Pampered Chef

[SizzlininIN]

Since the stones cost so much and the price of shipping to turn in a defective product is also high..... I wonder if there are any stones sold at stores that any of you would recommend? I was thinking that if the warranty covered defects and the shipping was covered by pampered chef then the stone would be worth it but now I'm torn

 

[Callisto in NC]

I didn't find cooking on stone all that great. I don't think it's the be all end all of cooking. They are heavy and hard to remove from the oven even with handles. There's also no edge on the flats so the grease and juices run right off the sides. I just think there's much better products out there.

 

[kitchenelf]

Since the stones cost so much and the price of shipping to turn in a defective product is also high..... I wonder if there are any stones sold at stores that any of you would recommend? I was thinking that if the warranty covered defects and the shipping was covered by pampered chef then the stone would be worth it but now I'm torn

Sizzlin - I have MANY of their stones. The thing I find about other stones is they are not near as sturdy. PC is the sturdiest I have found so far. With proper use your stone will last forever. You will get some directions with them I'm sure. I remember one person asked the PC rep how to clean them and she said "pour boiling water on them and scrape" - well, I had to speak up! LOL

To season them you cook really grasy stuff the first several times - crescent rolls, one of our favorites was pigs in a blanket, etc. And yes, they are flat, so you can't really make bbq chicken or anything on them. Get the square or the rectagular casserole dish for that. Those are some of my favs too.

I love the white rubber scrapers, the bamboo spoons, there's a small salsa wooden spoon that I use a lot...lots of stuff that is good. They have one of the best garlic presses there is.

 

[elaine l]

I have two stones. One is Pampered Chef and the other is one I got as a gift from Crate and Barrel. Both work the same.

 

[DaveSoMD]

I never bought because they are way too expensive. I have gotten some of their items as gifts. The bag-clips, worthless, buy some binder clips or someting at the dollar store. The pan scrapper, don't waste you $, you get the same results with hot water and a wooden spoon. I have the sliding measuring cup and that is great for things like peanut butter or honey becasue you puch it all out like a plunger. Some of their spice blends are okay.

 

[babetoo]

I didn't find cooking on stone all that great. I don't think it's the be all end all of cooking. They are heavy and hard to remove from the oven even with handles. There's also no edge on the flats so the grease and juices run right off the sides. I just think there's much better products out there.

some times i think we get caught up in the gadgets. spend the time on the food, i say. my grandmother cooked very large meals for ten people three times a day. perfect bus quits, pork chops , cakes pies, and good old farm vegs. she cooked to many things to list here.

she worked her miracles on a wood stove. nary a gadget to be seen.

babe

 

[Chico Buller]

some times i think we get caught up in the gadgets.

And this is a two-way street. When a client sees something on a cooking show, they want it--usually right now.

During the latest "santuko frenzy," when a client wanted to cut something, this is what they asked for. They would become troubled that a "real one" might cost over two hundred dollars, and a few costing many times more.

Having said that, they were equally miffed if a $39.00 special santuko went dull after a week. Or required special tools to repair. Or if the tool cost more than the knife. Or if the edge on the cheapie was as good as it was going to get.

For this type of client, I recommended a PC santuko for about 80 bucks and tax. It cut better than average. It had an ergo handle. With a bit of tinkers' voodoo, I could get it scary sharp, and none were ever returned.

Yes, I had to go over the edges and true them up. However, when completed, they were worth the effort.

 

[kitchenelf]

some times i think we get caught up in the gadgets. spend the time on the food, i say. my grandmother cooked very large meals for ten people three times a day. perfect bus quits, pork chops , cakes pies, and good old farm vegs. she cooked to many things to list here.

she worked her miracles on a wood stove. nary a gadget to be seen.

babe

You don't drive a school bus that broke down today, do you? Oh, sorry, but I'm still crying here, wiping away the tears as I type.

I wouldn't consider a stone a "gadget". Just like cast iron, if treated properly, they last a lifetime. You have to know how to use them. Surely one wouldn't expect to cook something with run-off grease and not have issues. That's not what the flat stones are for. There are other stones to cook things like that in. Or just another pan altogether. I love the stones because they are so very easy to clean up, no matter what. I just baked a rustic-type blueberry and cherry cobbler on a stone and the juices ran and became this solidified, burned on, candy mess. Within a few minutes of soaking in water it came right off. And no, it's not the be all and end all of cooking - but they sure are easy to use, very even cooking with nothing burning on the bottom like conventional cookie sheets/pans, and cleanup is a breeze!

There are tools, invented in these later years, that are very useful. There are those that are not. One must know how to use them in order to make them useful.

Of course people have cooked for thousands and thousands of years with what was available at the time. But if your grandmother had to slice a LOT of cucumber, or potatoes, or something like that, you can't tell me she wouldn't have been thrilled to have had a mandolin!!!

 

[B'sgirl]

I really like my PC garlic press. I've never really tried any other kind though, but it's durable and dishwasher-safe and it works great for me. I also have a PC measuring cup that holds 2 cups of "stuff". It has a cup inserted with a clear edge around it. You push the inner part up and it scrapes the sides clean so you don't have the shortening or peanut butter mess. I'm having a hard time describing it and I can't find a picture. Maybe I'll post one if it's something you are interested in.

My mom has the apple slicer and it works really well too. I really like my orange peeler but it's not anything special. I just like having one.

