Pizza Stone Life Expectancy

[Andy M.]

I had a Pampered Chef pizza stone for several years and kept it in the oven (gas) at all times including during the cleaning cycle. The cleaning cycle worked great for getting spills off. The stone was kept upside down to keep the cooking surface clean for pizza.

Recently, during a self-cleaning cycle, the stone split in half. It had survived numerous cleaning cycles with no apparant ill efects before losing it during the last one.

Yesterday, I bought a new stone at Williams-Sonoma (I was able to avoid emptying my wallet to buy 20% off All-Clad). It's about 2" larger than the PC one and now I'm concerned about leaving it in the oven for the cleaning cycle. I wonder if this type of stone has a limited life regardless of exposure to high heat or if that was the cause for its demise.

Any thoughts?

 

[Bilby]

What's involved in the cleaning cycle of your oven? Mine involves getting down on one's hands and knees and scrubbing! I haven't even heard of an oven like that being marketed over here. Probably is, just not for the plebs of society like me!

 

[Andy M.]

If you don't have self-cleaning ovens in Australia, you should start a campaign to import them.

For either gas or electric, the oven has a special self-cleaning cycle wherein the oven temperature is raised to about 800F-900F (427C-482C) for 2-3 hours. All the food residue is reduced to ash which can be easily wiped or vacuumed out of the oven. During the cycle and until the oven has cooled, the oven door is locked.

 

[GotGarlic]

Hi, Andy. I can't imagine that the stones are made to withstand that kind of regular exposure to high heat. I have two PC stones and keep them in a vertical cabinet next to the stove. The plastic scraper that came with each of my stone pieces also works great for cleaning spills, although it does take some elbow grease, too.

 

[GotGarlic]

If you don't have self-cleaning ovens in Australia, you should start a campaign to import them.

For either gas or electric, the oven has a special self-cleaning cycle wherein the oven temperature is raised to about 800F-900F (427C-482C) for 2-3 hours. All the food residue is reduced to ash which can be easily wiped or vacuumed out of the oven. During the cycle and until the oven has cooled, the oven door is locked.

btw, we have some friends whose kitchen was burned when their oven caught on fire during the self-cleaning cycle. Makes me nervous about using mine.

 

[Bilby]

Now I have something to save for cos I hate having to clean an oven. Probably cost more than the house though! Wouldn't mind that feature on the microwave oven either come to that. Thanks for the info AndyM.

 

[Bilby]

btw, we have some friends whose kitchen was burned when their oven caught on fire during the self-cleaning cycle. Makes me nervous about using mine.

That can happen with any electrical equipment though. Things short and fuse or are just plain faulty. Just buy an extinguisher and enjoy the luxuries you have.

 

[Andy M.]

In the US, self-cleaning ovens are not much more expensive than non-self-cleaning ovens. I would guess that most households have a self-cleaning oven.

If it's a new product in Australia, the price may be higher initially to take advantage of the novelty factor.

 

[Bilby]

Everything of that sort of nature is expensive over here. There is basic and then there is a huge price hike to middle of the range and then there is the second-mortgage that has more bells and whistles than a pack of umpires at a game of footy! Until a feature becomes a norm, you get slugged for it.

As a kid going to the movies, I would see those fridges that blended into the kitchen veneer. It has only been in the last couple that I have seen them advertised or even installed in a (luxury) display home over here. We are talking twenty odd years of knowing they existed. They still sell new cars here with the free aircon as a selling point, yet nobody would buy a new car without it being installed and nobody would expect to have to pay a separate charge for it. But it is still advertised like a special added bonus. One day they will sell you the car and make the fact it has tyres on the wheels a selling point!

We keep novelty factors as just that for a long time. A very long time.

 

[jennyema]

I don't keep mine in the oven and just clean it up with a brush soap and hot water. It's maybe 20 years old now.

I had a friend once who was a terrible cook. She made a cake from a mix and mistakenly set the oven to "clean"

Once that's done the door locks. Needless to say, her cake caught on fire.

That's when she called me in a panic. She didn't think to turn the oven off.

 

[GotGarlic]

That can happen with any electrical equipment though. Things short and fuse or are just plain faulty.

True, but there aren't many appliances that heat up to 800-900 degrees F. Not sure I want to risk burning down my house in exchange for not having to scrub the oven.

 

[Andy M.]

True, but there aren't many appliances that heat up to 800-900 degrees F. Not sure I want to risk burning down my house in exchange for not having to scrub the oven.

You really shouldn't just consider the one oven that caught fire (and you don't know that it was because of the self-cleaning cycle, just that that's when it happened). Consider the millions of self-cleaning ovens that have performed flawlessly throughout their lives.

 

[GotGarlic]

You really shouldn't just consider the one oven that caught fire (and you don't know that it was because of the self-cleaning cycle, just that that's when it happened). Consider the millions of self-cleaning ovens that have performed flawlessly throughout their lives.

You're right - I guess I'm just nervous because they were friends, so people we know, and we just renovated our new kitchen with all-new cabinets, counters, appliances, and floor. Don't want to mess that up

 

[Andy M.]

You're right - I guess I'm just nervous because they were friends, so people we know, and we just renovated our new kitchen with all-new cabinets, counters, appliances, and floor. Don't want to mess that up

Of course you don't!

If your new stove has a self-cleaning feature, have you ever used it?

 

[Grandma Linda]

My Pampered Chef dealer instructed us to clean our stoneware by keeping in the oven during the cleaning cycle. I never have because I enjoy the non-stick seasoned stone that I now have after years of use. Hey they are guaranteed, so return the broken one and get a brand new from your dealer!

 

[GotGarlic]

Of course you don't!

If your new stove has a self-cleaning feature, have you ever used it?

Not yet. I've only used the oven itself a few times since it was installed in late July. I used the self-cleaning cycle in my old one a few times, although not since I heard about my friends' kitchen fire, which was about a year ago.

 

[GotGarlic]

My Pampered Chef dealer instructed us to clean our stoneware by keeping in the oven during the cleaning cycle. I never have because I enjoy the non-stick seasoned stone that I now have after years of use. Hey they are guaranteed, so return the broken one and get a brand new from your dealer!

Interesting. The Web site recommends using hot water and the scraper that comes with it, and says to avoid using it under the broiler or with a direct flame.

 

[heavyG]

I keep mine, no name - good and heavy & cheap ($5 CDN) in a cabinet beside the oven--> and when the self cleaning cycle goes on the stone goes in. Never had a problem with the stone breaking or my house burning down.

G.

 

[GB]

I keep mine in my (electric) oven at all times Andy. I have run it through the self cleaning cycle every time I have used it (about 4 times maybe). My stone is about 7 years old and so far I have not had a problem.

 

[RPCookin]

btw, we have some friends whose kitchen was burned when their oven caught on fire during the self-cleaning cycle. Makes me nervous about using mine.

That can happen if there is too much debris in the oven when the cycle is run. If you have a major spill, just scoop or chisel the excess out before running the cleaning cycle. The only down side I've ever seen from a self-cleaning oven is that the house is filled with an aroma of burnt food while it's running. It isn't unbearable though, and the odor dissipates quickly once the cycle is finished. I usually run it at bedtime, then clean out the ash in the morning.

I haven't run it with my stone... may have to try it.