FibraMent is made from a proprietary blend of heat resistant and conductive raw materials approved by NSF International for use in baking ovens.

When measuring your home oven, allow approximately a one inch opening on each side of the stone for proper air movement.

Yes.  The aluminum foil will not alter FibraMent's baking properties.  However, all baking stones are porous and will darken over time.  Additional benefits of using aluminum foil are: thermal shock will be minimized and excess moisture will be prevented from contacting the stone.

Although FibraMent has a 1500°F continuous use operating temperature limit, it cannot be exposed directly to flame.  The flame diverter that comes with our barbecue grill stones must be used.

Quarry tile does not have the heat transfer properties necessary for quality baking.  It is not engineered for baking oven temperature applications.  Quarry tile becomes brittle after it has been heated and does not provide an even bake.

Below is a customer comparing the results of baking on quarry tile and our FibraMent Baking Stone.

No.  Nothing should be placed on the element.  Setting baking stones or pans on the element restricts the heat flow.  This gradually decreases the efficiency of the element until it fails.

Do thicker stones improve baking performance?

Thermal conductivity or heat transfer is independent of thickness.  Baking stones provide direct bottom heat to your food items.  Thickness of the stone does not change the heat transfer rate.

For baking stones to work properly the heat must be conducted evenly.  Some baking stones conduct heat too quickly while other stones conduct heat too slowly.  FibraMent's heat transfer rate is 4.63 Btu.in/hr.sqft.°F tested to ASTM Standard C177-95.  This is the ideal heat transfer rate.

Thicker stones (1", 1 1/2" and 2") are primarily used in commercial ovens where additional strength and recovery times are required.  I've had the same 3/4" thick stone in my home oven for many years and it's still in excellent shape.

Why don't you supply a wire serving rack with your pizza stone?

Baking stones should be left in the oven.  Food bakes at temperatures over 200°F.  FibraMent will stay above 200°F for at least thirty minutes after it's taken out of a 400°F to 500°F oven.  You do not want your food to continue to cook after it is taken out of the oven.  Also, you will probably burn your fingers trying to take a slice of pizza off the hot stone.

Serving the pizza will also become a problem.  You will not harm FibraMent by cutting your pizza directly on the stone but you will dull your cutting instrument very quickly.

Can I leave my baking stone in the oven during the cleaning cycle?

Baking stones are porous and absorb anything that comes in contact with it.  It's best to take the stone out of the oven when it goes through the cleaning cycle.  You can leave the stone in the oven if you prevent any foreign residue from dripping on the stone.

When I baked my last pizza some sauce and cheese spilled onto the stone.  How should I clean it?

Take a dry rag and wipe off as much of the residue as you can.  Use a rubber spatula to remove any stubborn spills.  Be careful not to damage the surface of the stone.

You can also bake-off the heavy spills.  Instead of turning the oven off when you are through baking, turn it up to the highest temperature setting for 60 to 120 minutes.  This will charcoalize the residue spilled onto the stone.

Remember baking stones naturally darken and discolor over time with use.  The grease and toppings that drop on the stone actually improve the baking properties.  This seals the surface of the stone and minimizes the chance of dough sticking to the surface.

This stone has been used several times a week for the last five plus years.

Why is it necessary to predry/temper the stone?

Since baking stones are porous they absorb moisture.  Moisture turns to steam at 212°F.  If the moisture is forced out of the stone too quickly it can develop cracks.  This is why a slow, gradual temperature increase is so important.

Even if we predried the stone at the factory it would pick up moisture during shipment to you.  To ensure there was a nominal amount of moisture in the stone the predrying process would have to be repeated.

When I opened the carton I noticed some chips on the edges.  Should I be concerned?
Due to the inherent nature of the raw materials used in FibraMent, the edges may have some small chips.  These areas do not affect the baking properties of FibraMent.

Some baking stone suppliers state their material absorbs moisture during the baking process.  Is this the case with FibraMent?

Baking stones provide even, direct heat from the bottom of the stone.  Consistent thermal conductivity ensures that the toppings and dough finish baking at the same time.  Baking stones do NOT draw moisture out of the dough.  Rather, good quality baking stones bake through the dough at a even pace.  It's hard to imagine a stone heated up to 600°F can absorb moisture.  Moisture evaporates very quickly at those temperatures.