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pampered chef stoneware

updated wed 22 sep 99

 

Nikki Simmons on sun 12 sep 99

I know we have discussed Pampered Chef Stoneware before but I do not recall
us discussing this:

Today I got suckered into going to one of those parties. So I decided to
check out the stones and a friend who has heard me say my pots are food safe
asked the girl if their stones were food safe. (As you can imagine, she had
a tongue-tied answer--but I really couldn't answer either.)

My question is this: What kinds of things should we be worried about in
unglazed pottery that might not be food safe.

I have decided I have to make me some of these because they are making a
mint. And I recently found out that unglazed stoneware is all my great
grandmother used to cook on.

Nikki Simmons
Russellville, Missouri

Veena Raghavan on sat 18 sep 99

Hi Clayarters,
Will someone please enlighten this ignorant soul about Pampered
Chef Stoneware. What on earth is this? Saw Nikki's post and have been
curious ever since. And.... what are the stones?
Thanks in advance for letting me in on the "secret".
All the best.
Veena

Veena Raghavan
75124.2520@compuserve.com

Cheryl Fisher on sun 19 sep 99

The Pampered Chef Stoneware is not the only thing they have but the
Pampered Chef is like going to a Tupperware Party where food is prepared in
the items. They take orders like Tupperware. People host parties like
Tupperware. I have the Bread and Pizza Baking Stone and have used it once.

"The Pampered Chef Baking Stones will duplicate the effects of a
brick-lined oven, just like the ones used in professional bakeries and
pizza parlors. Our stoneware produces even heat distribution and moisture
absorption so that crusts are crustier and dough is lighter. ...... The
natural stone is fired at temperatures over 2000 degrees fahrenheit. It
will retain heat so that food will remain piping hot after leaving the
oven."

It can be used in the oven but it has a warning that it gets hot in both
oven and microwave so be careful.

You are instructed to wash it in swarm water before using; baking
something with high fat content first; or spraying lightly with vegetable
oil spray or sprinkling cornmeal on the surface. They give you tips and a
few recipes.

Not being Julia Child I don't use it much. I asked for it as a Christmas
present because I thought I'd use it more.

Other than being fired to 2000 degrees it doesn't say exactly of what it's
made.

Cheryl Fisher
Sarasota, FL

Veena Raghavan wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi Clayarters,
> Will someone please enlighten this ignorant soul about Pampered
> Chef Stoneware. What on earth is this? Saw Nikki's post and have been
> curious ever since. And.... what are the stones?
> Thanks in advance for letting me in on the "secret".
> All the best.
> Veena
>
> Veena Raghavan
> 75124.2520@compuserve.com

Sear'nDipPotter on sun 19 sep 99

I am so glad that you asked about this. I was at a Pampered Chef demo and
wondered the same thing. The stoneware must be porous, as you have to spay
it with oil, the first few times of use. Isn't this a place botulism
waiting to happen ? And if not, why not ? I was thinking of trying to throw
my own pizza stone - until I thought more about it.
Anyone know what their stoneware actually is ?

At 04:57 PM 9/18/99 -0400, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi Clayarters,
> Will someone please enlighten this ignorant soul about Pampered
>Chef Stoneware. What on earth is this? Saw Nikki's post and have been
>curious ever since. And.... what are the stones?
> Thanks in advance for letting me in on the "secret".
>All the best.
>Veena
>
>Veena Raghavan
>75124.2520@compuserve.com
>

bowen dickson on mon 20 sep 99

Friend C:
I just finished my weekly bread-baking,so, with a 'splash
of red' on the side...the best surface I've found for baking 'traditional'
loaves[crunchy crust] is a 16x16 kiln shelf.
On the bottom rack/shelf I place a shallow pan 2/3rd's
full of water. On the next rack, the kiln shelf, then turn the oven on to
400f and go on with the loaf making.
Once the oven/shelf have reached temp.,slide out the rack
and shelf,sprinkle shelf with corn-meal/or better,pollenta/ and slide
loaves/rolls/breadsticks off their 'rising boards' on to the hot surface,
and slide back in.
Works for me[ and several friends who like 'dropping by'
on Sunday...to celebrate a small 'kiln opening']
Best regards,Bowen

On Sun, 19 Sep 1999, Cheryl Fisher wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> The Pampered Chef Stoneware is not the only thing they have but the
> Pampered Chef is like going to a Tupperware Party where food is prepared in
> the items. They take orders like Tupperware. People host parties like
> Tupperware. I have the Bread and Pizza Baking Stone and have used it once.
>
> "The Pampered Chef Baking Stones will duplicate the effects of a
> brick-lined oven, just like the ones used in professional bakeries and
> pizza parlors. Our stoneware produces even heat distribution and moisture
> absorption so that crusts are crustier and dough is lighter. ...... The
> natural stone is fired at temperatures over 2000 degrees fahrenheit. It
> will retain heat so that food will remain piping hot after leaving the
> oven."
>
> It can be used in the oven but it has a warning that it gets hot in both
> oven and microwave so be careful.
>
> You are instructed to wash it in swarm water before using; baking
> something with high fat content first; or spraying lightly with vegetable
> oil spray or sprinkling cornmeal on the surface. They give you tips and a
> few recipes.
>
> Not being Julia Child I don't use it much. I asked for it as a Christmas
> present because I thought I'd use it more.
>
> Other than being fired to 2000 degrees it doesn't say exactly of what it's
> made.
>
> Cheryl Fisher
> Sarasota, FL
>
> Veena Raghavan wrote:
>
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > Hi Clayarters,
> > Will someone please enlighten this ignorant soul about Pampered
> > Chef Stoneware. What on earth is this? Saw Nikki's post and have been
> > curious ever since. And.... what are the stones?
> > Thanks in advance for letting me in on the "secret".
> > All the best.
> > Veena
> >
> > Veena Raghavan
> > 75124.2520@compuserve.com
>

