Need input on stone thickness

[pp8082]

 
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I'm thinking about ordering a  stone from California Pizza stones.
20 x 14 x 1 inch thick or 5/8 inch thick .

I'm concerned about how heavy the 1 inch stone would be and how long it would take to heat up versus the 5/8 inch stone.

I have a gas oven max temp is 500 degrees

[sb 44 champs]

Save your money and get a piece of hot rolled steel.
It will never crack and will last forever.
If you have a steel shop in your area, give them a call. Probably cheaper than the stone.

[mkevenson]

If you decide to go with the stone, I would choose the thicker. Heat up time should not out weigh the advantages of the thermal mass. But this kinda depends on how many pies you want to bake in a row and recovery time needed. I have no experience with steel.

Mark

[pp8082]

Mark,
At times I'll bake 6 pies on a 3/8 pizza stone.  The initial temperature of the stone can reach almost 600 degrees.
Immediately after the heat drop to 450 - 480. 

What would be the heat recovery time be on a 5/8 or 1 inch stone?

Thanks,

[mkevenson]

Mark,
At times I'll bake 6 pies on a 3/8 pizza stone.  The initial temperature of the stone can reach almost 600 degrees.
Immediately after the heat drop to 450 - 480. 

What would be the heat recovery time be on a 5/8 or 1 inch stone?

Thanks,

I have not done any specific tests, I have read on many occasions including on the Fibra Ment web site that thicker stones require less recovery time due to the fact that the mass of the stone holds more heat and looses less during baking.
I have done a search here and on Goggle but to this point have not found any specific timed recovery tests. I bet they are out there, perhaps one of our more knowledgeable members has that data.

Mark

[ckollars]

I have read on many occasions including on the Fibra Ment web site that thicker stones require less recovery time due to the fact that the mass of the stone holds more heat and looses less during baking.

Yes, but... That's great marketing, and in a strict sense it's "true", but I doubt it matters all that much at home. Besides, other considerations may be equally or more important: thin pizza stones crack more easily; and desired thickness depends a great deal on whether you leave the stone in the oven or pull it out and serve the pizza still on it, as if you pull it out of the oven you want to keep the weight down.

I have done a search here and on Goggle but to this point have not found any specific timed recovery tests. I bet they are out there, perhaps one of our more knowledgeable members has that data.

I have been watching and looking for several years in the context of breadmaking, and have never ever seen the results of a timed recovery test, so it doesn't surprise me that you haven't found any either. Besides, so many things other than the stone itself matter, things like: the kind and shape of heating element, the amount of insulation in the oven, which height the rack is set at, and the type of thermostatic control in the oven.

-----

If I read http://www.californiapizzastones.com/ correctly, they provide the 3/4 inch thickness for home use and classify the 1 inch thickness as "industrial". My experience in the context of breadmaking is that "industrial" accessories are not a good idea, because they expect to be used in an "Industrial" oven and don't work very well (sometimes they don't work at all) in a home oven.

[bfguilford]

Try a local pottery supply store. You should be able to get a 3/4" cordierite kiln shelf for much less than the California Pizza Stone version. I would think that you would look at around a 45-minute heat-up time.

I have also used 1/2" steel, and found it too heavy (17"x17"x1/2" was around 42 pounds), so I went back to cordierite. Slower bake time, a little less oven spring, not quite as open a crumb... but still very good.

Barry

[ckollars]

... local pottery supply store ... cordierite kiln shelf...

Yes. Cordierite is the material used in commercial "brick ovens", probably like the one at your local pizza place. But it's almost impossible for a home baker to obtain a relatively small standalone piece through cooking suppliers. Enter the pottery stores, which for an entirely different reason happen to carry exactly what you need.

A gentle word of warning: every so often a very well-intentioned pottery salesperson will give you all kinds of instructions for "seasoning" the cordierite shelf, including putting ceramic "slip" on it and sanding it. Those things are for pottery use; for food use, do not do any of the things they suggest. Those things will at best make a mess, at worst make you quite sick, and negate some of the utility of having a pizza stone in the first place.

They're completely irrelevant - the "sticking" they talk about can sometimes happen at 3000 degrees with clay, but is of no concern whatsoever at 600 degrees with wheat  ...but not all "pottery" folks figure that out.

[Jackitup]

I have cordierite for the Red Head grill, Fibrament in the house and like them both. I would go with at least 7/8" thick or 1" whatever they have. A piece of steel would weigh as much as both the stones I've got I'm guessing. Now steel, from everything I've read works great, but alas, my back does not. Thicker is better for consistent and recoverable heat....my 2c

jon