Norpro Touch Screen Thermometer, Timer Review

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(More customer reviews)I love this device. I like that it has a touch screen and I find it easy to use. I also like that it has magnets on the back so that I can leave it stuck to the side of the oven. You can set the timer in either minutes and seconds, or hours and minutes. You can set it to a specific temperature so that the alarm will go off when that temp is reached. It goes to a higher temperature (572 degrees) than many other devices, which is one of the reasons I bought it in the first place.
I've had it for a few years now, and I bought it specifically for measuring the temperature of bread while it was still in the oven. I started learning baking using The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread, my favorite beginner's book. When my loaves in the oven were almost done, I'd put the probe in one of the loaves in the oven and set the outside temperature to my desired goal temperature for the inside of the loaf-- in other words, I used it as an alarm for doneness, the same as you would for meat. Of course, I used the timer, too, especially when I had more than one project in my kitchen (I used this in addition to the timer on my stove.)
When I went to baking school, I switched to Advanced Bread and Pastry, a very technical book that certainly stresses the importance of temperature and time. I bought other multi-use thermometers for candy, chocolate, custards, etc. But I still use this occasionally for bread in the oven, to get water to the right temperature before mixing dough, to get the room temp, etc.
ONE CAVEAT:
Sometime within the first year I had this thing, the temperature probe went bad. I called the company and they sent me a new probe free of charge. I've never had a problem since. Their customer service was very easy to deal with.

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Norpro's Touch Screen Thermometer/Timer is easy to use and easy to read the extra large digits.Instant temperature readout during cooking.Perfect for your oven, BBQ, stove top and deep fryer.Oven door or grill cover can close over the high heat resistant 39" sensor cable.Has an extra long alert.The screen displays two temperatures at once:actual temperature, target temperature and time.

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Old Stone Oven Pizza Stone Round Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought two of these, despite their relatively high price. I wanted to be able to cook two large pizzas at once for entertaining, so nobody waits slobbering while others eat their pizza.
I've made pizza twice and have not been disappointed. The stones are fairly soft and would scratch easily with sharp steel implements, so I'd avoid using them. The sone's porosity means it will stain easily. Spilled tomato sauce and cheese will bake right into the surface. I expect my pizza stones will quickly develop a patina. If you want clean looking pizza stones, the maintenance would be nearly impossible. Otherwise, maintenance is easy. Wash in hot water (no soap) and air dry. Use a belt sander or orbital sander if you ever want to renew the surface.
I'm surprised another reviewer received a broken pizza stone. The manufacturer packages these heavy and moderately fragile items very well with lots of corrugated cardboard. Both of mine arrived in perfect condition. They were shipped separately, like apparently everything from Amazon.
The crust is much better than the pizzas I was making in glass pie plates. It's crispy on the bottom and tender in the middle. The toppings are better too, because they are cooked at higher temperatures and have more of a roasted flavor. Before, pizzas cooked at 350 F for 25 minutes. The crust had good flavor but tended to steam under the vegetables and cooked very slowly. Now, I cook pizzas in ten minutes (!) and the crust and toppings are perfect. For entertaining, you could easily bake a pizza in the time it takes to assemble the toppings for the next pizza.
I just received the peel. For the uninitiated, a peel is the flat wooden pizza assembly station used to transfer the pizza to the stone in the oven. So far, I have made four pizzas without the peel and it's frustrating, and possibly dangerous working in a 500 F oven. Get the peel. It's not an option.
A tablespoon of corn meal on the peel and the stone will prevent the dough / crust from sticking.
The pizza stone is requiring a new learning curve, and I'm fairly sure it'll end up being a bit more effort than the pie plates I was using, but the much better pizza will be well worth the little extra effort. The peel and stone make it possible to have gourmet restaurant pizza at home. It's much easier than most people would think, and much less expensive than eating out. With no prior experience, expect 4-5 attempts to work out the tricks. After that, homemade pizza is fast and easy.
Pizza Dough:
1 1/8 cups of warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups bread flour
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl in the order listed. Mix by hand until liquid is absorbed. Use a heavy duty mixer (Kitchenaid, etc.) and a dough hook to knead the dough for ten minutes (highly recommended), or knead by hand on a floured bread board until the dough has a silky sheen (the labor intensive method). Spray with olive oil in the mixing bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise until doubled in size. This takes 20-30 minutes in a 200 F oven (lowest setting) or on the stove top as the oven below is preheating. Makes two 14" pizza crusts.

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A baking stone for home oven use reminiscent of the stone baking ovens of earlier times.Over 30 years ago the Old Stone Oven Company first introduced the baking store for home use and it is still the best.Thicker than other stones available, it has a porosity and heat retention that is perfect for a good crust.The Old Stone Oven Pizza Stone duplicates crispy pizzeria quality pizza - crust and all- in a standard kitchen oven.The Stone can also be used to bake bread, rolls and biscuits giving them a very special texture and quality or as a warming tray to keep waffles, pancakes, fried chicken, etc warm until ready to serve.

