Is it harmful to heat a whetstone?
I am cooking a pressed apple terrine (a derived version of this one from Raymond Blanc) where I need a weight to put on the apples during cooking. Problem is, the only weight fitting I have that fits the terrine is my whetstone. I wanted to know if the heat could damage it, or if it could be hazardous for my dessert ?
Best Answer
It's probably not a good idea.
If you know your whetstone is natural (Wikipedia) then it should be all right with a food-safe material in between (like baking parchment). Water-stones may well crack unless very well dried, so put the stone in a cold oven and turn on to about 80°C for a couple of hours, then allow to cool before using as a weight.
Most modern whetstones are resin-bonded ceramic and the resin probably can't handle that much heat without problems. The heat could damage the stone, release unpleasant smells from the resin into the food, or even release toxins.
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Quick Answer about "Is it harmful to heat a whetstone?"
Most modern whetstones are resin-bonded ceramic and the resin probably can't handle that much heat without problems. The heat could damage the stone, release unpleasant smells from the resin into the food, or even release toxins.How do you dry a whetstone after use?
After each sharpening session, I simply set my stones on the shelving unit in my garage, and allow them to dry at their own pace. If they were soaked, then I would set either on the side, or at an angle, propped up by another whetstone.How do you straighten a whetstone?
Apply 100-grit, self-adhesive, wet-dry sandpaper and rub the wetted (or oiled) stone over it until flat. Repeat with a few strokes on 400-grit paper to remove any coarse scratches. If you flatten your waterstones every time you sharpen and these stones show little wear, skip the 100-grit step.Do you soak a whetstone in cold or hot water?
Though there is some room for debate on the subject, most people with a lot of knife experience recommend that you soak the whetstone in cold, clean water for about 10 minutes before you begin sharpening.Can a whetstone be used dry?
It's Whetstone (whet: to sharpen). There are no wet or dry stones, just whetstones you use wet or dry.Whetstone Sharpening Mistakes that Most Beginners Make
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Images: Ryutaro Tsukata, Alexey Demidov, jahanzaib, Jesús Silvosa