Pizza ovens and/or mods and/or stones and/or ???

[Barry CB Martin]

Hiya - not sure where to place this - (T2 please move to where it should be if I have placed it incorrectly!)


I'm looking to write an article on outdoor pizza ovens and mods to cookers. I know the ceramic cookers like BGE are pretty popular for cooking pizza - and I know that some folks swear by using a pizza stone on the surface of their cooker, be it gas, electric, charcoal or pellet.


What experiences have you with cooking pizza outdoors on your equipment or modifications you've made?


Thanks for any help you can offer.   

[Tailgating is my game]

Barry I have a friend that built his own.  He is a house builder & with the slow market  in the northeast he figured he might as well build one for his family. Coming from the northeast we do know good pizza . The pizza it produces is outstanding. It also has a fireplace on the other side. I have had pizza cooked on gas & charcoal grills with pizza stones & nothing comes close to this IMO. I would love to try a pizza from the BGE sometime because I hear it is great.  If you want to contact him or need pictures just P.M me & I will ask him. Take care Richard

[drholly]

Barry,

I am an old pizza guy from back in my Hawaii days (early 70's.) I have wanted to make a backyard pizza oven for years (probably should have saved my money instead of buying grills?) I do have the pizza insert for my Weber Performer www.kettlepizza.com. It works well (gets the temp way up) but is another device to deal with. I've done a lot of pizzas right on the grill - CB 500X, G2G, Weber, etc. I've done them on my fire pit. And as good as they may all be, most times I just use my gas oven. Set it to max (it tops out just over 500*) and make the crust thin.

I haven't tried the PBC yet, that will have to wait for the next thaw.

I have to say, like Richard, once you've tried a real wood fired pizza oven there is just no going back. They are fast, the crust is crisp and the flavor is unmatched!

Cheers,

David

[TMB]

Wood fired pizzas are hard to beat, but for Kimmie and I it's not worth the $$$$ to buy or build an oven right now. 

The SRG on the other hand does a very good job of baking pizzas and since I have two of them I'll stick with infrared pizza 

David, if you come to the gathering this year I'm sure Pam will cook a pizza on her grill.  I'll tell you hard to beat a pizza cooked outside!!!

[drholly]

Tommy, I get you. I cook many pizzas outside - the Weber, G2G, 500x, firepit. I've also used my SRG dozens of times for pizza - even posted a couple. I know how good they are. However, when I compare to a good wood fired pizza oven - well there is just no comparison. And I can make very nice pizzas inside in my gas oven (like a propane fired grill.) I am not discounting an outdoor pizza by any means. Just making the comparison to a true pizza oven.

Cheers,

David

[TMB]

Wood fired pizzas is one of life's pleasures and very hard to beat for sure.  Just don't have the $$$ to invest in a oven like that now     but one day I hope to have an outdoor oven 


This article Barry is writing will be interesting to read.

 Looking forward to reading it

[drholly]

Wood fired pizzas is one of life's pleasures and very hard to beat for sure.  Just don't have the $$$ to invest in a oven like that now     but one day I hope to have an outdoor oven 


This article Barry is writing will be interesting to read.

 Looking forward to reading it

Totally with you!

David

[Pappymn]

It may have been on this forum....not sure. But somebody swore by a baking steel versus a baking stone. Some good science seems to behind this one.  I found this article interesting.

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2012/09/the-pizza-lab-the-baking-steel-delivers.html

Hopefully if the original inspiration for this idea is around they can expand on it.

[drholly]

Wow! What a great article and I want one of those "steels"! This might be the holy grail for those of us that can't afford a wood fired oven. Thanks for the lead Pappy!

David

[drholly]

Ok - finally found the site. I'm a goober - gotta try it. I am a fanatic for the ultimate pizza crust - crisp / chewy. I have only found a couple of perfect crusts - the last one I remember was in Costa Rica in a small bar. Wood fired oven in the garden - cook time less than two minutes. Awesome! I know I will not hit that perfection without my own wood fired oven. But, I will keep trying to see how close I can get along the way. Yes, cooler minds MIGHT say - save the money - buy the oven... but patience has NEVER been my strong suit!

Come along for the ride!

David

[Pappymn]

Wow! What a great article and I want one of those "steels"! This might be the holy grail for those of us that can't afford a wood fired oven. Thanks for the lead Pappy!

David

I do too. Now we need the MacGyver's around here to source a cheaper, bigger, and thicker one.

Pretty sure these can't be hard to make....not me.....but those with skills.

[TwoPockets]

Wow! What a great article and I want one of those "steels"! This might be the holy grail for those of us that can't afford a wood fired oven. Thanks for the lead Pappy!

David

I do too. Now we need the MacGyver's around here to source a cheaper, bigger, and thicker one.

Pretty sure these can't be hard to make....not me.....but those with skills.

I think a welder could cut out a big slice of heavy steel that would do the same thing. Season it up like you would a cast iron skillet and it should do good.

[sparky]

from deb.

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2012/10/the-pizza-lab-baking-steel-lodge-cast-iron-pizza.html

[LostArrow]

I have a Kamodo & a 14 in (12 lb ) cast iron griddle I use as a pizza pan, heat shield at times & a griddle.
Best of all it cost $12 @ acadamy sports.
With the Kamodo about 600 F it crisps up the crust nicely, ( mild char).
The pizza stone I had cracked on the Kamodo & that's why I went to cast iron.

[TwoPockets]

I have a Kamodo & a 14 in (12 lb ) cast iron griddle I use as a pizza pan, heat shield at times & a griddle.
Best of all it cost $12 @ acadamy sports.
With the Kamodo about 600 F it crisps up the crust nicely, ( mild char).
The pizza stone I had cracked on the Kamodo & that's why I went to cast iron.

John, I have two of those griddles and have bought them for my son and stepson. I haven't done a pizza on them yet but may get my son to show me how do do one next time he is home.