What’s your go-to 14” pizza stone?

Powak

I’m looking to upgrade from my thin 1/3” thick pizza stone to a thicker more decent one for my large. What’s a popular stone on here? Is the BGE one worth it or is there one that’s the same thing on amazon? Maybe one from Tom at the ceramic grill store?

jeffc5227

I use the BGE stone. I got tired of the cheap ones breaking haven't looked back since.

Carolina Q

I bought the 14" BGE stone when I bought my egg in 2009. It's still in great shape. Some years later, I bought a 1/4" piece of steel from a scrap yard. Much preferred for pizza! If you don't have a steel scrap yard, you can buy an official pizza steel for about $90 vs the $12 I paid for mine. Don't know if they still make round ones. Mine is 14"x17" and I use it in my oven.

https://shop.bakingsteel.com/collections/steels

Photo Egg

Powak said:

I’m looking to upgrade from my thin 1/3” thick pizza stone to a thicker more decent one for my large. What’s a popular stone on here? Is the BGE one worth it or is there one that’s the same thing on amazon? Maybe one from Tom at the ceramic grill store?

Are you using an indirect stone, platesetter beneath your cooking stone now?
I remember you posting pizza questions in the past. Just can’t remember your set up.

Photo Egg

Take a look at this 15” stone. Great size for the large.
I have used 4 of their stones for many years with no problems.
https://ceramicgrillstore.com/collections/ceramic-stones-multiple-sizes-bake-pizza-or-set-heat-diffuser-ceramic-kamado-grills/products/15-inch-round-ceramic-stone-for-pizza-or-heat-deflector

SonVolt

My BGE stones are probably the nicest stones I own as far as thickness, finish etc but you pay a hefty price for them. Tom's has more cosmetic flaws (mine feels like it has cornmeal glued to it in various spots) and arrived with pits, but I'm not sure it will affect performance. It was certainly cheaper.

fishlessman

i had a soapstone for years before breaking it at 1200f, this ones twice as thick

https://soapstoneproducts.com/collections/pizza-stones/products/copy-of-soapstone-pizza-stone-1-3-16-thick-6-sizes

Powak

Photo Egg said:

Powak said:

I’m looking to upgrade from my thin 1/3” thick pizza stone to a thicker more decent one for my large. What’s a popular stone on here? Is the BGE one worth it or is there one that’s the same thing on amazon? Maybe one from Tom at the ceramic grill store?

Are you using an indirect stone, platesetter beneath your cooking stone now?
I remember you posting pizza questions in the past. Just can’t remember your set up.

I’ve gotta PSWOO2 with the bge plate setter inside of it, legs up, and regular grate on top of woo. I put the pizza stone on top of all that on the grate.

xfire_ATX

I have a Pampered Chef I have used many times but never more than 450.  If I want to go hotter I use this Lodge CI

https://www.lodgemfg.com/product/cast-iron-baking-pan?sku=P14P3

I use my PS Woo with their oval stone mounted and put the stone or CI piece right on the grate at felt level.

SonVolt

Yep, for high heat I always use my Lodge pizza pan. 

JethroBodeen

CGS.

jtcBoynton

You want a stone that is at least 5/8" thick made of cordierite. Both the BGE and CGS stones meet this.  If you have a good pottery supply store near you, you can get a kiln shelf.  Pizza stones and kiln shelves are the same thing.  Kiln shelves sell for less than an equivalent pizza stone. While you are at the pottery supply store you could also get some kiln shelf posts to use as spacers in the egg.

Hoster05

Buy a pizza steel, much better for cooking pizzas on the egg.  I got one from my local steel fabrication for $35.  16” round, 3/8” thick made of A36 steel.  

Photo Egg

Powak said:

Photo Egg said:

Powak said:

I’m looking to upgrade from my thin 1/3” thick pizza stone to a thicker more decent one for my large. What’s a popular stone on here? Is the BGE one worth it or is there one that’s the same thing on amazon? Maybe one from Tom at the ceramic grill store?

Are you using an indirect stone, platesetter beneath your cooking stone now?
I remember you posting pizza questions in the past. Just can’t remember your set up.

I’ve gotta PSWOO2 with the bge plate setter inside of it, legs up, and regular grate on top of woo. I put the pizza stone on top of all that on the grate.

Excellent, thanks for info.

Carolina Q

Hoster05 said:

Buy a pizza steel, much better for cooking pizzas on the egg.  I got one from my local steel fabrication for $35.  16” round, 3/8” thick made of A36 steel.  

This. Except, IMO, 3/8" is overkill. My 1/4" is fine. My local place sells unused surplus for $1/lb. My steel cost about $12 as I mentioned earlier.

Also works great with the oven/broiler method...
https://slice.seriouseats.com/2012/09/the-pizza-lab-the-baking-steel-delivers.html

Botch

A timely thread, as my last stone was tossed in the trash last weekend.  I don't know what happened to it, it's almost like someone soaked it in motor oil for a week; it's dark, smoke just boiled off of it in the oven a couple months ago (smoke alarm went off and I had to grab my thick gloves and carry the stone outside (and yes I burned my fingers).  Last weekend I heated it up in the Egg, couldn't see smoke rolling off it but after 3 slices of pizza, I dumped the rest into the trash, terrible motor oil taste (along with the stone, once it cooled).  Don't know what happened.  
 
