Heat from Pizza Kettle is cracking my stones!
- Thread starter Jim Mathews
- Start date
Tom S
TVWBB Fan
I use a Big Green Egg pizza stone with my Kettle Pizza. I preheat the stone to 450 degrees in my oven while the KettlePizza comes up to temp and then I transfer it to the grill to start cooking the pies, using my high temp gloves of course. I use a combo of charcoal and wood to get 700-800 degree temps. I must have made a 100 pizzas this way and have yet to crack this stone.
Gary S
TVWBB Guru
You know Tom there is a video titled How To Make Restaurant Quality Pizza and the fellow in the video preheats his stone in the oven too. He finishes them there as well but I get your point. Are you using anything above the pizza to deflect heat back down other than the kettle lid?
Where is your fire located in relation to the stone?
Thanks
Jim Mathews
TVWBB Member
I do that too...I preheat my stone in a 500 degree oven for 20 minutes, then transfer it to the grill, and give it another 10 minutes or so on the grill, which is somewhere around 750.
I got my new tone Wednesday from the Ketlle Pizza folks, it's very thick and sturdy, I don't see it cracking.
Tom S
TVWBB Fan
I use an extra grill that I have wrapped in heavy duty aluminum foil to reflect the heat. I put a chimney of charcoal in a half moon at the back, and add wood to it. I put a video on youtube of the first time I used it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnxXSwDNyhY
I have learned a lot since we did this video.
Gary S
TVWBB Guru
Tom I saw that video.
Jim I don't know if this will work but I just bought an "Emile Henry" Pizza Stone and... "if" it does what they say it does it may make the difference.
http://www.emilehenryusa.com/Pizza-Stone-Black-plu717514B.html
They are also sold on Amazon. http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B003UI8B2S/ of course we Canadians get a great deal!!! Check out the difference on the US website! I bought mine for $50.00. There is no advantage to the Amazon website for us!
Anyway the booklet that came with the stone guarantees it for 10 years from the date of purchase and provides a warranty registration website. I hope my receipt won't fade out before I do but in the meantime...
The booklet states 500Celcuis/932F. I don't think we are going to hit those temperatures in our kettles. I've not tried it yet but it might make things a whole lot more simple?
I bought my stone from a long time merchant in our city and he says he has sold over 60 of them and never had one come back. He is a BGE dealer and recommends this stone over theirs. Guess we'll see.
Jim I don't know if this will work but I just bought an "Emile Henry" Pizza Stone and... "if" it does what they say it does it may make the difference.
http://www.emilehenryusa.com/Pizza-Stone-Black-plu717514B.html
They are also sold on Amazon. http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B003UI8B2S/ of course we Canadians get a great deal!!! Check out the difference on the US website! I bought mine for $50.00. There is no advantage to the Amazon website for us!
Anyway the booklet that came with the stone guarantees it for 10 years from the date of purchase and provides a warranty registration website. I hope my receipt won't fade out before I do but in the meantime...
The booklet states 500Celcuis/932F. I don't think we are going to hit those temperatures in our kettles. I've not tried it yet but it might make things a whole lot more simple?
I bought my stone from a long time merchant in our city and he says he has sold over 60 of them and never had one come back. He is a BGE dealer and recommends this stone over theirs. Guess we'll see.
Last edited:
Dennis Brix
New member
On my ceramic I never make pizzas below 700 degrees and it only takes about 2-3 minutes per pizza and never cracked my stone yet
Jim Mathews
TVWBB Member
Tom I saw that video.
Jim I don't know if this will work but I just bought an "Emile Henry" Pizza Stone and... "if" it does what they say it does it may make the difference.
http://www.emilehenryusa.com/Pizza-Stone-Black-plu717514B.html
They are also sold on Amazon. http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B003UI8B2S/ of course we Canadians get a great deal!!! Check out the difference on the US website! I bought mine for $50.00. There is no advantage to the Amazon website for us!
Anyway the booklet that came with the stone guarantees it for 10 years from the date of purchase and provides a warranty registration website. I hope my receipt won't fade out before I do but in the meantime...
The booklet states 500Celcuis/932F. I don't think we are going to hit those temperatures in our kettles. I've not tried it yet but it might make things a whole lot more simple?
I bought my stone from a long time merchant in our city and he says he has sold over 60 of them and never had one come back. He is a BGE dealer and recommends this stone over theirs. Guess we'll see.
Gary, the Kettle Pizza folks sent me a new stone, for free, that looks like it ought to do the trick. I also ordered the Baking Steel lid, I'll have that in 2-3 weeks (backordered), I cannoy wait to test that out.