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Lodge Pro Logic Cast-Iron 14-Inch Pizza Pan Review

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(More customer reviews)This review is divided into two parts:
1. A short review for those who want quick info
2. A long review for those curious about the ins and outs of this great piece of cookware.
I have also attached photos (see customer images above)SHORT REVIEW
Pros:
*Preseasoned
*Multiple uses
*Makes best pizza ever
*Heats evenly
*Won't stain
*Provides iron in diet
*Easy cleanup
*Made in the USA
Cons:
*It is 11 pounds (Not a con for me, but could be heavy for some)
Bottom Line:
Glad I bought it and would recommend it to anyone interested.LONG REVIEW
What comes in the box:
*Lodge Logic Preseasoned Pizza Pan 16 x 15 x 2.5 (** Cooking surface is 14 inches **), 11 pounds.
*Recipe Card with recipes for: pizza dough, pizza sauce, muffuletta pizza, mushroom & sweet pepper pizza, herb roasted potatoes, & instructions on how to care for your cast iron.
Preseasoned:
Preseasoned is a great thing but realize what it means. It means that it is on its way to being fully seasoned; like 2/3 of the way done. Before you can get that true black cast iron slickness, it still needs one or two more rounds in the oven with Crisco or just cook a pound a bacon on it like I did. Multiple uses:
*Pizza Pan
*Roasting vegetables
*Overall Baking sheet (bake cookies, breads, biscuits, fries, pastries, etc). Please note that flavors can transfer onto the pan so you may have to clean it between different uses.
*Griddle on stove for eggs, bacon, pancakes, burgers, hot dogs and similar items
*Stir Fry (Use it on one burner; the middle gets the hottest and it gets cooler towards the edges, just like a wok!)
*Broiler Plate for the oven
*Shallow roaster
*Tortilla warmer
*Crepe/dosa maker
As a side note I have used this in the oven at 450 degrees without a problem. Just remember that the pan will be extremely hot and any sudden changes in temperature may cause the pan to warp or crack so please be careful. For example, if I took the pan out of a blazing hot oven and ran cold water on it right away, it may bend or break.
Pizza:
It makes the best pizza I have ever had. The pan heats evenly all the way to the center creating a perfect, uniform crust. I sometimes make my own dough but in a pinch I go down to my favorite local pizzeria and buy some dough from them. The pan can make crispy or soft pizza.
Everyone has their own method to making pizza and this is mine:
For crispy pizza:
Place the dough on room temperature Lodge Pro Logic Pizza Pan and put it in a 400 degree oven for 5-8 min. Once the dough starts to get firm, take it out the oven, spread out a half a cup of sauce, and evenly cover with cheese. At this point you can add whatever toppings you like (make sure meat toppings are already cooked). Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until desired crispness. 2 minutes before I pull it from the oven, I add a little more cheese so it is just melted and gives you that string cheese pull like in the commercials. (see customer image above)
For softer pizza, follow the same directions as above without first baking the dough.
I serve & cut the pizza in the pan. Although the pizza does still cook while in the pan, I noticed it basically keeps it warm until the last slice. I use a pizza cutter from the dollar store which will cut the pizza but will not scratch or scrap the seasoning off. If you cut your pizza in the pan, please be careful not to scratch seasoning. If you do, just reseason (see below).
Because it is cast iron, it won't stain like a pizza stone or get those burnt spots like aluminum does. Also, cooking in cast iron provides iron in your diet because the food absorbs some of the iron.
Size:
It makes a pizza big enough for 2 people with a good appetite (assuming they have a side dish) or 3 people with less of an appetite. Sometimes the pizza is so good I can eat the whole thing myself! Normally, I eat about 2/3 of the pie along with a side salad and I am satisfied--I do have a good appetite. If I had a large family, I would definitely consider buying two. Of course for you folks with the large family, try one pan first and then make the decision yourself. (The photos included above do have a US quarter in the picture so you can gauge the size of the pie).
Clean up & Seasoning:
After cooking, take a dry paper towel while the pan is still warm and wipe it down (if it is really dirty use a little water but I never use soap). If you use water, you can reheat the pan to get it dry. After it is clean and dry, spray it with Pam and then wipe away any excess oil. Place pan back in the warm oven or on top of the burner just used. That's it! The residual heat will reseason the pan while the oven/stove is cooling down. Food never sticks using this method. If your seasoning ever comes off, just apply some oil and bake in the oven; repeat as necessary. Be careful not to use too much oil while seasoning or you will get a sticky or gummy residue on it--this should be avoided.
An added bonus is that it is made in the USA by Lodge, so you can buy and use with confidence knowing this product was made here by a company with over 100 years experience in the business. Lodge customer service has always been super helpful and friendly to me.
So in conclusion, this is a great pan that I am sure you will love as much as I do!If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them. I check this post regularly and would love to hear from you!
I hope you found this review helpful. Thanks for reading.


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Cook up delicious homemade pizza with the help of this round cast-iron pizza pan. The unit measures a generous 14 inches in diameter by 1/2 inch deep--large enough for dinner with the family or for appetizers on game night with a group of friends. And thanks to its heavy-duty cast-iron construction, it cooks its contents beautifully, spreading the heat quickly and evenly throughout the bottom and retaining heat in a way that turns out excellently cooked pizza crusts. In addition to pizza, the pan can also be used for making roasted veggies or baking biscuits and cookies. Chefs will also appreciate the pan's large loop side handles that make it easy to transport from the kitchen counter to the oven and back out again.
The pan hails from Lodge's Pro Logic line, which updates the classic Lodge look with contemporary rolled edges and graceful curved lines. Pro Logic items are also pre-seasoned through a proprietary "electrostatic" vegetable-oil spray system. The pre-seasoning process readies the pan for cooking right out of the box, making it far more convenient than old-style cast-iron items that required oil and oven seasoning before use. The timesaving process also generates a nonstick finish that helps preserve the cookware for generations. As with most cast-iron cookware, Lodge recommends hand washing the pan to protect the surface. Made in USA, the seasoned 14-inch pizza pan carries a limited lifetime warranty, and pizza recipes come included.

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