New pizza stone arrived cracked - return or keep?

[larry2c]

After burning too many things in our tiny oven I followed the suggestions of many on the forum and ordered a pizza stone from amazon to put in the oven. It arrived today and it is cracked/broken - about 3" all the way across (so now it's a two piece stone). Many have said that they have wrapped their stones in heavy duty aluminum foil because they tend to crack over time.

So my question is this - is it worth the hassle of returning the stone or should I just wrap it and use it?

[Reverse_snowbird]

I'd return it. You may be able to return it at a nearby Kohl's store. Check the Amazon site for how you can return that item. Usually they pay the postage.

[TeachTexas]

Originally Posted by larry2c

After burning too many things in our tiny oven I followed the suggestions of many on the forum and ordered a pizza stone from amazon to put in the oven. It arrived today and it is cracked/broken - about 3" all the way across (so now it's a two piece stone). Many have said that they have wrapped their stones in heavy duty aluminum foil because they tend to crack over time.

So my question is this - is it worth the hassle of returning the stone or should I just wrap it and use it?

Since it was fulfilled by Amazon the return/replace would be free. If you have the box and packing reuse it and get the new one. Sometimes they don't even want it back and will send out new one n/c. Just click on the return box on the order page and follow instructions.

[dalford]

Just wrap it and use it. It most likely will get broken anyway as it bounces down the road. Ours did... still works fine.

[JayArras]

Hey! You paid 30 bucks for the thing, so you should expect it to be in unbroken condition. Amazon makes it easy-peasy to return something for free, so why not call them on it? You may not even need to leave the house. Print a UPS return label and arrange to have them come pick it up. Simple!

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by JayArras

Hey! You paid 30 bucks for the thing, so you should expect it to be in unbroken condition. Amazon makes it easy-peasy to return something for free, so why not call them on it? You may not even need to leave the house. Print a UPS return label and arrange to have them come pick it up. Simple!

Times 2 here, why keep a broken stone. Amazon is good about that stuff. I have had one for years, it still is not broken.

[007matman]

You don't even have to call them. If you're using the app you can go into your order history, start a return, choose replacement, select the reason and you're done.

Easy peasy.

[woo10-210]

Amazon is also known to offer compensation. They may credit you back 50% or so and you get to keep the item. As you said, it's prone to break anyways.

[NJKris]

Return it. When traveling, I would wrap it in bubble wrap or something. Very important thing about pizza stones if you don't want to crack it; Do NOT wash them! The clays will absorb water, then the stone will crack when heated. Use a wire bristle brush to clean off any burnt stuff (try to avoid getting excess cheese or other stuff on the stone in the first place), then maybe a damp rag to wipe off excess dust from brushing. I have had my original 3/4" thick stone for 20 years+. I will be using thinner 'tile' style stones in my RV oven.

[larry2c]

Thanks all - and I'm sort of surprised at the number of return it responses. I know Amazon is good at returns and usually makes it easy. I just don't know that I see the point in going through the exercise, generating another set of cardboard boxes, etc. Since we have no intention of making pizza on this stone (we have a round one for that!) and most folks say they break from the bouncing I'm leaning towards keeping it and maybe asking Amazon for a partial rebate.

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by larry2c

Thanks all - and I'm sort of surprised at the number of return it responses. I know Amazon is good at returns and usually makes it easy. I just don't know that I see the point in going through the exercise, generating another set of cardboard boxes, etc. Since we have no intention of making pizza on this stone (we have a round one for that!) and most folks say they break from the bouncing I'm leaning towards keeping it and maybe asking Amazon for a partial rebate.

No such thing as a partial rebate, they will say send it back, they will pay. At least I never heard of it, they have told me just keep the broken item and sent a new one, depending on cost.

[bob213]

If you have already decided to take the ecology route and save the waste of cardboard to ship a new one what is the sense of asking for opinions? You don't even have to wrap it. Just put the two pieces in the oven a fired it up. Me...I'd want what I payed for.

[woo10-210]

Originally Posted by Witch Doctor

No such thing as a partial rebate, they will say send it back, they will pay. At least I never heard of it, they have told me just keep the broken item and sent a new one, depending on cost.

There was a thread in just the last few days where someone received a small fridge or freezer from Amazon that was dented on a rear corner and Amazon offered to replace it or credit $40. OP took the credit.

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by woo10-210

There was just a thread in the last few days where someone received a small fridge or freezer from Amazon that was dented on a rear corner and Amazon offered to replace it or credit $40. OP took the credit.

I guess that could be it would cost them 40 to ship, not a pizza stone
I don't buy appliances from Amazon.

[NJKris]

I've taken a credit before for slightly damaged goods when the credit made it worthwhile. If he's just using as a heat sink, that would be worth it. I like to bake directly on mine for breads/pizza, so that wouldn't work for me.

[JayArras]

Originally Posted by larry2c

I know Amazon is good at returns and usually makes it easy. I just don't know that I see the point in going through the exercise, generating another set of cardboard boxes, etc.

It sounds like you've already made your decision. You asked if it was worth the "hassle", and you've been given some sound advice. Do what you want.

[sfsgm]

Originally Posted by bob213

If you have already decided to take the ecology route and save the waste of cardboard to ship a new one what is the sense of asking for opinions? You don't even have to wrap it. Just put the two pieces in the oven a fired it up. Me...I'd want what I payed for.

Bob, I was wondering the same thing.

[jimmoore13]

Return or keep? I'll pass on that.

As for preserving it on the road, we have learned to use towels and such as wrapping for things like the glass tray in the microwave, the glass cover on the stove top, and so on. In the case of the glass on the stove top, we put an old towel between the burner grates and the glass with a bit of the towel overflowing onto the counter top.

We also wrap our fragile appliances - e.g. the espresso machine and carafe - in a towel in the storage cabinet.

We boondock exclusively, and we typically travel 10 to 20 miles down rough, washboard gravel roads. The trip is so rough that I frequently have to reassemble parts of the camper that have shaken themselves apart. But no losses of fragile items if they are wrapped.

If the stone is fragile, which it appears to be, wrap it in an old towel and store it on one of the racks in the oven for travel.

As for burning stuff in the oven, I use a steel cookie sheet under, for example, a muffin tin. Makes all the difference for isolating the actual cooking container from the intense heat from the oven burner. And the baking sheet is both indestructible and useful in its own right.

[007matman]

On another note.. do these really help? Sounds like there are a bunch of people in this thread that use them.

I have attempted to make frozen pizzas in the oven with little success.. the crust is black while the toppings are barely warm. What's the trick here with using these ovens? Does the pizza stone help? If so, how do you use it?

Curious minds want to know.

[Chazman]

I would at least start the return process. If they don't know there's an issue with packaging Amazon won't try to fix the problem. As others have said, they may not even want it back anyway....