Renthead Mommy Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 We just got into this house last weekend. In the oven there was a large square pizza type stone in it. It is not nice and smooth and seasoned like my Pampered Chef pizza stones. It is really kind of nasty. It looks more like it was there to catch drips the way it was stained. I would never set a pizza on it as nasty as it is. Maybe bake potatoes on it, but that's about it. The cleaners took it out to clean the oven, then neither of us could remember if it went on the bottom of the stove below the electric element, or if it was on the lower shelf. If it was a gas oven, I could see it sitting on the oven bottom, like a drip catcher and reflecting back more heat. However this is an electric oven, so I can't imagine it sitting under the electric element. And I also can't imagine giving up a whole oven rack just for this thing to reflect heat back up. So what is it's purpose in my electric oven and where is it suppose to go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 In the trash? Do you have instructions for the oven or - if not- you can look most instructions up online now with model numbers. Could it be the former owner used it as a heating stone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Weird. I've heard of people using unglazed tiles in place of pizza stones, I wonder if it could be one of those? Anyway, I wouldn't think it was essential to the oven. I would toss it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 (edited) I was looking at getting something like that back when I thought I might actually want to cook and bake. They are supposed to be awesome for baking and oven roasting. Not necessarily directly On the stone, but to keep the oven at an even temperature, IIRC. I was looking in to getting some. It was not cheap either, again IIRC. ETA Here is a link about what I'm talking about. http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/hearth_kitchen_hearthkit.asp Edited July 19, 2012 by fraidycat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 You can rinse it under hot water and use a plastic spatula to scrape any food bits off. Just don't use soap. I keep mine in the oven and it is not pretty, but it is clean enough LOL. I figure that baking at hot temps keeps it sanitary if anything does drip on it. Baking stones are wonderful for cooking breads. You preheat them in the oven and then throw your dough on top (like the Artisan Bread in 5 minutes/day type). Same with pizzas. You can take the whole thing out with your pizza, or you can use a pizza peel to grab the pizza. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 I was looking at getting something like that back when I thought I might actually want to cook and bake. They are supposed to be awesome for baking and oven roasting. Not necessarily directly On the stone, but to keep the oven at an even temperature, IIRC. I was looking in to getting some. It was not cheap either, again IIRC. ETA Here is a link about what I'm talking about. http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/hearth_kitchen_hearthkit.asp This is not that extensive. Picture a Pampered Chef pizza stone, except square and not nicely seasoned. But yes I think it is supposed to be more like a heating stone. They could never have cooked pizza/bread/cookies on. At least not for a very long time now. Things have overflowed and dripped on it for a while now. What I don't know is if it can just sit on the bottom of an electric oven, so close to the element. I won't give up my second oven rack just for this thing to sit there all the time while I am cooking even if it does reflect heat back nicely. And if I have to take it out everytime I use the oven, I don't want it then either. I can totally see me forgetting until I open the door to put something in and then I have this stupid hot stone to deal with. You can rinse it under hot water and use a plastic spatula to scrape any food bits off. Just don't use soap. I keep mine in the oven and it is not pretty, but it is clean enough LOL. I figure that baking at hot temps keeps it sanitary if anything does drip on it. Baking stones are wonderful for cooking breads. You preheat them in the oven and then throw your dough on top (like the Artisan Bread in 5 minutes/day type). Same with pizzas. You can take the whole thing out with your pizza, or you can use a pizza peel to grab the pizza. I am thinking it I have a number of Pampered Chef baking stones, so I know how great they are to cook on. But I can't imagine sticking pizza dough on this. Do you keep yours in the oven all the time? As in never take it out? Like while you are cooking other things? Can I actually leave it sitting on the floor of an electric oven? So close to the element like that? The owner is a culinary school grads who likes high end-ish appliances with lots of gadgets (like I really need photos to show up on water dispenser.:glare:). Actually he just like gadgets in general. This house was so filled it wasn't funny. They were almost 4,000 pounds over weight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Another Jen Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Back in the day- we had a old oven that didn't heat up properly. One side always was hotter than the other. I put a pizza stone on the bottom rack and never took it out. I only used the top rack. The stone radiated the heat around just enough to make the oven useable. Of course, I did clean ours... Anyway, I bet it was left behind. You could toss it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Back in the day- we had a old oven that didn't heat up properly. One side always was hotter than the other. I put a pizza stone on the bottom rack and never took it out. I only used the top rack. The stone radiated the heat around just enough to make the oven useable. Of course, I did clean ours... Anyway, I bet it was left behind. You could toss it. Oh I know it was left behind. The amount of crap they left behind was ridiculous! The forgot to empty the dishwasher even. (On the plus side I did inherit a VERY nice Henckel knife!). I know I can trash it, and I may. I guess what I'm asking is does it serve a purpose in heating/reflecting heat of the oven? And does it HAVE to sit on the rack or can it sit on the oven floor (it's electric)? Does it affect/improve the cooking/roasting/baking of pots/pans and regular food? Things other than bread and pizzas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caroline Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I wouldn't put mine on the oven floor. It might scratch the finish of the oven. Mine is actually kiln furniture from a ceramic kiln company, though, so not very smooth. I just leave mine on the bottom rack all the time. I put other stuff in top of it. It doesn't really get in my way. I cook anything that I would cook on a cookie sheet on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I guess what I'm asking is does it serve a purpose in heating/reflecting heat of the oven? And does it HAVE to sit on the rack or can it sit on the oven floor (it's electric)? Does it affect/improve the cooking/roasting/baking of pots/pans and regular food? Things other than bread and pizzas? Yes, it improves all baking and roasting by evening out the heat. It will mean less burning and reduces temperature fluctuations if you're making something that you need to open the door for a few times. Here's a forum on chowhound about it: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/749553 As for where it goes, it would depend on your oven. Are the heating elements behind a shield? I think I would put it on the bottom shelf. Get a flat blade retractable razor (sold in hardware stores and used to scrape paint off glass) and scrape the burned on stuff into the trash. Wipe crumbs off with a paper towel. Leave it out of the oven while you clean the oven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I've heard of that. You put it on the bottom of the oven and it creates a hearth effect. It becomes hot and radiates heat (making the oven more exact--usually ovens heat up a bit hotter than dialed then cycle up and down around that point). Really serious bakers line the entire oven with this kind of stuff, but having one on the bottom is the easiest way to do it (or one on the bottom one on the top). And an unstained baking stone is an unused baking stone. If its really bad just toss it (after all you didn't make the mess...its not the same thing when you stain your own stuff you know where it came from) or scrub it down with water and a brush and throw it back in the stove. Mine has a million stains and is broken into 3 pieces and I still cook on it. When it has pieces on it I pull it out, scrape them off, and wash it. I don't use it until it is completely dry. Baking stones are awesome. They even the temperature so my cookies don't burn. They make pizza and bread crusty. I baker's necessity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Do you keep yours in the oven all the time? As in never take it out? Like while you are cooking other things? Can I actually leave it sitting on the floor of an electric oven? So close to the element like that? I either leave mine in the middle of the oven (for baking bread) and just put casserole dishes on top of it, or move it to the bottom of the oven (on a rack). I never bake on both racks anyway, so this doesn't interfere with anything. I wouldn't put it directly on the floor of the oven - like the PP said, it might scratch. It's also unnecessary. See what it looks like after a scraping in HOT water. I bet it's nicely seasoned underneath, but don't expect a uniform golden color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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