Robert McGee
TVWBB Gold Member
I am still doing pizza with my old set up without issue (and without spending a lot of money, either):
I dump one full chimney of original Kingsford in the OTG spread evenly over the bottom. I put the food grate on, set two thin fire bricks on edge and rest the generic pizza stone in the center of the grill on top of the stones. Others have used a rib rack to set the stone on. My son assembled an 18.5" food grate on top of a 22.5" food grate separated and supported by four SS bolts. All work the same way - the pizza stone is elevated so that both sides of the pizza cook at the same rate. It takes about 8 minutes for a pizza to cook. The results are absolutely excellent. I use a couple of pieces of apple wood for smoke to give it that "wood smoke" pleasure.
I am not being critical of others set up but merely stating what has worked well with pizza for me and others.
Obviously, there is more than one way to skin a cat.
Dale53
):
I dump one full chimney of original Kingsford in the OTG spread evenly over the bottom. I put the food grate on, set two thin fire bricks on edge and rest the generic pizza stone in the center of the grill on top of the stones. Others have used a rib rack to set the stone on. My son assembled an 18.5" food grate on top of a 22.5" food grate separated and supported by four SS bolts. All work the same way - the pizza stone is elevated so that both sides of the pizza cook at the same rate. It takes about 8 minutes for a pizza to cook. The results are absolutely excellent. I use a couple of pieces of apple wood for smoke to give it that "wood smoke" pleasure.
I am not being critical of others set up but merely stating what has worked well with pizza for me and others.
Obviously, there is more than one way to skin a cat.
Dale53
Jim Mathews
TVWBB Member
I am still doing pizza with my old set up without issue (and without spending a lot of money, either
I dump one full chimney of original Kingsford in the OTG spread evenly over the bottom. I put the food grate on, set two thin fire bricks on edge and rest the generic pizza stone in the center of the grill on top of the stones. Others have used a rib rack to set the stone on. My son assembled an 18.5" food grate on top of a 22.5" food grate separated and supported by four SS bolts. All work the same way - the pizza stone is elevated so that both sides of the pizza cook at the same rate. It takes about 8 minutes for a pizza to cook. The results are absolutely excellent. I use a couple of pieces of apple wood for smoke to give it that "wood smoke" pleasure.
I am not being critical of others set up but merely stating what has worked well with pizza for me and others.
Obviously, there is more than one way to skin a cat.
Dale53
I have seen your posts on this topic, and I have been envious of your success. I sure wasn't offended by your post. One of my favorite things about the Kettle Pizza is that it's also fun, my kids and I get a kick out of sliding it in, and watching the flames come up around the pizza. My boys are very young, so we even pretend that we're yelling at each other in Italian while it's cooking. Maybe the other advantage is that I can cook multiple pies without having to lift the lid and lose that heat?
Anyway, "in for a penny, in for a dollar" they say, so everytime KettlePizza comes out with some accessory that I probably don't need, I end up buying it so that I tell myself I'm making the best possible pizza. As they also say, "A fool and his money are soon seperated".
Gary S
TVWBB Guru
I'd race ya to see who spends the most money but I think ya got me beat by two slices of pepperoni
Robert McGee
TVWBB Gold Member
"A fool and his money are soon separated".[/QUOTE said:Welcome to the club!!
Dale53
Jim Mathews
TVWBB Member
One of the joys of this hobby, is that there's always some new shiny gizmo to buy. As you said, it makes us happy, and there are far worse things we could be doing with that money. I am also an avid salt-water fisherman, you should see all the toys I have aimed at that pursuit...I tell my wife that every meal I make on the grill is one less meal that she needs to make in the kitchen (she is a stay-at-home Mom). That usually settles her hash! I just hope she isn't reading this. We need a man-only forum where we are free to speak our minds without fear of spousal retaliation..maybe we call that forum "football" or something else that would weed out the female of the species....
Brandon N.
TVWBB Fan
I've had a couple of BGE stones used many times as pizza stones and indirect barriers getting blasted for higher heat indirect cooks, not a single crack and highly recommend.
For those waiting on the Baking Steel, there is a learning curve, at least on the BGE. Takes some time and patience to get the stars to align, but when it does....sublime. You will love it. Kenji's last Kettle Pizza post I recall he was using the steel on top and ceramic on the bottom, using the radiant heat of the steel to cook the toppings.
[/URL][/IMG]
For those waiting on the Baking Steel, there is a learning curve, at least on the BGE. Takes some time and patience to get the stars to align, but when it does....sublime. You will love it. Kenji's last Kettle Pizza post I recall he was using the steel on top and ceramic on the bottom, using the radiant heat of the steel to cook the toppings.
Jim Mathews
TVWBB Member
I've had a couple of BGE stones used many times as pizza stones and indirect barriers getting blasted for higher heat indirect cooks, not a single crack and highly recommend.
