Baking Stone Trials

[Engineered Ceramics]

I would like to find a coupe of people willing to try out some different ceramic materials for use as baking stones.

I have several materials, with a range of thermal conductivities, which judging from other posts, seems to be an important factor.

The stones I have for testing are 15" x 15" x 3/4"  they are smooth on one side, and trowel finished on the other.

Anything I provide would be free of charge and with free shipping.


What I'm looking for in a tester, is someone who can consistently make good pizza (or I would test it myself), as well as being able to repeat a trial pizza with a different material, so results can be compared.

Make a few different types of pizza, not just the 700F+ type.

Take lots of pictures and post the relevant ones to this thread. (I've already cleared this idea with the mods)

Compare the stones I send to a standard pizza stone.

Be brutally honest, this is a trial, not an infomercial.

Lastly, none of these materials are FDA approved for food contact, so legally, I can't recommend that you eat the pizza you make, but what you do with the pizza is your own business.  Our products are certainly made of higher purity raw materials that any tile found at Home Depot.


Do I have any takers?

**********************
ONEDIT: At this point I have 3 tester, which will be enough to get started.  Thanks to those who have shown an interest.

[Art]

I have been using a Fibrament stone for the past 2 years. Previously, I had round stones bought sold by Pampered Chef, Linens & Things, and my first one from, I think, Walmart. Two broke after a short while and the one from Pampered Chef was given to my granddaughter. My pizzas are very good and, since I weigh all ingredients, very consistent. I would be more than happy to give your product a try and report the results here.   Art

[Engineered Ceramics]

I have been using a Fibrament stone for the past 2 years. Previously, I had round stones bought sold by Pampered Chef, Linens & Things, and my first one from, I think, Walmart. Two broke after a short while and the one from Pampered Chef was given to my granddaughter. My pizzas are very good and, since I weigh all ingredients, very consistent. I would be more than happy to give your product a try and report the results here.   Art

Send me a PM with your address and I'll get one on it's way. 

If you would please take a photo of the unopened package, so I can see how it arrived.

Bill

[iahawk89]

I'd give it a try as well.  Let me know!

Were you looking for more information?  I've been using a Pampered Chef baking stone that was given to me as a gift.  I don't love it because of the sloped sides.

Lately, I've been looking at unglazed quarry tile.  If you don't want to send me a stone, I'm headed to the tile store.

[Engineered Ceramics]

OK Art, your baking stone is on it's way, you should have it in a few days.

This stone is made from Fused Silica & Alumina.

It is the lightest material we sell and the least thermally conductive. 

It may only work for baking bread, or really thick pizza.

You could also try it in a grill, it should easily handle direct flame contact.

It may work well in a grill where you want to slowdown heat penetration from below, so the top can cook.

Good luck

[Fingerstyle]

PM sent.

[scott r]

that sounds like it could be the perfect material for my home oven when I use the cleaning cycle.  I bake all sorts of pies, and usually a normal stone works gerat,  but when I am doing high temp pizzas it is a nightmare keeping the stone cooler than the surrounding oven.  What I have found is that the oven on clean sits at about 825, but in order for my pizzas to cook right my pizza stone needs to be at about 700 for the pie to bake evenly.  What I have to do is slide in the stone a few minutes before I put the pie in there.  In those few minutes my stone doesn't have time to get all the way up to ambient temp (825) and the pizzas bake evenly.  I know I am not the only one playing games to get my pizzas to bake evenly when cooking on the cleaning cycle, as I get personal messages about this all the time.  Is it possible you have another one of those around for me to try?  If it allows me to leave the stone in there and get an even top and bottom bake I would be more than happy to pay whatever the cost is for your stone!

Of course if Art uses his cleaning cycle he could report back to the forum.

[Engineered Ceramics]

that sounds like it could be the perfect material for my home oven when I use the cleaning cycle.  I bake all sorts of pies, and usually a normal stone works gerat,  but when I am doing high temp pizzas it is a nightmare keeping the stone cooler than the surrounding oven.  What I have found is that the oven on clean sits at about 825, but in order for my pizzas to cook right my pizza stone needs to be at about 700 for the pie to bake evenly.  What I have to do is slide in the stone a few minutes before I put the pie in there.  In those few minutes my stone doesn't have time to get all the way up to ambient temp (825) and the pizzas bake evenly.  I know I am not the only one playing games to get my pizzas to bake evenly when cooking on the cleaning cycle, as I get personal messages about this all the time.  Is it possible you have another one of those around for me to try?  If it allows me to leave the stone in there and get an even top and bottom bake I would be more than happy to pay whatever the cost is for your stone!

Of course if Art uses his cleaning cycle he could report back to the forum.

It won't stay cooler, but it will give up heat slower, which may be the effect your looking for.

send me a PM with your address and I'll send you a stone on Thursday.

[Engineered Ceramics]

Ok, Scott and Fingerstyle, your stones are getting shipped out today.

Please take a photo of the package before you open it, I 'd like to see how it arrived.


