Marble Slab for cooking?

[talberry2]

This is probably a more odd request, but I like to cook and recently I've been wanting to start making tortillas and/or nacho chips. And I'd like have a nice, smooth, flat surface (that can get wet without any issues). Back at home, you could get a square marble slab to do this on. Do they have anything like this in Thailand? Or anything equivalent? If so, where can I find something like this? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks .

[manfredtillmann]

i have noticed something similar to 'ceasar - stone' at my local vietnamese restaurant used as table tops. we are up here in the ultimate sticks so you should be able to get that in civilised areas from a custom kitchen manufacturer.

it won't stain like marble, either.

[talberry2]

i have noticed something similar to 'ceasar - stone' at my local vietnamese restaurant used as table tops. we are up here in the ultimate sticks so you should be able to get that in civilised areas from a custom kitchen manufacturer.

it won't stain like marble, either.

Thanks for the tip! What's a 'ceasar stone' anyway?

[NickJ]

My friend has a well known restaurant in Pattaya and he put a slab of marble in his pizza oven and it works well......I would think the stone would need to be one piece with no faults that have been glued.....

[talberry2]

That would be great, but any ideas where I could find something like this in Bangkok? Or perhaps what company would sell something like this? I just need one about the size of a small table. Something I can make, say, tortillas on.

[manfredtillmann]

i have noticed something similar to 'ceasar - stone' at my local vietnamese restaurant used as table tops. we are up here in the ultimate sticks so you should be able to get that in civilised areas from a custom kitchen manufacturer.

it won't stain like marble, either.

Thanks for the tip! What's a 'ceasar stone' anyway?

http://www.caesarstoneus.com/en/Pages/default.aspx

got the spelling wrong but google found it, anyway

[thaipod]

One of the large tile supply companies like Boonthavorn should have what you want. there are 3 or 4 branches I've seen in Bangkok, they have a huge selection of tiles and marble samples.

[Naam]

don't use marble, use granite!

[talberry2]

Thanks for the responses, folks! Really appreciate the input. I'll look into Boonthavorn tomorrow. Is this like a store? Or one of them suppliers where you must ask them for custom orders when you walk in? Okay I just looked it up online. Unfortunately, I can't find a translate in English for the page--man I really need this Thai language course to start sooner!!!

[joeyg]

don't use marble, use granite!

Exactly. I built several restaurants over the years and never heard of "cooking" on marble. Ovens were "fire brick". Sandstone will also work in some applications. Granite not sure, think it cracks pretty quick from heating and cooling.

Don't you just want a thin flat iron griddle with a handle like they use in Mexico though?

Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Mexican-Origins-Tortilla-PreSeasoned-Cast-Iron/dp/B000JLYQIC/188-8001273-0423816?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

I believe my buddy found one locally at Central or Lotus for making pizza on. If you PM me and remind me I'll check with him...

[Gary A]

We remodeled our house and all the floors are tiled with 60 by 60 centimeter tiles. We had a few left over and the wife had a food preparation table built. The spare tiles are used for the top. I don't know what they are made of but they are very shiny and hard. They seem to be very durable. If 60 by 60 cm is big enough, that is an economical way to go. A tile store would probably give you one as a sample. They are about a half inch thick.

[keeniau96]

I have been using stone in my oven for some years now, also have counter tops. You may use marble for counter tops but it is not good in the oven. The oven stone I use is proper granite, small grained igneous rock with visible silica grains. Get it from typical roadside countertop shop with many various stone tops on display. Measure your size and go to the shop, they will cut to your size for free or no more than 100 baht. The granite for oven I buy is the standard piece typically used for floor or wall surface, cost about 200 baht per piece.

[manarak]

don't use marble, use granite!

Exactly. I built several restaurants over the years and never heard of "cooking" on marble. Ovens were "fire brick". Sandstone will also work in some applications. Granite not sure, think it cracks pretty quick from heating and cooling.

Don't you just want a thin flat iron griddle with a handle like they use in Mexico though?

Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Mexican-Origins-Tortilla-PreSeasoned-Cast-Iron/dp/B000JLYQIC/188-8001273-0423816?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

I believe my buddy found one locally at Central or Lotus for making pizza on. If you PM me and remind me I'll check with him...

marble in general is a poor choice of material for cooking because it is porous and a somewhat friable, so it lets water in and stains easily, in addition to being a potential bacteria breeding ground.

There are slabs of marble that are specially treated to augment their stability and impermeability and these are also sold as "steak stones".

well-formed granite is one of the hardest natural stones, well suited for any domestic use.

another good material is basalt, widely used for cooking stones. I think basalt is what people call "lava stone".

a basalt cooking stone will look more Asian and classy than a granit stone.

[talberry2]

don't use marble, use granite!

Exactly. I built several restaurants over the years and never heard of "cooking" on marble. Ovens were "fire brick". Sandstone will also work in some applications. Granite not sure, think it cracks pretty quick from heating and cooling.

Don't you just want a thin flat iron griddle with a handle like they use in Mexico though?

Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Mexican-Origins-Tortilla-PreSeasoned-Cast-Iron/dp/B000JLYQIC/188-8001273-0423816?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

I believe my buddy found one locally at Central or Lotus for making pizza on. If you PM me and remind me I'll check with him...

marble in general is a poor choice of material for cooking because it is porous and a somewhat friable, so it lets water in and stains easily, in addition to being a potential bacteria breeding ground.

There are slabs of marble that are specially treated to augment their stability and impermeability and these are also sold as "steak stones".

well-formed granite is one of the hardest natural stones, well suited for any domestic use.

another good material is basalt, widely used for cooking stones. I think basalt is what people call "lava stone".

a basalt cooking stone will look more Asian and classy than a granit stone.

So I guess I should clarify more. This stone is not one that I am going to use in the oven. It will be more like a 'cutting board'. I want a nice, flat, smooth surface that I can use to do things like kneading dough. Or rolling out tortillas, etc. I don't have the space to make a whole kitchen counter, so I was planning to simply get a slab of granite or other (that is glossy and non-porous), but after visiting the store...these things are simply too heavy. Even the small 30X60 are dangerously heavy. If I were to take them out and put them on the table to use as a prep surface, in the event I dropped it, it could crush my toes. So perhaps I need to get something else. Any ideas?

[manfredtillmann]

thb 120 from the local market...

[talberry2]

Thats not a smooth surface. It's made of wood, which means if I decide to cut anything on it that is wet, it will be absorbed into that...and that's what I don't want. I should have also added it needs to be made of something that will be easily cleaned and does not absorb or take in liquid (so as to become unsanitary after so many uses...). Thanks though

[manfredtillmann]

Thats not a smooth surface. It's made of wood, which means if I decide to cut anything on it that is wet, it will be absorbed into that...and that's what I don't want. Thanks though

nfw

has done everything for me so far.

[talberry2]

Thats not a smooth surface. It's made of wood, which means if I decide to cut anything on it that is wet, it will be absorbed into that...and that's what I don't want. Thanks though

nfw

has done everything for me so far.

Have you made tortillas on this, by chance?

[manarak]

don't use marble, use granite!

Exactly. I built several restaurants over the years and never heard of "cooking" on marble. Ovens were "fire brick". Sandstone will also work in some applications. Granite not sure, think it cracks pretty quick from heating and cooling.

Don't you just want a thin flat iron griddle with a handle like they use in Mexico though?

Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Mexican-Origins-Tortilla-PreSeasoned-Cast-Iron/dp/B000JLYQIC/188-8001273-0423816?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

I believe my buddy found one locally at Central or Lotus for making pizza on. If you PM me and remind me I'll check with him...

marble in general is a poor choice of material for cooking because it is porous and a somewhat friable, so it lets water in and stains easily, in addition to being a potential bacteria breeding ground.

There are slabs of marble that are specially treated to augment their stability and impermeability and these are also sold as "steak stones".

well-formed granite is one of the hardest natural stones, well suited for any domestic use.

another good material is basalt, widely used for cooking stones. I think basalt is what people call "lava stone".

a basalt cooking stone will look more Asian and classy than a granit stone.

So I guess I should clarify more. This stone is not one that I am going to use in the oven. It will be more like a 'cutting board'. I want a nice, flat, smooth surface that I can use to do things like kneading dough. Or rolling out tortillas, etc. I don't have the space to make a whole kitchen counter, so I was planning to simply get a slab of granite or other (that is glossy and non-porous), but after visiting the store...these things are simply too heavy. Even the small 30X60 are dangerously heavy. If I were to take them out and put them on the table to use as a prep surface, in the event I dropped it, it could crush my toes. So perhaps I need to get something else. Any ideas?

Then I suggest you buy a large plastic tray for kneading and a separate plastic cutting board.

[Bantex]

Marble and Granite will break if heated and cooked quickly. To use these or other stones, put the stone in the oven and heat slowly from cold and when finished with leave in the oven, close the oven door and allow to cool naturally.

Pizza makers use soapstone. Check out www.bbqthai.com for 13 inch pizza stones 2,900 baht delivered, they are on Sukhumvit 39.

A good and cheap alternative is to use unglazed quarry stone tiles. Set them side by side to size you want.

All oven stones are porous and will absorb liquid including detergent so just wipe over with damp cloth.

Personally I use the unglazed tiles and lightly rub over with olive oil before use.

[seajae]

wife does all her dough work on the granite top on the island bench, she loves it and it is easy to keep clean, luckily granite is not all that expensive in Thailand and can be bought in various sizes.

[manfredtillmann]

Thats not a smooth surface. It's made of wood, which means if I decide to cut anything on it that is wet, it will be absorbed into that...and that's what I don't want. Thanks though

nfw

has done everything for me so far.

Have you made tortillas on this, by chance?

i don't.

[blackcab]

If I were to take them out and put them on the table to use as a prep surface, in the event I dropped it, it could crush my toes. So perhaps I need to get something else. Any ideas?

Safety boots.