Pizza Stone - Anybody have one?
 

On an impulse I bought a round stone on sale for baking pizza. Has anyone ever used one? Does it really bake a better pizza? (debating on returning it before I use it). Do you just put pizza on it or do you preheat the stone? Thanks.

They are pretty good. The pizza might stick a little until it's seasoned. After that, there is no problem. We use it for pizza, bread, and cookies. I do pre-heat it but not always.

I don't usually preheat it. I find that it cooks the crust more evenly. I never thought of using it for cookies though, I'll have to try that.

Those baked brie wrapped in pastry come out good too.

We have two. I don't actually cook, but my husband uses the things pretty religiously.

We have one, and we really like it. We never preheat it, we just put the pizza on the stone and stick it in the oven.

OK I'm obviously an idiot but what about the metal rack thingy with handles. Do I put that in the oven also so I can lift the pizza out easier or do I put the stone directly on the oven rack and then try to scootch it onto the carrying rack when I'm removing it from the oven????

I have one from Pampered Chef. I adore it! Stuff will stick until it becomes seasoned and then pizzas I've prepared on it (both frozen and fresh) brown very evenly. I put the stone on the metal frame with handles to put it in and take it out of the oven.

Put the metal thingy under the stone. This will allow you to lift it easier when you remove the finished goods from the oven.

I use mine when I bake bread or rolls. Typically, I wet it down and place it in the oven when it's preheating. This gives the bread a crisper crust.

I don't use it for cookies because it's so hard to get the grease out. The stone holds in flavors so don't soak it in soapy water. You are suppose to scrape it off and run water over it.

I wish I'd known that a couple of days ago...

The metal rack is a cooling rack. (At least, that's how I use it.) Pull the stone and pizza out of the oven and then set it onto the rack - just like you would do with a cookie sheet full of cookies.

You are supposed to preheat the pizza stone - just stick it into the cold oven, preheat the oven, then put the prepared pizza onto the hot stone.

The stone is also great for reheating cold pizza. Pizza reheated in the microwave can get soggy, but pizza reheated on a stone stays nice and crisp.

A lot of bakers recommend using a stone for all baking. You are supposed to heat the oven with the stone in the oven. Supposedly it maintains even temperature when you open the oven and assists in more even cooking. I heard on NPR to even cook cakes on top of the stone...just put the pan directly on the preheated stone.

I have a lot of stoneware, all from Pampered Chef and LOVE it. The stones are great for pizzas and calzones AND french fries, oven-frying, baking casseroles, roasting meats, dips, breads, muffins...

Okay, so the only things I don't use stones for are cookies and cakes, as I haven't had any luck with those. Don't put a baking stone under a broiler, either (that's how my 1st pizza stone died.)

I love mine. Throw a little corn meal on it and you will prevent sticking and it will be like the pizza place. My kids love make their own pizza dinner nights.

My husband loves to grill anything at all, so we've used it to grill pizzas, as well. Easy cleanup, too!

wait you put the stone on the grill? I wish it was warmer, i want to try that!

I have two and have never used either of them. They were Pampered Chef impulse buys.

Work great. I cook with the handle thing under it to take out and in easier.

Well, I am officially an idiot because at the last minute I saw on the side of the box in tiny print "wash stone and let dry completely before first use" so I washed it and let it dry a few minutes and plopped the pizza on and baked it. The bottom was very soggy because apparently the stone "soaked up" moisture and then kept my pizza moist. I will try it correctly next time. I make that crescent wrapped gouda all the time so am looking forward to trying it also.

Add us to the list of people who use one (every day probably) and love it. They're great for pizza, any kind of bread, and almost anything else you'd use a cookie sheet for.

We always put it in the cold oven and let it pre-heat with the oven -- there's a risk that the sudden change in temperature of putting a cold stone in a hot oven will cause it to crack. And it does heat more evenly that way.

Also, never use soap on it. Just water and a good brush to wash with.

And we've never used the metal handles/rack. I think we may have actually thrown it away.

I have a couple of pampered chef ones and love them. I also use them to bake cookies

I'm actually using mine right now to cook some egg rolls, and yesterday it was used to cook calzones. I ♥ my stone. :)

How do I get the melted cheese off of it if I can't use soap? I have scraped as much as I could off with a spatula but now it's just "discolored" in spots after washing it with water and a scratchy thing. Should I have transferred it to another pan before cutting the pizza, therefore getting melted cheese on it?

We always cut the pizza on the stone. Use hot water and a spatula or the scratchy thing.

And yes, it's discolored. That's normal.

I think the discoloration is part of "seasoning" it. The funkier it looks, the better! I love my pizza stone and I also have a round cassarole stone dish that is great for au gratin potatoes and apple crisp. My kids actually complain if I use another dish because it doesn't taste right!

I don't bake cookies on the stone though, when I have they are always really crispy. I prefer my cookies soft.

Oh, and stock up on extra scrapers if you get the chance. I use those things on all of my dishes and they work great (and don't scratch!)

My large bar pan lives in my oven and is literally seasoned to a non-stick black at this point. Absolute perfection, and all I've ever done to it is hot water and a scraper.

My PC consultant is one of my best friends, and she says if needed you can use baking soda to help remove any burned on food. Just rinse really well and never use soap!

One more tip, if you're looking to season new stoneware bake something using crescent rolls first (like crescent roll pizza!) Works like a charm!

I have two round stones and had a bar pan. Yep, I found out that broilers and stones don't mix. It was a very sad day in my house.

I love my stones! They see more use than any of my other cookie sheets. In fact, one of them is almost black. Don't worry about the discoloration. It's normal. They're also great for chicken fingers and such. It does an amazing job of heating them up and keeping them hot.

We recieved one for our wedding, but I lost the instruction booklet that comes in it. Google has done me no favors in finding the instructions online. I want to use it like others have described on GC, but it is a virgin stone. So, do I just throw it in the oven while preheating it? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

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I love baked brie, but the couple times I've made it, it was awful! What's the scoop, do you pare off the rind all over, just on the top, or the top and the sides? Help!!

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I hate Brie rind, so I usually cut it off completely. I also don't like baking the entire wheel at once, I spit it up into small pieces and wrap the dough around it and bake. It's so much quicker and far easier to serve.

Thank you - maybe it will taste better than the last time I make it!

Yes, the brie rind is bitter and should be cut off first. I love it baked into pastry dough.