Also,  BE CAREFUL OPENING THE PACKAGE, the staples used were for a different kind of packaging, so there may be some sharp edges under the tape.  This will have to be addressed for future shipments.

[Fingerstyle]

Bill,
Looking forward to testing.  Will post pics. Sounds like I can dispense with the steel pizza pan I've been using as a flame buffer.

Thanks

Vic

[Engineered Ceramics]

Bill,
Looking forward to testing.  Will post pics. Sounds like I can dispense with the steel pizza pan I've been using as a flame buffer.

Thanks

Vic

Our stuff is very resistant to thermal shock. 

I have kept an alumina tile in my grill for over a year, it started off snow white, but it's turned black from use. 

I often cook chicken on it, as it keeps the flames away from the chicken, the fat just runs down the front where it harmlessly burns off.

I also use some ceramic tiles with lots of holes as a flame tamer. They get to about 1200F on high (notice the soft orange glow in the center).  These however do have some cracks, but not enough that the part falls to pieces.

[Fingerstyle]

I often cook chicken on it, as it keeps the flames away from the chicken, the fat just runs down the front where it harmlessly burns off.

Great idea - have to try that.

[Engineered Ceramics]

Art's stone arrived broken (looks like I didn't use enough Fragile Stickers.)

I've put another stone in the mail, but this time I sandwiched it between some Styrofoam.  (and added about $3.25 to the packaging)

It's a little different stone, I didn't have any more that were the same. 

It's still 15" x 15" x3/4", but it has rounded corners, and a recessed edge.  It is edge cast, so both faces are smooth

Hope it gets there in one piece.  If not, you can just accept it, take a picture and toss it out. 

[Engineered Ceramics]

Shipping success.

Art received his new stone in good condidion.

I on the other hand received the damaged stone back from UPS.  Below is what I received after a round trip to Art.


ONEDIT:  UPS 2      Pizza Stones 1

Scott's stone arrived broken as well.

I'll have to have some more made.

[Art]

I tried the new stone by Engineered Ceramics last night and used the exact same recipe and procedure as always. Because of the recessed edge on the 15"x15" stone, I used the "dough calculator" to make a 13" pie that would fit on the stone's 13"x13" inner square. I had been baking all afternoon (peach pies and focaccia) with the stone in the oven so, when I raised the temp to its Max(550) and preheated for close to 2 hours (my dinner guests were late), the internal thermometer read 600. I made 2 pies and the time for each was about 6 minutes. Everything came out looking just like the pies that cook on my Fibrament stone except for the fact that the bottom crust, although the "right color", didn't have that thin crisp layer of slight crunch that my family has grown used to. Also, because of this (I assume) the slice had more "droop" when held out by the edge. If this is the result of the lesser thermal conductivity, then I believe the Fibrament is better suited to my style of pizza. I am going to give it a try on my Weber grill and see what happens. Here are a few photos. I hope I remember how to post them. Sorry, they aren't the best I've ever taken. Thanks Bill, for this opportunity to try something different.

 

[Fingerstyle]

Ok, Scott and Fingerstyle, your stones are getting shipped out today.

Bill,
Stone never arrived. I'm still game if you are.
thanks,
Vic

[Engineered Ceramics]

Bill,
Stone never arrived. I'm still game if you are.
thanks,
Vic

It probably got destroyed by UPS as well.  I'll send you one soon as I make some more, which will be like 2 weeks.  I may add some Silicon Carbide to increase the thermal conductivity.

Bill

[Engineered Ceramics]

I tried the new stone by Engineered Ceramics last night and used the exact same recipe and procedure as always. Because of the recessed edge on the 15"x15" stone, I used the "dough calculator" to make a 13" pie that would fit on the stone's 13"x13" inner square. I had been baking all afternoon (peach pies and focaccia) with the stone in the oven so, when I raised the temp to its Max(550) and preheated for close to 2 hours (my dinner guests were late), the internal thermometer read 600. I made 2 pies and the time for each was about 6 minutes. Everything came out looking just like the pies that cook on my Fibrament stone except for the fact that the bottom crust, although the "right color", didn't have that thin crisp layer of slight crunch that my family has grown used to. Also, because of this (I assume) the slice had more "droop" when held out by the edge. If this is the result of the lesser thermal conductivity, then I believe the Fibrament is better suited to my style of pizza. I am going to give it a try on my Weber grill and see what happens. Here are a few photos. I hope I remember how to post them. Sorry, they aren't the best I've ever taken. Thanks Bill, for this opportunity to try something different.

 

Picture look great, I think I will add some Silicon Carbide to increase the heat transfer, I think I will also try and make a round stone, unless you guys prefer the square.

[Pizza_Not_War]

Round stone please! I am anxious to try it out on the 2stone as well as in the kitchen oven.

Thanks

PNW

[Fingerstyle]

Picture look great, I think I will add some Silicon Carbide to increase the heat transfer, I think I will also try and make a round stone, unless you guys prefer the square.

+1 on round - ideally ~15" - 16". 

Thanks,

Vic