullers on the market, so it may be an add-on you are interested in.