Cooking stones?

[BarbaraL]

Hi, everyone! How do you feel about cooking stones? Are they better/worse/equivalent to cookie sheets and other cookware? I was at a Pampered Chef party, and saw the pizza stones and stoneware bakers. I have yet to try some of the CL pizzas (carmelized onion and feta pizza, etc) and was wondering if I should get a pizza stone or just use a cookie sheet (I have some of those cool ones that have the layer of air between the layers, so cookies don't burn). PC also has a cool stoneware bar/jelly roll pan; wondering if it's any better than a good ol' metal jelly roll pan.


Just trying to balance my love of buying cooking stuff with my practical side.

[luv2run]

I can't say enough good things about cooking stones. I have the Pampered Chef pizza stone and I love it. I also bake cookies on it and they never burn. My pizza always turns out perfect. There really is no comparison to a conventional cookie sheet or even an air-bake sheet. I think it is well worth the price.

If you want to test the water, try a department store stone (less expensive) before Pampered Chef. I like the Pampered Chef personally because of the warranty and because it doesn't have to be "fired" to cleanse of imperfections before using which tells me it is made of more pure materials.

Let me know I can answer any questions. I also have the PC stone pie pan and stone baker with lid.

Debbie :cool:

[jphilg]

To make really excellent homemade pizza, you need to get a pizza stone. I use mine for breads as well....many of the BB gang uses them for all baking.

Personally, I would not buy a Pampered Chef one because I think that their stuff is overpriced and I don't like to encourage my friends to continue to throw those "parties." However, if you don't have an issue with the PC business model, I have heard good things about their stones.

I bought mine stone at Marshalls for less than $10. Also, quarry stones from Home Depot work wonderfully, and are even less expensive.

So give one a whirl...there are lots of threads on this board for tips on how to use them, and how to maximize their performance.

Jen

[Gracie]

RUN don't walk to your PC consultant and buy a stone!!!!! or 2 or 3.....:D

IMHO, PC makes the best stones (I am not affiliated with them in any way, but I have 4 of them). The biggest difference between PC stones and others that I've purchased is that you can cut your pizza right on the stone and the pizza cutter won't damage the stone. I bought a huge rectangular stone first (I forget the brand) and my pizza cutter left big slices in it.

Also, the PC stone doesn't have to be "seasoned" before use (although it's only a one-time thing). Other stones have to be soaked in water for about 15 minutes, then put in a cold oven, then heated to the highest temp your oven can get for a period of time.

There are thousands of uses for your stone, not just pizza. Anything you would put on a baking sheet is great on a stone. Free form bread, cookies, Pillsbury rolls, roasted vegetables, etc.

I have the stoneware bar pan too and love it. It is a few years old now and looks exactly the same as when I bought it. Not like metal pans which get really yucky looking with age. And the stoneware muffin pan - don't even get me started on how well that performs!!! :D

Each year I hostess a party - that's how I've been able to afford all this stuff. Each year I've gotten over $150 of merchandise for under $40 with the hostess discounts and freebies. Just a thought for you.

This is just my $0.02 but as you can see I do love my stoneware! The one drawback is that is doesn't stack very well in your cupboard so once you get up a good collection, you have to find storage.

Loren

[luv2run]

P.S. Just so you know, I don't sell Pampered Chef, just love their products. :)

[BarbaraL]

The stones are good for roasted veggies? That's good to know. Another reason I was hesitating is because I could only think of higher calorie/higher fat things to cook on it, and I really need to get back on Weight Watchers. Why is it that, when I really decide to get back on track with healthy eating, I get much more interested in cooking and baking?

[Gracie]

Me too Barbara! I think it's because we're already looking for lower-fat ways to cook and we head for the cookbooks (and the accompanying utensils)!

ANYTHING you would use a sheet for is great with a stone.

Loren

[BarbaraL]

Which do you use more, the 13" or the 15" round stone? Or do you like the rectangular one -- guess there's no law you have to have a round pizza!

I'm leaning toward the 15" round stone, but it will just fit inside my oven, might even touch the door -- would that be a problem?

[Gracie]

I would go for the 15" - either round or rectangular. The 15" round is a little bigger than the rectangular but not much.

Pizza doesn't have to be round and cookies/veggies don't have to bake/roast on a rectangle!

The reason I would recommend the larger size is because you can always put a small pizza or small amounts of food on a big stone, but you can't put a large pizza or lots of veggies on a small stone. My stone is close to the door of the oven too but it does make it.

The other thing is that you should also buy is the rack that goes with whatever size stone you buy. Naturally it's a separate price. :rolleyes: Trying to slide it out of your oven without the benefit of the rack is very difficult. The stone is heavy and HOT and does not slide well.

Loren

[Hoosier65]

The roasting of veggies on the stone sounds very intreging to me. Do you put anything on them first such as oil? What does that do to the stone?

[Gracie]

I spray the stone first, then add the veggies. They may be tossed in a bit of oil and balsamic or just sprayed themselves, it doesn't matter.

When the stone is cool enough to pick up, I immerse it in plain warm water, let it soak and use the plastic scrubber blade thing that came with the stone to scrub off anything that stuck. No soap or anything. Just be careful to clean it after it's cooled, otherwise the shock of the cooler temperature of the water may crack it.

