Kitchen

[J Town Girl]

I love to make pizza with a whole wheat crust.  I have gone through multiple pizza pans.  I have always been disappointed with almost every pan that I have used.   Since I have a canary I cannot use any pizza pan that is non-stick.   I am considering purchasing a pizza stone.  

I am wondering if those who use a pizza stone can give me your opinions on a stone versus a pizza pan?     Do you have any hints for using them?    Can you give me any recommendations for a specific brand that you prefer?

Cost isn't a huge consideration to be able to get one that I am happy with and will last a long time.    

[jaxs mom]

You're baking it just a regular oven right? The thing with pizza stones, is that they need a long preheat time to really do the job correctly. A minimum of 30 minutes for the thin ones and an hour for the thicker ones. 

Instead I'd recommend a cast iron pizza pan, Lodge makes one that they now call a baking pan it's 14 inches, Lodge item number P14P3. 

I have a pizza stone but I only use it when making pizza outside in my ceramic oven. I use the cast iron one when I'm making one inside and don't feel like having to preheat the stone and ceramic oven for an hour. 

[software]

I use a Large Round Stone from Pampered Chef.

No pre-heating required.

$35

Adding to my post, my stone is not heavy, has handles and I store it vertically.

[lOVETOSHOP]

I agree about the Pampered Chef pizza stones...they are great and worth every penny!

I've had mine close to 8 years.  The pizzas come out crispy and evenly browned on the bottom.  I don't think it's necessary to preheat the stone to have good results, but my son who owns one and makes pizza more often than we do says he preheats it for maybe 10 minutes. 

[kcladyz]

you can keep the area well ventolated so you should be ok on a nonsick pan. i have 4 parakeets never had a problem with my nonstick cookware

[CelticCrafter]

Pizza stones are heavy and you have to find a place to store it.

[Dorothy11]

To mimic a professional pizza oven, stones are a must have. For the best results, use two stones, one to bake on and on a rack above, but close to the pizza. The oven temperature should be about 500 degrees, and the stones need to be preheated. The radiant heat provided by the stones will yield a crispy crust and brown bubbly top.  

[house_cat]

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@CelticCrafter wrote:

Pizza stones are heavy and you have to find a place to store it.

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@CelticCrafter

I have two large, well seasoned stones from Pampered Chef.  I keep them on my rustic wooden dining table all the time.  They add to the rustic look and serve as trivets when I'm serving a very hot dish or casserole.

[goldensrbest]

Please explain why having a canary,has anything with a pizza pan?

[on the bay]

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@goldensrbest wrote:

Please explain why having a canary,has anything with a pizza pan?

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@goldensrbest-

I would think the fumes or chemical smells emitted from the pans could be harmful. Parakeets are so sensitive. I know there are other things too not to use-I think fragrance lights.

(Still, your post had me laughing!)