John Rodgers on mon 20 sep 99

So far as botulism is concerned, Clostridium botulinum produces it's toxin in
an anaerobic environment...ie, no oxygen present. The toxin procuces dizziness,
double or blurred vision, difficulty in breathing, heart palpitations, and
possible death. The toxin is heat labile, meaning when heated to 212F for 20
minutes the toxin is destroyed.

I would be more concerned with toxins from the likes of Stapylococus. It
produces it's toxin in food particles and is NOT heat labile. Staph poisonis is
one of the most common causes of food poisoning. Good sanitation and food
handling practices should keep Staph poisoning from occuring. Or perhaps there
should be concern about Escherica coli. But that would be only if juices from
raw meat were allowed contact with the porous material, and it is not properly
sanitized by heat and/or chemical wash(water and chlorox)

But if this ware is kept clean, and the stones are kept clean, food particles
washed from them, and they are dried thoroughly before being put away, there
shouldn't be a problem. Bacteria cannot grow unless they have a suitable
environment. That requires food(food particles not removed by washing) and
moisture and the right temperature. And if the ware is dipped in a sanitizing
wash of hot water with a couple of table spoons of chlorox in it.....there
won't be any bacteria alive to cause problems.

If a modern dishwasher is not used, and the old-fashioned Armstrong dishwasher
is, all the cookware, dishware, and utinsels should be put through the
hot-water/chorox sanitizing dip. It will reduce the number of colds in the
household if nothing else.

Just good basic sanitation. Should eliminate lots of problems.

John Rodgers
In New Mexico

Sear'nDipPotter wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I am so glad that you asked about this. I was at a Pampered Chef demo and
> wondered the same thing. The stoneware must be porous, as you have to spay
> it with oil, the first few times of use. Isn't this a place botulism
> waiting to happen ? And if not, why not ? I was thinking of trying to throw
> my own pizza stone - until I thought more about it.
> Anyone know what their stoneware actually is ?
>
> At 04:57 PM 9/18/99 -0400, you wrote:
> >----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> >Hi Clayarters,
> > Will someone please enlighten this ignorant soul about Pampered
> >Chef Stoneware. What on earth is this? Saw Nikki's post and have been
> >curious ever since. And.... what are the stones?
> > Thanks in advance for letting me in on the "secret".
> >All the best.
> >Veena
> >
> >Veena Raghavan
> >75124.2520@compuserve.com
> >

Stephen Mills on mon 20 sep 99

Interesting, I use a 3/4 inch kiln shelf for baking Bread, Pizza etc. in
the oven (not microwave), has to be preheated of course, but it works a
treat.

Steve
Bath
UK


In message , Cheryl Fisher writes
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>The Pampered Chef Stoneware is not the only thing they have but the
>Pampered Chef is like going to a Tupperware Party where food is prepared in
>the items. They take orders like Tupperware. People host parties like
>Tupperware. I have the Bread and Pizza Baking Stone and have used it once.
>
>"The Pampered Chef Baking Stones will duplicate the effects of a
>brick-lined oven, just like the ones used in professional bakeries and
>pizza parlors. Our stoneware produces even heat distribution and moisture
>absorption so that crusts are crustier and dough is lighter. ...... The
>natural stone is fired at temperatures over 2000 degrees fahrenheit. It
>will retain heat so that food will remain piping hot after leaving the
>oven."
>
>It can be used in the oven but it has a warning that it gets hot in both
>oven and microwave so be careful.
>
>You are instructed to wash it in swarm water before using; baking
>something with high fat content first; or spraying lightly with vegetable
>oil spray or sprinkling cornmeal on the surface. They give you tips and a
>few recipes.
>
>Not being Julia Child I don't use it much. I asked for it as a Christmas
>present because I thought I'd use it more.
>
>Other than being fired to 2000 degrees it doesn't say exactly of what it's
>made.
>
>Cheryl Fisher
>Sarasota, FL
>
>Veena Raghavan wrote:
>
>> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>> Hi Clayarters,
>> Will someone please enlighten this ignorant soul about Pampered
>> Chef Stoneware. What on earth is this? Saw Nikki's post and have been
>> curious ever since. And.... what are the stones?
>> Thanks in advance for letting me in on the "secret".
>> All the best.
>> Veena
>>
>> Veena Raghavan
>> 75124.2520@compuserve.com
>

--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
home e-mail: stevemills@mudslinger.demon.co.uk
work e-mail: stevemills@bathpotters.demon.co.uk
own website: http://www.mudslinger.demon.co.uk
BPS website: http://www.bathpotters.demon.co.uk

Kathi LeSueur on tue 21 sep 99

I can't believe that Pampered Chef Stoneware is anything more than a kiln
shelf. All of the pizza stones I've seen look just like something I would use
to fire bisque. But it's a great gimmick.

Kathi LeSueur