11/13/2017 Update:Still serving our needs after 10 years of use/abuse. Looks totally black now which only adds to it's character and attests to it's reliability, I read several comments regarding initial odors, etc., I don't know if the supplier has changed and I received a different make. All I can tell you is the one I received has served us well. I am attached a picture of the way it looks today.We've had this for several years and it gets used/abused no less than 3 to 4 times weekly. We use it so often because it does an excellent job baking bread, pizzas, etc. The trick is making sure it is preheated to the desired temperature first (Typically 425 to 500 degree F). You will be amazed at how quickly things bake after that. Whether you are baking a couple of pizzas or dozens of pita bread loafs, it becomes a production machine and you need to keep your eye on it. At these temperatures you definitely need a good tool (peel or similar) to accompany the stone, depending on the typical things you anticipate to bake on it.Unlike the round stones, the rectangular shape affords you more versatility when baking items other than round pizzas. You can experiment with the placement of the stone (which rack/level) depending on what it is you are baking. Start with the middle rack and utilize the Broil function when you want to force or expedite browning.True Dimensions (L, W, H), Weight, and Bottom Side Description: - Length: slightly longer than 16" inches by a 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch - Width: slightly longer than 14" inches by a 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch - Height: 5/8" of an inch (not including the height of the 8 risers underneath - more on that below) - Weight: 11 to 12 poundsAlthough it may be insignificant to some, I'm being very specific about the dimensions because these were pluses for me. You have some wiggle room when placing a 14" pizza without exposing one of the sides. If you like placing four 7" inch flat breads at a time, you have enough room to do it without overlap or exposure. As for the height, 5/8" of an inch thickness retains a lot more heat than 3/8" or 1/2" inch, not to mention it makes the entire stone less fragile.The bottom of the stone is not flat. It has 8 protruding risers/legs underneath. Four are L-shaped around the corners and four are equally distanced from the center. This makes it easy to place on the rack and pick up when you are done. Between that and the thickness, it does make it slightly heavier than other stones, a compromise I welcome given the advantages.Admire the looks of this stone when you first receive it because it will never ever look that good again! If you have obsessive compulsive tendencies and like to maintain all your kitchen tools the same way they looked when you first bought them, this stone is not for you. Yes, you can add a piece of parchment paper if you like (but not foil for goodness sake), but you will discover, spills and black spots are unavoidable and add character to the stone. Eventually, they do cover the entire surface if you use it enough. I just give it a good scraping now and then and back in the oven it goes. Attempting to use abrasives and soaps will only shorten its life span and the stone will end up soaking chemicals you certainly do not want to serve.This stone is not cheap. Possibly slightly overpriced. You can certainly go to your favorite home improvement store (HomeDepot, Lowe's, etc.) and get a cheap alternative (<$1) as one of the reviewers suggested, or consider some of the other offerings on Amazon. I've tried most of them. I'm a strong believer in "you get what you pay for". Considering the number of years we've enjoyed it, and continue to, it was worth the investment. It makes for a unique gift for cooks that like baking breads and pizzas. I've given these as gifts four times thus far and every single recipient has enjoyed it just the same. Our four kids have lots of fun with it, because we no longer waste half an hour mediating pizza ingredients, too much sauce, not enough cheese, on and on with "have-it-your-own-way" branding! They all make their own individual 7" inch pizzas and can pile whatever they want on it! We can bake four of them at a time. A great hit at birthday parties, I must add!My only wish about this product is a bigger version. Ideally a 21" by 16". This would allow the baking of a 16" pizza and/or 6 loafs of 7" pitas (like Kontos pocketless pitas) at a time, instead of just four.This is my first review ever on Amazon. Benefited so much from other faithful reviewers. It's about time I contribute and make a habit of it because I buy so many things on Amazon. Did my best to share what I appreciated the most in other reviews when making a comparative buying decision. Please let me know if I missed something that would have been of value to include in the review.