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The amazing Emile Henry Pizza Stone

Homemade whole wheat crust topped 

with a cherry tomato marinara, mozzarella and fresh rosemary

Homemade whole wheat crust topped 

with a cherry tomato marinara, mozzarella, parmesan and garlic

I had been buying about three pizza stones a year because they crack down the middle. Giant, end-of-the-world-earthquake-style cracks. 

I would buy an inexpensive stone and leave it on the oven's floor to maintain the oven's heat. This probably dried the stone out, causing the crack. Of course, I also used the stone to cook pizza (sometimes cheating and buying the dough) or calzone. 

I was right to have high hopes for the Emile Henry Pizza Stone, and not just because it is red and the sweetest stone I’ve ever seen. Glazed, with handles to easily transport it, the stone can be used on the grill or in the oven (bake or broil.) The glazed surface won't scratch if you slice the pizza right on the stone and it can be washed with soap and water. The website says it can be placed in the dishwasher, but I’ll vote for washing it by hand to help protect it.

I did a little jig after baking two, thin-crust pizzas on this stone. While I put cornmeal on the pizza peel to transport the pizza without everything sticking together, I didn't have to put any cornmeal on the stone. The pizza slid right off of the stone with considerably less mess than I usually have after baking a pizza. That is to say, no mess. And those hard, black spots from burn cheese that melted off the pizza and landed on the stone? They washed right off off the stone.

Obvious, yet important, warning: As you'd expect, the stone's handles were very, very hot when we took the stone and second pizza out of the oven to try slicing the pizza directly on the stone. 

This stone would make a lovely platter on the table and keep food warm, too. I’m thinking of baked appetizers for a dinner party… who’s in?

Full Disclosure: I received the stone for review from Emile Henry (thank you!); I was not compensated for this post. All opinions here are entirely my own.