Well, on a more positive note, reflecting on the fact that there are those amongst us who are very quick to complain about the companies who we feel do not provide good service and/or value (myself included), I would like to share a POSITIVE customer service experience.

Two Christmases ago I received a Pampered Chef 15" round pizza baking stone as a gift. I never got around to trying it out until a few weeks ago, and when I did the &%@$# thing shattered into four pieces while in the oven. I was very upset, especially because it was a fairly expensive piece and one which I would not have purchased for myself. I was pretty sure that there must have been some kind of warranty on the stone, but had no idea where or from whom it had been purchased. I decided to write a letter to the Pampered Chef company, in which I described the damage and explained that I could not provide a receipt. A few days after mailing the letter I went out of town for a month and when I returned I had to leave again the next day and I had to take some equipment with me which had been out on my porch for several weeks. When I went to load the equipment, lo and behold, I found a package tucked in amongst the equipment which had apparently been left by the UPS guy. I opened the package and found a new pizza stone, sent to me by the Pampered Chef company. I was quite pleasantly suprised, and very pleased with Pampered Chef for such a quick, and positive, response. So, if anyone is considering the purchase of kitchen "stuff", you might want to consider Pampered Chef. I can vouch for their customer support.

Now, I wonder why the stone broke in the first place, and before I try the new one, if anyone has any suggestions I am all ears!

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), May 02, 2002

Answers

Hi Elizabeth, I love Pampered Chef stones, they are wonderful. If when you preheated the oven you left the stone in the oven and then put whatever you had planned to bake cold or frozen on top of the hot stone it would cause it to crack or shatter. If you want to bake something that was frozen be sure to leave the stone at room temp. before placing the cold item on it and then place them both into the hot oven. I don't know if this makes sense but maybe you get the general idea?? I love the fact that you don't have to scrub the stones down every time you use them. Just scrape and bake!!

-- J (jjdenton@st-tel.net), May 02, 2002.

My consultant suggested that those canned crescent rolls were a good thing to bake the first time on my stone, because they contain a lot of oil and would season the stone well! It worked, I have to say - refrigerated sugar cookie dough is another one, and if you don't have the recipe for dessert pizza, let me know, it uses the sugar cookie dough for a crust, and is DELICIOUS! I exaggerate not!

The best way to get their stuff is to have a party, by the way. That's what I did, and got my stone for free!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), May 02, 2002.

If your stone had gotten damp that could cause it. The heat expanding the water content could cause it to break.

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

Christine, Could you post that dessert pizza recipe on here?? I have never made a dessert pizza before but baking it on the stone works well?? Thanks.

-- J (jjdenton@st-tel.net), May 02, 2002.

Pampered chef....love their stuff, good service also. Prices are not cheap, but worth every cent. Have used it for years without anyu problems.

Talk to you later.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

I have the pizza stone, the jellyroll stone and the large square cassarole -- and have "retired" my other dishes that used to serve -- I LOVE my stones. DH gulped a few times when he saw the prices, but after the first few meals cooked with them, is as much a convert as I am!!!

I have to say, though, that their kitchen gadgets aren't of similar quality -- the oil spray thingy is hopeless after a week or two of use, and the soap foam dispensers are terrible, too. I have found that anything they make that is 'plasticy' isn't worth it, but the stainless steel stuff (I LOVE my whisk) and the stoneware is wonderful!

-- Tracy (trimmer31@hotmail.com), May 02, 2002.

J, I'll have to find it, but I will certainly post it. I'm leaving town in a couple of hours and will be back Sunday. Look for it either Sunday night or Monday! I'll start a new thread and call it Dessert Pizza!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), May 03, 2002.

Christine-I'll be waiting!!! Thanks a lot.

-- J (jjdenton@st-tel.net), May 03, 2002.

When I went to my first Pampered Chef party, I was so excited, I purchased the kit to become a dealer. My pizza stone broke the first time I tried to use it, my apple peeler, corer, slicer wouldn't peel an apple for anything, the vegetable peeler is definitely right handed, I had one kitchen disaster after another and the paperwork gave me a migraine headache.

Yes, I have a new stone and love it for some things, I did learn how to use the apple thingy and to peel my veggies backwards. I use my egg slicer to slice olives and mushrooms, the heatproof spatula for turning eggs and omelets and I love the instant read thermometer, but I would never give up my cast iron ware to pitch nonstick cookware.

I go to every Pampered Chef party I'm invited to and purchase things I know I will use, but me being a demonstrator would be like watching clowns at the circus, fun for a laugh but do folks really want to purchase clown props?

-- Laura (LadybugWrangler@somewhere.com), May 03, 2002.