Storing Pizza Stone in Oven

Question

I have heard that you can leave a pizza stone in the oven all the time, essentially storing it there. What are the considerations to keep in mind when doing this (type of oven, placement of stone, etc.)? I currently have a gas oven with the element located inside the broiler drawer below. Can I put the stone directly on the bottom of the oven, or should I keep it on the lowest rack? Are there reasons to remove the stone from the oven, if you're cooking certain things?

Answer 1

Actually I do this, and I do it because my oven is old and tempermental.

Adding a heavy heat-sink (like a pizza stone, or a half dozen fire bricks) to your oven will increase your pre-heat time, but it makes your ovens temperature much more stable. It's a good thing to do if you're planning on cooking anything that is really temperature sensitive.

Answer 2

If you're cooking something that is likely to spill over, you might want to remove it. They can be difficult to clean.

Otherwise, just make sure it isn't blocking airflow (possibly a problem with the very bottom of the oven, but depends on the design). I leave mine on the bottom rack all the time...

See also: What are other uses for a pizza stone?

Answer 3

Note that storing a pizza stone in your oven permanently will rack up your energy bill. As Satanicpuppy says, it's a heat sink that you need to heat up every time.

Answer 4

I do this as well. It's a good idea for ovens which have hotspots, or which are small/cheap and may drop too much in temperature when you open the door.

For a gas oven like yours, you want to put a rack in the lowest position and put the stone on the rack. Do not put the stone directly on the bottom metal of the stove; it will get thermal shock from rapid heating and crack. The baking stone will get a lot of carbon on it from food dripping and burning on its surface; turn it over about once every to months to minimize carbon accumulation.