FAQs
Got questions? Take a look at some of the most common things people ask us.
What are Cast Elegance pizza stones made of?
Our pizza stones are crafted using a high-quality, proprietary mix of naturally occurring minerals including cordierite—meaning, the same minerals that make up everyday stones. Cordierite is often associated with pelitic rock formations and is also found in granite magmas and a host of other geological formations. In other words: It’s an actual stone!
We use it in our product because of its superior durability in high-heat situations such as kilns, high-end and professional brick ovens, and—of course—pizza stones. It’s also incredibly tough and long-lasting, plus is certified safe for food use by the USDA, the EU, ROHS testing, and German LFGB testing.
What is Thermarite?
Thermarite is our copyrighted name for the proprietary formulation we use to make our pizza stones.
Our formulation is a premium-quality mineral blend developed over years of R&D. It is fired at extreme temperatures to give Thermarite exceptional performance as well as extreme durability. We’ve actually tested the stone by heating it in an open campfire and then plunging it into a snowbank—and it still did not crack or break. (p.s. Don’t try this at home!)
I've never cooked on a pizza stone before. How do I get started?
With every purchase, we email a 17-page e-book with easy-to-make recipes.
Do read the Care and Use Insert carefully, as it includes directions and steps such as:
• A wet or cold stone will not work
• If your stone gets wet, dry it in the oven at 500F° for 60 minutes before using
• Always preheat the stone for 30 minutes before putting food on it
• Never wash with soap or any chemicals
• Never put your stone in the dishwasher
I’ve had pizza stones break before. How can I be sure this one won't break?
First off, we make sure your Cast Elegance pizza stone arrives in perfect condition. We double-box it for safe shipping, encasing it in tight-fitting foam for the trip.
And once your pizza stone arrives, its ultra-strong Thermarite content ensures years of reliable service. That’s because we use a better grade of cordierite than other pizza stones, plus have crafted a proprietary mix adding other minerals that ensure a higher level of performance in every way.
How do I keep my pizza from sticking to the stone?
There are some simple ways to keep your dough or frozen crust from sticking to your pizza stone.
• If you washed or soaked your stone in water to clean it, bake it at 350°F for an hour and allow all steam to evaporate. Our pizza stones are very absorbent, so if there is any residual moisture from cleaning, it will “steam” your pizza and make dough stick to the stone.
• Make sure your stone is hot before putting pizza on it. Modern ovens take about 15 minutes to preheat to 425°F, but the stone itself will take an additional 20 to 30 minutes to reach 425°F (the temperature that gives best results for most take-and-bake pizzas).
• If you are cooking on a grill, let the stone heat up for at least 30 minutes before using it.
• If you are making a pizza from scratch, keep in mind that some dough has a high moisture content, especially pre-made dough. The trick to prevent sticking is to have well-floured dough and to roll it out on a heavily floured surface until the dough slides easily on the counter
• You can also liberally dust the hot pizza stone with cornmeal before you add your pizza, or use parchment paper.
Can I cut the pizza right on the stone?
Yes! You can cut and serve the pizza directly from the stone—the bonus is, our stones keep pizza warm for a long time, ensuring crisp pizza for the entire meal.
How do I transfer an unbaked pizza to my stone?
Make sure your preheated stone is positioned safely in your oven or grill. Slide your pizza directly onto the hot surface to ensure the crispiest crust.
• When making a from-scratch pizza, dust the counter with enough flour so that the bottom of the pizza does not stick to the counter. If you can slide it around on the counter, then it will easily slide onto the hot pizza stone.
• You can use a piece of stiff cardboard, the bottom of a pizza box, a cookie sheet, parchment paper, a pizza peel, wide spatula or other tools to guide your pizza onto your stone.
Can I use my pizza stone if I’m using homemade, uncooked or defrosted pizza dough?
Yes! You’ll get great results using raw dough—the most important thing to keep in mind is to make sure your raw dough has been well floured to where it easily slides to prevent sticking. Also be sure to heat your pizza stone for a minimum of 30 minutes after your oven or grill has reached its desired temperature. See the recipes in your e-book for more tips.
What's the maximum temperature a Cast Elegance pizza stone can handle?
Our pizza stones are made from a premium, proprietary blend of cordierite that will withstand temperatures above 1400°F. We crafted your stone in a refracting oven at temperatures over 1800°F. It’s designed to withstand the intense heat of a pizza grill, a professional pizza oven, a gas grill, pellet grill, or even a Big Green Egg or a Kamado Grill—we’ve even used ours over a roaring campfire.
How large does my oven need to be to use a Cast Elegance pizza stone?
Our stones are sized to fit into average household (not custom) ovens with room to spare.
Is my pizza stone safe to use in all ovens or grills?
Cast Elegance stones are made from a premium proprietary material that will withstand temperatures above 1400°F, crafted in a refracting oven at temperatures over 1800°F. So it can withstand the intense heat of a blazing pizza grill, a professional pizza oven, a Big Green Egg, or a Kamado Grill. We’ve tested our stones in electric ovens, gas ovens, a pellet grill, a charcoal grill (lump and briquette), and even over a campfire.
We also have customers who cook their pizzas over wood fires; one of our customers even regularly uses his stone in a special pizza oven at 700°F! Given this range of use, we can confidently say that our pizza stones work great in any household oven or grill.
Can I use my pizza stone in an electric oven?
Our stones are most often purchased to use in an electric oven, and are designed to recreate the cooking effect of the wood-fired pizza ovens that professional use. The stone itself was manufactured at temperatures of well over 1800°F and can easily withstand the heat of a home electric oven.
Can I use my pizza stone in a Big Green Egg?
Absolutely! We engineered our pizza stones to work on both gas and charcoal grills. Our stones are also great to use on a grill for camping and picnics when an oven is not available. You can even use it to grill other dishes to take advantage of its high heat retention, plus the smokey taste created by a Big Green Egg adds an extra kick of flavor.
How do I cook a Papa Murphy’s pizza on a pizza stone?
First, be sure to preheat your pizza stone properly. Modern ovens take about 15 minutes to preheat to 425°F, but the stone itself will take an additional 20 to 30 minutes before it gets to the 425°F recommended by Papa Murphy’s for their take-and-bake pizzas. If you are cooking on a grill, let the stone heat up for at least 30 minutes before using it.
Papa Murphy’s pizza has a sticky dough that is made directly on a white heat-resistant, disposable tray. For best results, we suggest you leave the pizza on the white Papa Murphy’s tray, placing the tray and pizza directly on the pizza stone.
Check on the dough after 6 to 8 minutes and use an ordinary spatula to separate the pizza from the white tray by turning the tray and running the spatula around the edge. If it does not separate, place back in the oven for a few more minutes and try again.
Once your pizza is loose on the white tray, tip the tray and slide pizza onto the stone, removing the white tray altogether. Continue baking for 4 to 6 minutes more until brown on top and crisp on the bottom.
Can I use my pizza stone in KettlePizza ovens, which have temps over 700°F plus an open flame?
Our pizza stone is rated in the specifications to a working temperature of 800°C, which is 1472°F.
Please note: not all cordierite stones will withstand these temperatures. We conduct ongoing testing on our pizza stones, and they have survived our most extreme abuse. We would appreciate your feedback on its performance in this oven.
What size pizza stone should I get?
Measure the shortest side of our oven rack. Racks that measure larger than 16" will fit all three of our stones. Racks that measure 16" or under will fit our 14" round and 14" x 16" rectangular stones.