> ...I was wondering about unglazed tiles. I know there must be more
> than one person out there who uses them, but I'm a little leery
> about lead in the clay and so forth. Is there a source out there
> for food-grade bricks or tiles? Or is there some way to determine
> the lead content of tiles that are purchased from the local tile
> store? I'm thinking that if I can get the right size ones, I can
> just leave them on the bottom rack all the time - anybody ever
> run into any problems doing this? I would think that it would be
> fine, and in fact might help retain heat.
> Any help, hints or tips would be appreciated - TIA
> Becky
> Windsor, CA
Becky--I wanted to fit a double oven with tiles but didn't want to spend
the money for 4 baking stones, so I bought unglazed floor tiles from Home
Depot. They will even cut the tiles to your specifications (measure your
oven interior and leave a 1" gap on all sides). Unfortunately, their saw
wasn't working that day, so I cut them with a manual tile saw (huff puff).
I, too, was worried about lead in the tiles, but the guy working in that
department was a fellow bread head who assured me that they were safe for
food. I leave them upside down (food drips onto them) in the oven and flip
them over when baking bread on them. They do seem to hold the heat and keep
the oven temperature from fluctuating as much. The only drawback I've found
is that it takes longer for the oven to preheat.