Why did the pizza stone break!!! I don't understand!?

Question

At my house I have a pizza stone from pampered chef that i use all the time when baking frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets, etc.. I babysit for my aunt and uncle who also have a pampered chef pizza stone. About a year ago I used their pizza stone to set under some frozen lasagna. Midway through cooking I hear something and look in the oven and it is broken into 5 or 6 pieces. Today I was babysitting at their house again and use their pizza stone to bake a frozen pizza and the same thing happened. I didnt preheat the oven or anything so it wasnt a sudden temperature change and i used it exactly how i use mine. I understand how it could've broke while cooking the lasagna, but I dont understand why it would break with the pizza.

Answer 1

I've heard plenty of people complain about the Pampered Chef stones. They are prone to cracking for no obvious reason. There are better stones out there.

Answer 2

its the sudden temp. change in the stone that caused it to break . Thats why you should pre heat an oven when you just turn it on the heating elements in your oven get much hotter than the set temp.very fast in order to heat your oven to the proper degree then they turn off . going on for short times to keep the oven at the set degree.

Answer 3

You cannot set frozen foods on a stone. By not preheating your oven and placing a frozen item on your stone, your stone absorbed all that cold thus cracking when you baked. My recommendation in the future is to preheat your oven. When its ready, take your item out, place on the stone, and insert in the oven. Pampered Chef stoneware are guaranteed so definitely seek out the consultant if you can. Even if you don't have a receipt, if you can remember enough of the details such as consultant name, date of party, hostess name, it should be no problem to look it up.  By the way, PC stoneware are one of the best stoneware because of the quality and because of the guarantee contrary to what was said in another answer. Any stone will crack if not done properly.

Answer 4

Simple, if there's a strong difference in temperature between the frozen thing on top and the heat elsewhere, it'll crack.

Same sort of thing happens when you take a hot glass dish and set it on a counter that's got cold water spilled on it.

Answer 5

The use and care when you get a stone says specifically NOT to use it to sit a frozen dinner on or to use it as a drip tray.  That's why that one broke.  The stones are made of gray clay, one of the best kinds to use.  They are normally excellent quality, but sometimes there is a slight flaw that will cause them to crack during use.  It may show up the first time you are using it, but it may not weaken and give way for years.  All the stones have a 3 year warranty, so if it is within that, call the consultant to have it replaced.  If you can't contact teh consultant you got it from, you may contact me through my profile and I will help you as best I can.  I normally offer a 10% discount for replacement of a product outside of its warranty.