For those waiting on the Baking Steel, there is a learning curve, at least on the BGE. Takes some time and patience to get the stars to align, but when it does....sublime. You will love it. Kenji's last Kettle Pizza post I recall he was using the steel on top and ceramic on the bottom, using the radiant heat of the steel to cook the toppings.
[/URL][/IMG]
Kenji is using a ceramic stone on the bottom, and the steel on top. He had reviewed this combo with a generic baking steel. This week, he reviewed the combo with the Baking Steel cut just for the Pizza Kettle. Here it is. If you read the comments, folks were wondering if the vent in the back of the Baking Steel was allowing too much heat to escape. Al, the founder of Kettle Pizza, commented in the comments section, that they are working on a new Baking Steel with no vents. My point being, that several of Kenji's suggestions have been implemented by the Kettle Pizza folks.
I cover the Kettle Pizza insert with tin foil, and get good results. I'm sure the Baking Steel will be an improvement.
Here is alink to the review, written this week, of the Kettle Pizza combined with the Baking Steel that is custom cut for the Kettle Pizza. Those pics look awesome...
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archiv...a-and-baking-steels-new-joint-pizza-oven.html
Brandon N.
TVWBB Fan
Thanks Jim for the update. I followed Kenji when he was first experimenting with the steel. Shortly before that time in March, my friend had Andris cut a 15" round steel we were using. This improvement may have me contemplating getting a OTG lol. For $500 approx total, that is a nice setup.
Groupon also has a gas Black Stone oven for $350 and free shipping. Some of the NP pies pulled off of them look decent. But it's a one trick pony.
And there is something about wood fuel that gas cannot compete with.
Jim Mathews
TVWBB Member
Thanks Jim for the update. I followed Kenji when he was first experimenting with the steel. Shortly before that time in March, my friend had Andris cut a 15" round steel we were using. This improvement may have me contemplating getting a OTG lol. For $500 approx total, that is a nice setup.
Groupon also has a gas Black Stone oven for $350 and free shipping. Some of the NP pies pulled off of them look decent. But it's a one trick pony.
And there is something about wood fuel that gas cannot compete with.
SInce I have a large family and we entertain a lot, my first and only charcoal grill for years was the Weber 26.75. Like you stated, I went out and bought a 22.5 incher specifically for the accessories, namely a rotisserie and the Kettle Pizza.
I also looked at the Blackstone. The pies look good, though I have never tried one. As you said, I don't see how you can replicate the smoky, ashy crust that a charcoal/wood fire can produce, but there is certainly more than one way to skin this cat.
My Baking Steel should be here in 2-3 weeks, I will start taking pictures to track my progress, and I will post some. I'm getting pretty good results right now, I can't imagine I won't get better results with the Baking Steel. Because the biggest flaw in my pizzas right now, is that even though I cover the top of the insert with foil, the tops of my pizzas just don't cook fast enough. By the time my crust is where I want it, the tops aren't quite where I want them yet. The Baking Steel ought to take care of that.
As you say, even if you have to buy a Weber grill to go with the pizza kit, you're looking at around $500. Certainly not free. But for someone, like me, who was considering putting in a brick pizza oven, this is way more reasonable. I wouldn't even approach my wife with the idea of a brick pizza oven in the yard, but this was an easy sell.
Brandon N.
TVWBB Fan
I agree 100%, a Forno Bravo is way out of my price range. If I can get close with a Blackstone, for a fraction of the cost, then Lord help me.
I just pulled the trigger on a Blackstone, seems so efficient and convenient. $350 is a low price point considering an entry level WFO is three grand.
With the Baking Steel, I finally dialed in and saw some significant improvements. Less cook time equals more chew. The increased energy transfer with steel increased browning of the undercarriage and crust, creating a contrast of crunch and chew that is desirable. I too, struggled with toppings being undercooked to my preference. Using a wok to push the heat around the steel instead of a flat piece taking the brunt of the heat, helped immensely. Another critical adjustment was elevating the steel into the dome to aid in radiation with the ceramic and convection. Not too high, there is a sweet spot you will find.
I just pulled the trigger on a Blackstone, seems so efficient and convenient. $350 is a low price point considering an entry level WFO is three grand.
With the Baking Steel, I finally dialed in and saw some significant improvements. Less cook time equals more chew. The increased energy transfer with steel increased browning of the undercarriage and crust, creating a contrast of crunch and chew that is desirable. I too, struggled with toppings being undercooked to my preference. Using a wok to push the heat around the steel instead of a flat piece taking the brunt of the heat, helped immensely. Another critical adjustment was elevating the steel into the dome to aid in radiation with the ceramic and convection. Not too high, there is a sweet spot you will find.