As a stone is used (for pizza, veggies or whatever) it becomes browner and browner. After you've had it for a long time, it's not that pale beige color that it was when it was new. The PC consultants tell you that's "seasoning" of the stone, but I'm not sure that's the right word since I equate "seasoning" with "non stick" and the stones are nonstick to start with. I haven't had any problems with the stone's performance.

Loren

[Melman]

I have most of the PC stoneware. Out of all of them, my most used stone is the rectangle one. I've used it for all kinds of things...but its main uses are probably cookies and biscotti. I have the large round stone but feel like I can line up cookies, etc. on the rectangular one better than I can the round one.

[Tiger]

I have a lot of PC stoneware and I do love it. I use it for everything. The best thing is no more burnt cookies. I used to hate wasting dough!

[BarbaraL]

Thanks for your suggestions, everyone! We all had a great time at the PC party -- a group of friends, one of whom's moved out of state, so we don't get to visit very often; another group of friends who used to work together until layoffs separated us! Can't wait to try my new stuff. Debbie, what do you make in your deep dish baker and lid? I was considering that, but decided 1) I was spending too much $$ and 2) I couldn't think of anything to make in it except roast chicken, which tastes just fine in my roasting pan. (hmm . . .I wonder if you can make Psycho chicken in it?) If you've got some great suggestions, there's always the next party. . .

[Gracie]

But Barbara - you didn't tell us what you got! :D I'm hosting my latest party next week - I can't wait!

L.

[knunes]

No one has mentioned my favorite thing about my PC stones (I have the rectangular stone and the jelly roll/cookie sheet stone)--if you're putting frozen french fries on, or if you've made wedges of potato that you've oiled and put herbs on, or "oven baked" fish anc chips--- you can just cook them without turning them and they cook on both sides. I love that! And I never seem to want my metal cookies sheets anymore for cookies----I try to use the PC ones as much as possible because they come out so much better.
I love almost all of the PC stuff that I own---I'm not a consultant, but have been to a bunch of parties and own many many products----like the little corn on the cob skewers that you put on BEFORE you put the fresh ears of corn in the boiling water and they aren't hot when you take them out so you can pick up your corn......but I digress. This post was about baking stones, wasn't it. Okay, love the stones.

[AD]

I recall my mother using a pizza stone several years ago that cracked in the oven. I don't know what happened. In addition, I HATE working with heavy pans and dishes as I am very weak. I've dropped heavy things in the oven before, and it's not easy to pick up, especially with a scorching hot oven. Unless there is a good long handle, two pounds is my limit for what goes in the oven. These two factors have discouraged me from trying one. The stick/nonstick part doesn't bother me as much as a muscle injury, burn (on my skin), break, crack or spill.

[Grace]

AD, I leave my stone in the oven 24/7 - I never try taking it out. And I would agree, it would be a big nuisance to try and wangle a big, heavy, HOT stone out of the oven, and I'm STRONG!!! I use a peel to get my pizzas, breads, etc. onto and off of the stone. Works beautifully, and no fear of dropping that very heavy and dangerous stone. But I know how much you love baking breads, etc., and I think it would add so much to the flavors and textures you're trying to get, you might want to try one! Just leave it in the oven and forget about it! Just an idea.

[Curleytop]

I got a stone too, never really used it! I have an electric oven, and you can't really put it on the bottom, you have to put it on the bottom rack. Any suggestions?

[BarbaraL]

I got the deluxe stoneware gift set (set includes 15" round pizza stone, carrying rack, pizza cutter, large serving spatula, cook book and Italian spices) and the spatula set (rubber scrapers) as half-price items (love the PC scrapers, but they're expensive!); the vegetable peeler (DH put my old Ekco one in the dishwasher and ruined it), deluxe cheese grater with the snap-on measuring cup, the "handy scraper", cake tester, pastry blender, clock/timer, small spreader, small serving spatula, the "measure all" container (that was recommended on this board), a whisk and the barbecue turner. I was interested in the food chopper, but decided to get the Zyliss one from Linen's N Things with a coupon. I really debated getting the stoneware jelly roll pan; I don't bake much (can't resist eating all of what I bake!) but have gotten into roasting veggies because of this BB. I like the crispiness they get baked on a metal pan, and wonder if they'd be as good on stoneware.

I have a tendency to have the cooking gadget equivalent of "my eyes are bigger than my stomach" and am trying not to buy stuff that I won't really use (and then have to store). I'm so busy at my new job, I haven't had much time to cook lately anyway. I was really debating getting the deep dish baker with cover that was on special, but wasn't really sure what I'd make in it, and it was BIG. I really need to get back on Weight Watchers, and it seemed that the PC recipes were all high calorie, high fat (lots of crescent rolls!). Maybe the PC consultants can tell their management to develop a healthy-eating cookbook using their stuff!

[SusanMac]

Curleytop -- I keep my stone on the bottom rack of my electric oven and don't have any problems with it. I don't often cook multiple things in my oven at once, but when I do (or if I need the bottom rack), I'll just put another pan right on top of the stone. Don't know if the stone is big enough to really enhance all of my cooking in the oven, but if nothing else it keeps it seasoned nicely and is great storage (those suckers are hard to store in a cabinet because of the size/shape)