 

[SizzlininIN]

Thanks everyone for your input. No I too don't consider a stone a gadget. I'm mainly interested in the stone to bake pizzas. I want to start really trying to get the whole homemade crust thing down and I think I'll get better results baking it on stone vs a pizza pan.

I've made up my mind.....I'm buying the pizza stone from PC. And I think I'll pick up the garlic press too. Thanks again everyone!

 

[DaveSoMD]

You will love homemade pizza. I have a stone, not PC, and I love it. I make pizza usually every weekend.

 

[Mrs. Cuillo]

I love their utensils, absolutely, it's just the flat stones that I think are over rated.

Ditto on that!!! I have only been given Pampered Chef things as they are very expensive. I am not fond of the Stoneware and I have several. The pizza crust doesn't seem to cook all the way through when I use the Pizza Round and I tried baking cookies on the bigger rectangularstone and they just didn't bake well. Every once and a while I try them out again but don't seem to have anything good come out of it. The one that I DO like is the small oval casserole dish. I make baked ravioli in it and they taste wonderful.
The utensils on the otherhand I do like. I have several whisks, the peeler, some spatulas and other things and they are great. Very sturdy and durable.
I hope you have fun at the party though...at the very least, you will have a great time with some friends and family!

 

[GotGarlic]

I really like my PC garlic press. I've never really tried any other kind though, but it's durable and dishwasher-safe and it works great for me. I also have a PC measuring cup that holds 2 cups of "stuff". It has a cup inserted with a clear edge around it. You push the inner part up and it scrapes the sides clean so you don't have the shortening or peanut butter mess. I'm having a hard time describing it and I can't find a picture. Maybe I'll post one if it's something you are interested in.

It's like an ice cream push-up. I have one, too, and it's great for measuring those kinds of sticky things that are hard to get in and out of regular measuring cups.

 

[GotGarlic]

Thanks everyone for your input. No I too don't consider a stone a gadget. I'm mainly interested in the stone to bake pizzas. I want to start really trying to get the whole homemade crust thing down and I think I'll get better results baking it on stone vs a pizza pan.

I've made up my mind.....I'm buying the pizza stone from PC. And I think I'll pick up the garlic press too. Thanks again everyone!

Well, if pizza is your goal, look no further for the easiest, best pizza dough recipe you will ever find, afaik

No Knead Pizza Dough: Pear and Gorgonzola Flatbread with Baby Arugula and Shaved Parmesan | Jaden's Steamy Kitchen

 

[GotGarlic]

Ditto on that!!! I have only been given Pampered Chef things as they are very expensive. I am not fond of the Stoneware and I have several. The pizza crust doesn't seem to cook all the way through when I use the Pizza Round and I tried baking cookies on the bigger rectangular stone and they just didn't bake well. Every once and a while I try them out again but don't seem to have anything good come out of it. The one that I DO like is the small oval casserole dish. I make baked ravioli in it and they taste wonderful.
The utensils on the otherhand I do like. I have several whisks, the peeler, some spatulas and other things and they are great. Very sturdy and durable.
I hope you have fun at the party though...at the very least, you will have a great time with some friends and family!

That's very odd. I have a round stone I got at least 10 years ago and have never had any problems like you describe.

 

[jabbur]

I make pizza on my stones just fine. I haven't done it this way before but I understand you can preheat the stone and slide you pizza on it like they do in the pizzarias. You need that paddle thingy (can't think of the name of it right now) to do it but I hear you can get take-out pizza crust at home doing it this way. Oh and the oven needs to be really hot 450 deg. I usually roll out my dough on a room temp stone, top it with our faves and cheese and pop it in the hot oven. I agree about the utensils being sturdy. I have 2 whisks, several of the silcone spatulas, and 2 of the big stainless cooking spatulas. They are all great and I would definitely get them again.

 

[SizzlininIN]

That's very odd. I have a round stone I got at least 10 years ago and have never had any problems like you describe.

Yummmmmm....thanks! I'm gonna go look for that cookbook too.

 

[Callisto in NC]

That's very odd. I have a round stone I got at least 10 years ago and have never had any problems like you describe.

My problem could be that I followed my SIL's directions on using it and cleaning it. Maybe she didn't give them to me right OR maybe the quality has deteriorated in recent years. Mine is only a year old and I hate it. She recently suggested oven cleaner, she used to be a PC consultant. I guess it can't hurt because right now it's just a round paperweight.

 

[DaveSoMD]

.... She recently suggested oven cleaner...

I would not try that. Since the stones are porous it will absorb the cleaner and the chemicals and at the point you might as well chuck it in the trash. I found this running a Google Search for ' cleaning pizza stones' , hope it helps.

Questions and Answers - Cleaning Pizza Stones

 

[DaveSoMD]

...I haven't done it this way before but I understand you can preheat the stone and slide you pizza on it like they do in the pizzarias....

Here is how I do it: In a cold oven, I put my oven rack on the lowest setting, put the stone on it and then set the oven to 450 degrees and wait 1 hour. Then make your pizza and slide it onto the stone. It only takes mine about 9-11 minutes to cook, depending on how thick I makes the crust.

You need that paddle thingy (can't think of the name of it right now) to do it but I hear you can get take-out pizza crust at home doing it this way. ...

It is called a pizza peal. Dust the peal with corn meal and make the pizza on the peal. Just check to be sure it is loose and will slide before you try and slide it off the peal onto the stone.