Do you have one? Are they worth it/any good?

I’ve been pondering for a while whether to get one or not.

Yes

Yes

Oh, and the bigger the better. But you have to let them heat up real good to work at their best.

Alternative (and some say better method) is to heat a heavy based frying pan up until it’s very hot (dry – no oil). Drop pizza onto pan and leave it for a minute or two until the bottom crisps up. Chuck pizza into hot oven.

Yes and yes, make sure it’s nice and hot before you put the pizza on.

I You want one of those spaceship-esque pizza cooker things that someone off here’s brother makes… Can’t remember the name, just know they look amaze.

I’ve got one and it works well.
Unglazed ceramic floor tiles can also be used for a budget option.

or just get a large floor tile and stick it in the oven. Works just as well and much cheaper, especially if you have some kicking around the house – otherwise what I did was walk into a tile showroom and ask for a sample 🙂

first time in the oven though you need to let it warm up gradually or it will shatter when you put the pizza on it. I would leave it in for at least an hour but after that it is fine

edit: beaten to it by SprocketJockey. Must type faster

YES, GET AS BIG AS ONE AS YOUR OVEN WILL TAKE.

SORRY FOR SHOUTING, CHEEKY BEER AT LUNCH.

Just get one, a large one as others have said.

Let it ‘soak’ at full whack in the oven for a minimum of 20 mins before you introduce pizza. I put mine in the oven when I turn it on so the stone is not subject to sudden thermal shock.

Don’t soak them in water when cleaning. A quick wipe over and use a fish slice to remove any stuck on lumps.

I You want one of those spaceship-esque pizza cooker things that someone off here’s brother makes… Can’t remember the name, just know they look amaze.

http://uuni.net/ ?

Cook omelettes on too.. on a gas ring.

nom nom etc.

What’s it supposed to do. We got one with our oven. Can’t really tell the difference whether we use it or not.

What’s it supposed to do

If you really have the stone up to temp. before you start then when you whack the pizza on it should be able to get the heat into the base quickly and should get a nice puffy, crispy pizza. Without it things can end up a bit soggier. If you don’t really have it up to temp first then it won’t make much difference

What’s it supposed to do. We got one with our oven. Can’t really tell the difference whether we use it or not.

Cook the base of the pizza very quickly so you get a proper crispy base without having to make it thick and bready. Only really works if you get it really hot before you put the pizza on.

Can’t say I’ve ever noticed any sogginess without it. We only cook thin ones though. Maybe for thick bases?

What’s the easiest way of transferring your freshly made pizza onto the red-hot stone?

I’ve tried picking up the floppy thing and just end up making holes in it and getting tomato juice all over myself.

Is there some kind of pizza-transfer paddle thing that I need to buy!?!

I’ve got a stone and haven’t got on with it (so use a metal pizza tray – the type with lots of holes in the bottom).

Yet another bit of kitchen junk.

IMO 🙂

What’s it supposed to do. We got one with our oven. Can’t really tell the difference whether we use it or not.

It basically compensates for the fact that most puny home ovens cannot get anywhere near as hot as a proper pizza oven! You need to pre-heat it with the oven on max in order for it to work. Will cook the pizza much quicker than usual so keep an eye on it to avoid burning the toppings!

Is there some kind of pizza-transfer paddle thing that I need to buy!?!

I found something very similar to this http://www.johnlewis.com/house-by-john-lewis-ash-pizza-board/p231568236
in a charity shop (except mine has a bevelled edge at the front that almost comes to a point). I make the pizza on it then kind of shake it gently so it’s just overhanging the edge, then rest the edge on the hot pizza stone and whip it away quickly like the old table cloth trick!

You need to pre-heat it with the oven on max in order for it to work.

Even better, whack the grill on high for 5 mins before you pop the pizza on.

@smartboy

We make our pizza on the stone. Take stone out of oven, base on stone, quickly build and back in oven.

We’ve also experimented with putting base in the oven for about 1 min to help the cooking. has worked very well.

Even better, whack the grill on high for 5 mins before you pop the pizza on.

that’s a good idea!

Is there some kind of pizza-transfer paddle thing that I need to buy!?!

Any old flat oven tray should do, with a bit of flour so it doesn’t stick or a very thin baking sheet if you have a problem with it sticking to the tray

The stone method doesn’t really get anything like hot enough unless you stick it on the hob. Proper pizza oven is >450degC! It does help avoid a soggy base but doesn’t get near the pizza oven tastiness.

Get as big a piece of granite as your oven will hold and what the temperature up full whack. Whilst this does make a slight difference, it’s nowhere near as good as using it in a gas bbq with a lid. Effectively a full on pizza oven minus the wood fired bit.

Use it in one of them with foil lining the bottom of the stone (to avoid direct heating), turn the bbq up full and you’ll get it hot enough for authentic pizza. I do the dough in a bread maker and put it in the bbq/pizza oven with a £5 pizza peel (big paddle you see being used in pizzerias, available from catering stores or eBay).

Dead easy and works a treat.

Proper pizza oven is >450degC

Sure you don’t mean degF? I agree though, it’s above most domestic ovens. I just leave mine on max – might make it up to 220 with a following wind

edit: actually appears you are correct. Looks like wood fired ovens do get that high. Amazing (more info)

Pizza stone are generally too thin and keep breaking. Go to B+Q and buy the biggest stone paving slab that will fit in your oven.

Don’t buy that board either, you need one with a thinner edge like this sort of thing. I’ve made one from some offcuts.

^^^ yeah that’s what my board actually looks like (the edge comes to a sharpish point)

I bought this one (to replace a broken one) as a cheap quick but and it’s proved OK so far after 10 or so goes. Been using stones for about 5 years and leave them in the oven the entire time (off the floor!) As a bit of thermal mass to keep oven temperature more even, although it will cost a bit more in leccy.

£8 pizza stone

Pizza peel DIY – Cheap baking sheet with sides cut off and bolted into the end of a brush shaft. Think it was on Jimmy/Jamie programme.

Not my brother but a freind makes these. Expensive, but they are ace.
http://chadwickoven.com

£385 😯 and gas only.

for that reason I’m oot.

Yup, way to ££ for me!

wow thanks for the ebay link, just bought one!

Looks exactly the same as the ones I’ve been looking at in House Of Fraser for £30+

Just need to keep practicing my pizza dough. It’s still too bready for me and not thin and crispy enough. 😀

It’s still too bready for me and not thin and crispy enough

I think we had a thread on this recently but either try mixing some plain flour in with some bread flour or if you are already doing that then maybe it needs a bit more kneading so you can stretch it out more

We had one, it was crap. It got covered in overflow cheese, which burnt black and stained the stone, looked really minging, threw it out.

How about a pizza stone in a wood fired kettle BBQ?

We had one, it was crap. It got covered in overflow cheese, which burnt black and stained the stone, looked really minging, threw it out.

Ummm… That’s pretty much what they’re supposed to look like.

Ummm… That’s pretty much what they’re supposed to look like.

Oh really? Damn. It was a white colour to start with, and was porous, so stained really easily. I didn’t realise that they blackened up. Lol.

Used it for the first time last night.

Definitely made an improvement! Happy.