Are Large Bar Pans Fragile? A Discussion on Stoneware Durability

[RachelNguyen]

I have had a lot of people say that their large bar pans have broken. One woman was baking brownies in it. Another was doing pork chops (not frozen). I am worried that they aren't as durable as the other stoneware. What do you guys think?

 

[fruit76loop]

I disagreeThe bar pan is my favorite and I use it for everything. I have only had 1 customer that has had a broken bar pan, I have seen many other broken stones.

I don't think the bar pan is weaker than the other stones. Sometimes there are flaws when they fire the stones, this is one of the reasons for the guarantee. Some stones will break the first time you use them because of this.

 

[monica_sweetconsultant]

i personally love our stoneware!! i use my med. par ban for everything and cant wait until next month when i get the large one!!one thing i tell all my customers is when they get there products they need to check ALL of them for damage that way it can be replaced in a timely manner. so far so good

 

[BethCooks4U]

I use my large bar pan ALL the time for everything! I especially like to bake chicken or pork chops on it but I also do desserts and lots of other things with it. Mine is at least 6 years old.

I have not heard of a single one breaking... well, that's not true, one was delivered broken.

The bar pan that I don't use is the medium one. I just never find the right thing to use it for but then our family is getting smaller so soon the large one will be too big and the meduim will be just right!

Oh, that reminds me... was it here (Chef Success) that there was a story about the batter bowls? Papa, mama and baby bowls? The bar pans work with that too.

 

[Chef Kearns]

Not on topic, but...Beth--that is how I introduce most of our products at a party. Rita mentioned it on another thread about the Prep Bowls. "Family" is usually my word of the day. I talk about the family of scrapers, whisks, batter bowls, cutting boards, and so on. I hand out clappers at the beginning of the party and each time I say the word "family" the first one to clap gets a ticket for a drawing at the end of the party (usually the sample of hand soap or lotion).

It is a cute thing because everyone gets a crack out of it. They look at me reaching for different products on the table and get ready to clap. It is amazing how many times I say family, intentionally and unintentionally.

 

[emiley]

It's the shapeHi! It's my understanding that larger pieces are the ones that break more often because of their shape. The large, thin bottoms are more apt to conceal nearly invisible cracks or air bubbles. It's just the nature of the material. You should, however, ask your customers questions regarding exactly what they were doing when it cracked, to find out if they were following the guidelines. Hopefully, they're still under warrantee.

 

[pcjulie]

Medium Bar PanTo Bethcooks4U - I use my Medium Bar Pan for a 9x13 pan of brownies. They come out a little thicker than a 9x13 pan, but the pieces are all square and they come out awesome! I also like it to warm up leftovers for lunch, and I can fit just the right amount of chicken nuggets on it for my 3 kids.

Julie Myer
Denver, PA

 

[hvl25]

i have had my large bar pan for about 5 or 6 years and use it for everything. that pan has been through 2 out of state moves and survived as well....lol i use it for everything from chicken, steak, biscuits, cookies. etc you get the picture

 

[monica_sweetconsultant]

i used my med. bar pan for pork steaks last night and oh my!! i didnt even need a knife to cut it i love that and my DDB!!

 

[chefjules]

I have had a few customers call with broken bar pans. What do they all have in common-they've all used tinfoil to line the bottom!!! I strongly discourage this at all my shows!

 

[jenniferlynne]

My two centsMy large bar pan is also the one I use the most and I have had no problems with it. I do have an interesting story though. The very first stone I bought, like 10 years ago, was a small version of the deep dish baker. I don't remember what it was called, but I think the mini baker has now replaced it. ANYWAY, either I wasn't listening very well at the show, or the consultant didn't go over the stones well and talk about cracks and things. When I got my stone it did have a small hairline crack from one end to the other. So, not knowing anything about this, I used it, and continued to use it for 10 years! By the time I did finally learn about returning things, it was way passed the warrenty. It finally just broke Monday night when I got home from a show. I made the Hot Pizza Dip in it and when I got home and started cleaning it, it broke. Lucky for me it didn't happen in the hosts oven. I have to say, I used this stone A LOT before I got married. It was the perfect size for me and it was very well seasoned. Just thought it was neat how long it lasted even with the crack!