I bought this at a department store and with the store coupon only spent $9.00 for it. The regular price was $19.99. I have never owned a baking stone before so I can't compare it to other stones. I have used it often for pizza, bread, and foccacia with really good results. The stone comes with a rack, but I don't use it since I leave the stone in the oven and remove the pizza or other baked foods with a pizza peel. I really don't know what the rack is for. Maybe it's just for transporting the stone into and out of the oven after it's cooled down. Don't have a clue. I know someone who used it to remove the blazing hot stone from the oven! I don't think that's a good idea. We bought the stones at the same time, but hers broke after a few uses. Her husband told her it wouldn't last long because she would cut the pizza on the hot stone as well. He said this was basically scoring the stone, and it would probably break either in the oven or when she takes it out as it adjusted to the temperature change. Sure enough, after removing the stone from the oven it cracked as she was setting it on the stove. She was lucky she wasn't burned. Mine is over three years old, and I still have it and continue to use it.

Most of the time, I just leave the stone in the oven on the rack that covers the floor of the oven. If it needs cleaning, I take it out when it cools and scrub it with my nylon bristle brush under hot water.

The product description says that the stone can double as a serving tray and cutting tools won't harm it. This doesn't ring true since it's made of stone which, as we all know, can be cut, chiseled, ground, etc. Also using this as a pizza stone and/or serving tray for just baked pizza isn't practical for reasons mentioned above, and if it's used for pizza, it will be stained and unsightly for use as a serving tray for other items.

I recommend this item for its intended purpose, a baking stone, but not as a multitasking item.

Received this as a Christmas gift, as I had expressed an interest in making pizza from scratch. Today I decided to use it for the first time, to heat up a frozen pizza. Per the instructions, I put the frozen pizza on the room temperature stone before putting in the oven. The instructions had no specific information about how long to to let them sit so I waited about 2 minutes before putting into a preheated 425 degreee F oven. The stone cracked about 3-4 minutes after putting in oven.

I guess if I had to do it again I'd let the pizza sit for 10 - 15 minutes before putting in the oven (even though the pizza instructions tell you not to thaw first), and I might also forego the preheating. Disappointing.

I'm on my second Sassafras pizza stone. The first broke in half after maybe a dozen uses. The second now has distinct cracking after about a half dozen uses. I treat my kitchen tools well, following all care instructions. These are just plain dogs; don't waste your money. The only saving graces are that they're cheap and hence easy to replace, and that they really do help make good pizza.

Purchased new stone to replace orignal (4 yrs. old) which cracked. Old stone had a smooth surface identical to the expensive ones carried by a well known home demonstration company. Wiped clean and never smoked when heating. Tremendously disappointed with new one - same nasty rough surface as the cheapies available anytime, anywhere. The original had the Sassafras company name and Evanston, Illinois stamped on the back...the new one says Made in Taiwan.
You sold out Sassafras and you've lost me as a customer.