"Baking Steel" - in the UK

[Michael S.]

Hi everyone,

Saw this reviewed on Serious Eats, was interested in purchasing one for myself, but the shipping to the UK is ~$87! Does anyone know of cheap alternatives, or whether we could set up some kind of group buy to get the shipping cost below the cost of the actual product.

http://bakingsteel.com/

[Hassouni]

All i takes is a 1/4 to 1/2 inch sheet of steel. If you can find that locally, you're good to go

[Matthew Grant]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cast-Black-Steel-Baking-Stone/dp/B0001IWYFA

[HungryC]

Cast iron has different thermal properties than steel. Here's a comparison of a CI baking surface vs. a steel baking surface: http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2012/10/the-pizza-lab-baking-steel-lodge-cast-iron-pizza.html

[RobM]

I just bought a piece of steel off eBay for £15, there's plenty of fabrication guys on there who'll happily cut you a piece to size (which allows you to choose the dimensions you want.) When it turns up, give it a really good wash and season, then you're good to go!

[Baselerd]

Just search for local metalworking or machine shops. Give them a call and ask for a 1/4" or 1/2" thick plate of steel in your desired dimensions. I can almost guarantee it will be cheaper than the "Baking Steel." If you want it to have the nice matte finish ask them to bead blast it for you.

[Michael S.]

Just realised I never dropped in a thanks - those are great ideas and I'll be chasing them up soon. Cheers.

[&roid]

I just bought a piece of steel off eBay for £15, there's plenty of fabrication guys on there who'll happily cut you a piece to size (which allows you to choose the dimensions you want.) When it turns up, give it a really good wash and season, then you're good to go!

Hi Rob, could you share a link to who you got this from on ebay? What, specifically did you order? How has it been since you got it?

[&roid]

To answer my own question, I found this place on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/290979602828?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Got two (one's a present) 350mm square 12mm thick steel plates. They were pretty coated with a grubby rusty substance when they arrived but a 24 hour soak in normal vinegar got that off with no effort at all. A good wash in soapy water and an hour or so seasoning in the oven with a thin layer of oil and they were ready to go.

Made my first batch of pizza yesterday and will be posting more about it when I get the pictures sorted, suffice to say they were the best I've ever made. Couldn't be happier with the steel. Especially as each one cost just over £30 delivered, compared to over $200 for the equivalent from bakingsteel.com.

Edited September 21, 2013 by &roid (log)