Old Stone Pizza Stone 14'x16'

[Mmmph]

Just picked up one for $30US shipped to my door.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000E1FDA/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1301011434&sr=8-1

Anyone have this stone? Thoughts?

TIA

[scott123]

It's better than a Walmart stone or a Fibrament, but that's not saying much.

I guess if you're open to modding your oven, then this should work well, but I tend to prefer stones that produce quick bake times without oven tricks.  At 550, you're talking 7+ minute bake times with this stone.

[dms]

Lots of people use this stone without complaint, and without attempting to set their oven on fire.  Works just fine.  Scott's got very extreme views. 

[ponzu]

Scott,

I am enjoying my new steel plate (thank you for your pioneering work.)  I obviously value your opinion on this topic tremendously.

If you wouldn't mind repeating what you have undoubtedly written before;

What is the rank order of stones that you would buy if you were in the market today?  maybe top 5?

AZ

[scott123]

Thanks, Alexi.  I noticed that you had taken the steel plate plunge.  I have no doubt that you'll be very happy with it.

Presently, I'm very gung ho about steel.  1/2" steel plate outperforms 1 1/4" soapstone in every way and is much less expensive and easier to track down.  The only thing that might be better is 3/4" steel, and, presently, besides being uncharted territory, 3/4" steel can be a hassle to work with because of it's weight. You basically have to replace the oven shelf with flat steel bars in order to accommodate the weight of the steel. The one thing that appeals to me about 3/4" steel is that there's a distinct possibility that, with a 45 minute preheat at 550, the 2 minute bake barrier could be broken. I know Toby (Foolishpoolish) has his Nearlypolitan, but, to be honest, I think the Nearypolitan logistics can be a bit demanding and not really appropriate for the beginner. Supporting 3/4" steel plate requires some DIY skills, but, I think, once it's in place, assuming that 2 minute bake barrier can be broken, the process will be relatively idiot proof- at least in terms of bottom browning/charring.  The top will require very close proximity to a red hot broiling element.

So, to answer your question, here's is where I currently rank the stones I'd consider worth buying.

1. 3/4" steel plate (theoretically)
2. 1/2" steel plate
3. 1 1/4" soapstone

and that's it.  1" cordierite kiln shelves were a contender for a while, but 1/2" steel is about the same price and far superior. 1" cordierite, preheated to 550, probably will bake a respectable 4 minute pie, but why choose probably when, for the same price, 1/2" steel will guarantee it?

[plainslicer]

Scott,

I'm thinking about getting a better stone after reading your posts.

What is oven requirement for the highly conductive steel or thick soapstone? That is, do I need a broiler to complement the intense heat from the bottom? My old oven has a broiler drawer below the main compartment so I can't simultaneously bake and broil.

I do think my oven's "550" is actually a bit higher, because I've baked some pizzas around 4 minutes on my Fibrament stone. Most are good around 5 to 6 minutes. I wish I knew better when I bought it last summer.

Thanks.

[scott123]

Plainslicer, my issues with Fibrament are based on the (more frequently found) bake and broil 550ish oven. A separate broiling compartment makes life SO much more difficult. I lay awake at night trying to come up with more elegant solutions, and, so far, the reigning champ is the oven within an oven technique, found here:

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,12692.0.html

In this type of scenario, the pre-heat usually heats the ceiling and hearth to about the same temp.  Since that tends to handicap the ceiling, it might end up being useful having a less conductive hearth (such as fibrament). Bear in mind that you'll need to reach pretty elevated temps.  625ish for hearth and ceiling- and, because you've isolated, to an extent, the thermostat, you'll need a cheap IR thermometer to tell you the true temps.

So, for your specific case, no steel or soapstone, just another layer of quarry tiles to act as a ceiling.

[plainslicer]

Thank you kindly for the clarification and recommendation. I can get up to about 700 heating the stone under the broiler, and 625ish when I heat it on the lower rack in the main oven. I can more or less bake in two minutes with the broiler and my current stone, but it's not even at all. I don't have a good way to rotate the pizza on the stone given the low clearance and awkward positioning below the oven. I will look for some cheap-ish tiles to try the oven-within-an-oven trick in the main compartment.