This is marked "Made in Italy EV 48". 48 cm is just shy of 19". It fits exactly on the water pan. The only gotcha you can't really see in the angle of this picture - it's thick enough that it's above the little tabs that hold the grate. So the lower grate sits right on the saucer. Since there's the two bars running under it, it wobbles a bit. This doesn't bother me at all, but for some people it's something to be aware of.

I found this at a nursery - not a home depo or whatever, a dedicated nursery. The next size down they had was 42 cm (about 16"). I did a search and found references to that size working, but it definitely nestles down in the bowl.

I haven't tried cooking with it yet - perhaps tomorrow.

Nice find.

Don't forget to foil it.

quote:

Originally posted by TravisH:
Nice find.

Don't forget to foil it.

Not to mention taking the sticker off!

Anyway, it works. It adds stability - which in this case was a bit of a mixed blessing, because I wanted to go fairly hot and getting that mass warmed up took some doing. Next time I'll get more aggressive with door propping, etc. sooner rather than later.

How much did you end up paying for that big saucer Doug?

It was about $20.

I've used it a couple of times since and it my feelings are pretty much the same - it's very stable, but that includes taking some extra effort to heat it up in the first place.

It's a nice tool in the toolbox, but there are times when I might prefer water (example: If it's really important to me that it be impossible for the temperature to spike), or an empty pan (If I want it to get really hot quickly and don't care about the exact number - whole roast chicken is an example, although if I'm only doing one I might as well do it in the kettle.)