r/AskCulinary • u/PetalbrookMayor • 1d ago
Pizza stone won’t stop smoking Equipment Question
Hello!
My parents recently gave me an old pizza stone they had. I’ve used it a couple times already but I’ve noticed that it smokes once it’s been heated up in the oven.
After researching, I found maybe it had some oils seeped into it and it was recommended that I basically just put it into the oven and let it all smoke out.
However, I’ve been doing that for over an hour on 475° and the pizza stone is still smoking. It’s not a heavy smoke but when I open the oven there’s definitely some smoke that comes out.
What does this mean? Should I just let it go even longer? Or is it done for and I should just buy another one?
Thank you!
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u/SFW_Account__ 1d ago
If it's smoking, something is burning, stone doesn't burn. It won't hurt it to keep it going.
If you have a gas grill it may be a faster solution and smell better.
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u/Next-Project-1450 1d ago edited 1d ago
If they're running the oven at that temperature for hours, it isn't just going to be grease from the pizza stone coming off as smoke - it'll be any grease in the oven.
Chances are, the stone is clear now.
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u/SFW_Account__ 1d ago
OP said specifically the stone was smoking.
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u/Next-Project-1450 1d ago
Not quite.
They said smoke is still coming out when they open the door, and so implied it was the stone.
I'm just saying it might not be the stone at that temperature. The whole oven will be smoking if there's grease in it.
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u/merry2019 1d ago
Most pizza stone manufacturers say not to use soap on it nor fully submerge the stone. Surface residue will come off with salt or baking powder, and anything deeper than that should be burnt out.
If you've already scrubbed the top, I'd let it just burn out.
If you are going to wash it with water and soap, be prepared that it might taste soapy for a while, and let it dry for multiple days before putting it in the over. You can also let it go in the oven on a very low temp at first after drying to be extra safe, like 180, to make sure it's fully dry, before cranking it up.
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1d ago edited 1d ago
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u/AskCulinary-ModTeam 1d ago
Your response has been removed because it does not answer the original question. We are here to respond to specific questions, discussions and broader answers are allowed in our weekly discussions.
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u/sixteenHandles 1d ago
You can’t make it stop. It has to WANT to stop.
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u/bedofhoses 1d ago
It was probably hanging out with pizza rolls and tater tots and they are a bad influence for sure
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u/RebelWithoutAClue 1d ago
If you get your oven hot with no stone in it, does it get smoky?
I conjecture that your oven might also need a cleaning
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1d ago
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u/AskCulinary-ModTeam 1d ago
Your response has been removed because it does not answer the original question. We are here to respond to specific questions, discussions and broader answers are allowed in our weekly discussions.
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u/TwoSillyStrings 1d ago
Genuine question on this topic: A friend suggested running the oven self clean cycle with my pizza stone inside to clean it. That seemed excessive, but would it work?
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u/Caverjen 1d ago
I do not recommend running the self cleaning cycle on your oven unless it's an old oven that doesn't have electronics.
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u/FarFigNewton007 1d ago
Whirlpool has issues with self cleaning. In my experience, it's more like self-destruct cycle. Too much heat for the circuit board and electronics to handle. And I was surprised that there were no parts available for repair. It seems they have parts for a couple of years then move on. Very expensive lesson.
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u/Caverjen 1d ago
I don't think it's unique to whirlpool. We killed our oven many years ago, don't remember what brand. The repairman said it was the most common reason he was called for oven repairs. He recommended never to use it on any oven with electronics.
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u/Buck_Thorn 1d ago
All ovens have issues with self-cleaning. Appliance techs will tell you that most of the problems they're asked to fix on ovens comes from the self-cleaning mode. (talking about the high-temp type of self-cleaning)
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u/JunglyPep 1d ago
Yeah the self cleaning cycle on our newer induction range completely toasted the electronics.
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u/Buck_Thorn 1d ago
that doesn't have electronics.
Don't anyway. I've had two appliance techs tell me that. Self-cleaning is very hard on an oven.
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u/FuzzyMcBitty 1d ago
Why not?
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u/1LittleBirdie 1d ago
Self cleaning ovens produce heavy carbon monoxide. Please don’t attempt. I foolishly did it bc I was afraid of oven cleaner, and then got to evacuate my house for a few hours till my carbon monoxide alarm stopped going off. Stay safe.
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1d ago
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u/Sagisparagus 1d ago
If you wash, be sure to let dry for several days! Otherwise it might explode... depending on its composition
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u/2kittiescatdad 1d ago
I'd just burn the shit out of it for like 4 to 6 hours, if it doesnt change or improve, trash it.
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u/RedMaple007 1d ago
Once there was sufficient buildup I just put it in during the oven self clean cycle. Came out like new every time. Beware of soap as the stone is porous and residues remain in the stone .. just use water. There are many detractors but it's never failed me and I will carry on 👍
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u/Oh__Archie 1d ago
It could just be steam. Those things can hold an enormous amount of water if they ever get submerged. That’s why you’re not supposed to do that.
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u/RoyalClient6610 1d ago
I almost feel like you should just chuck it into your fireplace and let it burn.
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u/williamhobbs01 1d ago
It sounds like your pizza stone might have absorbed some residual oils, food particles, or moisture from previous use. Check also if there's any damage and if non try to clean the stone properly and preheat it to the highest temperature you can safely get—like 475°F or higher (up to 500°F) for 20-30 minutes .
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u/newton302 1d ago
I dumped my pizza stone and am perfectly happy without having to preheat and store it. In the oven, I par bake the pizza on a baking sheet then finish on the bare rack.
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u/Unholyrage619 1d ago
Depending on how clean it was before you used it, there could be dirt that's adhered to it. And if you didn't clean the stone before using it the first time, depending on where the dust is, it would smoke til it's completely burned away. When my stone hasn't been used in awhile, I'll wash it real quick to remov any dust, and then heat it as normal in the oven before placing the pizza on it.
My suggestion...let it cool completely, take it out, wash it with hot soap and water to try and get off anything on the outside surface, top and bottom, and then cook it at 475 for the next 2 hrs...if there's any smoke, it may be from oil they used that seeped into the stone, and you just need to cook the oils out completely, so just leave it til there's no smoke, or barely noticeable smoke. Then you can use it like normal from that point on.
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u/flightist 1d ago
I wouldn’t wash a pizza stone and then put it in a 475 oven unless I had too many pizza stones and wanted an excuse to trash one.
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u/Unholyrage619 1d ago
lol I meant put it in and turn the oven on, like you normally would do...pizza stone into a cold oven, then turn on the heat. Nothing will happen to it, other than it heats up, and the water evaporates off it, and then you let the stone heat thru like you would if you were going to actually be using it
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u/Markblasco 1d ago
This is not necessarily true. If water has seeped into the stone at all, putting it in and turning the oven to a normal temperature can absolutely crack the stone. I know this because of personal experience, and now own 1.8 pizza stones. If you get it wet at all, let it air dry for several days, or put it in a very low temperature oven for a long while. Wet stone changes temperature at a different rate than dry stone, and turning the temperature above low is a great way to figure out where it wants to crack.
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