I went to my locally-owned kitchen supply store this afternoon (thankfully they survived Lockdown I) but they didn't have any stones at all (!)  Stopped at the local Bed, Bath, and Behind on the way home; they had two different stones (both -15" dia), one was quite thick as recommended above, but the other one was about as thin as my previous stone (a thin stone heats up quicker, uses less fuel, and as I've never made more than two pizzas at a time, has worked fine for me).  Plus, it was only $14.99, so I went with it.  
 
I bought my Large around ten years ago, about the time I discovered https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1224888/www.pizzamaking.com .  I dove down that rabbit hole with a mighty belly-flop, was eating pizza and taking notes almost constantly, and finally hit a cement-wall burnout.  Hadn't had any pizza since about 2014, save a couple office parties.  I've cooked two recently, at home, but both tasted of motor oil, so it may be awhile before I try again.  
 
Everything, in moderation.     
 

Hoster05

Carolina Q said:

Hoster05 said:

Buy a pizza steel, much better for cooking pizzas on the egg.  I got one from my local steel fabrication for $35.  16” round, 3/8” thick made of A36 steel.  

This. Except, IMO, 3/8" is overkill. My 1/4" is fine. My local place sells unused surplus for $1/lb. My steel cost about $12 as I mentioned earlier.

Also works great with the oven/broiler method...
https://slice.seriouseats.com/2012/09/the-pizza-lab-the-baking-steel-delivers.html

I should have messaged you’d first. I went with 3/8” because that’s what my other one was.  

Powak

Botch said:

A timely thread, as my last stone was tossed in the trash last weekend.  I don't know what happened to it, it's almost like someone soaked it in motor oil for a week; it's dark, smoke just boiled off of it in the oven a couple months ago (smoke alarm went off and I had to grab my thick gloves and carry the stone outside (and yes I burned my fingers).  Last weekend I heated it up in the Egg, couldn't see smoke rolling off it but after 3 slices of pizza, I dumped the rest into the trash, terrible motor oil taste (along with the stone, once it cooled).  Don't know what happened.  
 
I went to my locally-owned kitchen supply store this afternoon (thankfully they survived Lockdown I) but they didn't have any stones at all (!)  Stopped at the local Bed, Bath, and Behind on the way home; they had two different stones (both -15" dia), one was quite thick as recommended above, but the other one was about as thin as my previous stone (a thin stone heats up quicker, uses less fuel, and as I've never made more than two pizzas at a time, has worked fine for me).  Plus, it was only $14.99, so I went with it.  
 
I bought my Large around ten years ago, about the time I discovered https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1224888/www.pizzamaking.com .  I dove down that rabbit hole with a mighty belly-flop, was eating pizza and taking notes almost constantly, and finally hit a cement-wall burnout.  Hadn't had any pizza since about 2014, save a couple office parties.  I've cooked two recently, at home, but both tasted of motor oil, so it may be awhile before I try again.  
 
Everything, in moderation.     
 

Motor oil like burnt bottom? I use the stone as just hot surface for my pizzas screens. Seems to work good. Last night I did order up a thick .75 of an inch 15” kamado Joe stone on amazon for $38. Should do the trick. 

Hoster05

@Carolina Q
did you season your pizza steel you got from your fabricator?  I just picked mine up yesterday.  

Carolina Q

Hoster05 said:

@Carolina Q
did you season your pizza steel you got from your fabricator?  I just picked mine up yesterday.  

As I recall, I just slapped some oil on it and cooked something.

Legume

Carolina Q said:

Hoster05 said:

@Carolina Q
did you season your pizza steel you got from your fabricator?  I just picked mine up yesterday.  

As I recall, I just slapped some oil on it and cooked something.

Motor oil?

strongrad

any reason not to just put the pizza right on an inverted plate setter? 

SonVolt

strongrad said:

any reason not to just put the pizza right on an inverted plate setter? 

You absolutely can do that assuming you're not going for high-heat wood-fired oven style pizza. If you crank your egg up to 700F+ then the platesetter can get too hot and it'll scorch the bottom of the pizza before the top has a chance to cook. That's why a lot of people have resorted to creative multi-stone setups w/air gaps etc. 

TEXASBGE2018

Not exactly the size you asked for but I use 2 of these back to back in my outdoor oven so I effectively can make a 15” by 24” pizza on them. They are around 1/2” thick

jtcBoynton

SonVolt said:

strongrad said:

any reason not to just put the pizza right on an inverted plate setter? 

You absolutely can do that assuming you're not going for high-heat wood-fired oven style pizza. If you crank your egg up to 700F+ then the platesetter can get too hot and it'll scorch the bottom of the pizza before the top has a chance to cook. That's why a lot of people have resorted to creative multi-stone setups w/air gaps etc. 

In addition you need to balance the heat gain from above and below the pizza. Many find they need the pizza closer to the dome to pick up more radiant heat for the top of the pizza than you get just using the plate setter down low.

Tekkamaki

I have a BGE 14 I use now. Getting a pizza steel soon.