is this stone made of a terra cotta-like ceramic, or is it closer to a natural stone, like marble?
1762825
It is definitely stone, but is more porous than marble. It works marvelously, retaining heat long after use. However, you need to follow the safety and cleaning instructions. The stone is very dense and heavier than it looks. Certain foods are more difficult to clean off the stone after use and may stain. Soaps are not recommended, as the stone is porous. If you feel it is necessary to tackle any staining, there are likely safe, non-soap alternatives out there (perhaps, baking soda and vinegar?), but I have NOT attempted any cleaning myself, except scrubbing with hot water. I DEFINITELY recommend purchasing the stone, as it does what it does perfectly. One of my favorite uses is to reheat leftover pizza and sandwiches. The soggy or even greasy dough crisps up and there is less opportunity to burn or dry out the rest of the dish.
1762826
It's more like a natural stone - like the Pampered Chef stoneware you've seen. It is not shiny like ceramic - it is porous
1762827
It is a high fire ceramic similar to porcelain. It is not stone. It is porous.
1509685
Rigid. There is only a very slight bend to it. It's not like a solid piece of marble... not that hard, but I'd categorize it as rigid.
1086257
No, not Carrera. It is a white marble with almost quartz-type flecks. Some call it Chinese white marble due to the quantity coming from China now. It doesn't have the distinct gray veining of Carrera but it's just as beautiful, in my opinion.
953741
Neither. It's wood. Don't know where people are getting the idea that it's stone from. It's wood with a laminate faux marble pattern and a thick clear coat sealant over the laminate. It's definitely heavy, but it is not stone. Way too light to be stone.EDIT: Even according to Coaster Furniture's website it's "faux stone" and the composition is "wood veneers & solids".
2154916
I would say your fine with the natural stone. I used a glazed clay bowl and put it on top of a table. Works great.
2095333
The top is marble. Something similar to thasos or china white. This stone when compared to thasos is on the grayer side (thasos is pure white) not to say that this top isn't white. A local stone Fab shop can probably make a splash to match.
843930
nowhere near being like Correll! As for imperfections...well, it's not fine china but I am happy with mine and I'm pretty picky. I believe it is ceramic. Stoneware is buff or terra cotta colored and this is white along bottom rim where there is no glaze, however it does state it is dishwasher and microwave safe.
1802057
It is porcelain. A little thinner than ceramic would be, but not as thin as bone china.
1927805
I am not an expert on marble, but everyone who has seen mine had admired it and one of my friends (an interior decorator) identified it as Carara (?) marble without me telling her. She was amazed that I purchased it at Amazon.
1340171
Yep it's real marble. Real porous too, so be careful for stains or any sort of colored liquid on the surface, including soy or hot sauce, or overly cold or hot beverages. It's a beautiful table top though! Beautiful grey and white marbling.
625802
To our best description, it's some kind of cast metal with a ceramic type inlay inside, I suppose to handle the heat of a fire. It very much has a look on the outside of stone. It comes all together. All you need to do is set it where you want and place the insert bowl inside and dome top on top. Hope that helps.
503272
http://www.stonetilemosaics.com/collections/fireplace_surround_tile/products/1-x-2-bianco-white-carrara-carrera-marble-natural-stone
856621
The one we puchased a few months ago from Amazon is made of a ceramic type clay. It has a beautiful sound.
792623
It is not made of stone. It has a thin covering if finely crushed stone over aluminum. It is a totally smoth surface. You need to initially season it, and then repeat it every once in a while.
917047
It is definitely stone. Have no clue what kind but it is the best pizza stone i have ever used.
333151
It is very dark grey slate stone. It is a beautiful piece, I love it. I was like a kid on Christmas when I opened it...I had to put all of my different salts, oils, & vinegars on it right away. It does come with all of the accessories for serving cheese & such. In my opinion, this is a steal at this price.
1264820
It's a stone composite material that looks like stone. The metal insert is 30" wide with a center depth of 6". We had several pits that were on legs where the fire bowl was elevated. This one is great because no cold air and/or wind cools it down. In fact the stone material radiates warmth, not just from the top like most pits. There is sufficient space so no heat radiates downward. That was of concern since we placed the pit on our wood deck. Took a chance ordering this because I had to pay or shipping to Alaska. It was well worth it and I would highly recommend this product. It comes all in one piece, so set up time is a breeze. Good Luck It's a stone composite material that looks like stone. The metal insert is 30" wide with a center depth of 6". We had several pits that were on legs where the fire bowl was elevated. This one is great because no cold air and/or wind cools it down. In fact the stone material radiates warmth, not just from the top like most pits. There is sufficient space so no heat radiates downward. That was of concern since we placed the pit on our wood deck. Took a chance ordering this because I had to pay or shipping to Alaska. It was well worth it and I would highly recommend this product. It... » Read More It's a stone composite material that looks like stone. The metal insert is 30" wide with a center depth of 6". We had several pits that were on legs where the fire bowl was elevated. This one is great because no cold air and/or wind cools it down. In fact the stone material radiates warmth, not just from the top like most pits. There is sufficient space so no heat radiates downward. That was of concern since we placed the pit on our wood deck. Took a chance ordering this because I had to pay or shipping to Alaska. It was well worth it and I would highly recommend this product. It comes all in one piece, so set up time is a breeze. Good Luck « Show Less