Pizza/Baking Stone

[DevilsBrew]

I am going to purchase my first baking stone. Any suggestions?

 

[homebrewz]

Go to your local ceramics supply shop and get a kiln shelf that fits your oven. Its made out of the same stuff pizza stones are made out of, its more durable than most of the culinary stones I've seen, and cheaper too.

 

[DevilsBrew]

Are they food safe?

 

[homebrewz]

That's a good question. I always assumed that they were. I have been using a kiln shelf to bake bread and pizzas for years with no obvious problems. If there were volatiles in the clay matrix of the shelf, I'd imagine they would mix with the glaze of functional pottery and leave potentially deleterious effects. The same reason why some glazes are not safe for functional pottery (contain lead, metals, etc). We do have a resident chemist and potter on here (adiospantalones). Perhaps he has some input.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

They are absolutely food safe. Get a standard shelf, not a silicon carbide (black) shelf. The one you want will be light color, and may be called high alumina or mullite

 

[DaleZ]

Would a tile saw cut one if I wanted a custom size?

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Would a tile saw cut one if I wanted a custom size?

Yup. I use a diamond blade in a circular saw

 

[begreen]

They are absolutely food safe. Get a standard shelf, not a silicon carbide (black) shelf. The one you want will be light color, and may be called high alumina or mullite

Would that be made of cordierite? That's what our stone is made out of.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Would that be made of cordierite? That's what our stone is made out of.

You could get either, or a composite of the two

 

[xman23]

My wife got one at a house party that sold casserole dishes. It feels like stone ware material. It really works well. I'm only doing those store bought pizzas.