Kettle pizza oven


 
I like the idea Jim, I was thinking along the same lines. Here's my idea. You get regular fire bricks and just make a square rectangular one with rectangular slot big enough to slip a pizza or bread in. I bet it would look nice too.
 
Yes. If you go to the original website you'll also see that they make an extension for the 22 to fit a 26.
I keep seeing posts here for products to make pizzas that require modifications or cutting up our kettles. My original interest in the Kettle Pizza Oven was you don't have to do that. You slap it on, make a hot fire and cook a pizza. Pretty simple and straight forward, imo. As is using a stone, ci grate, screen or tiles...
 
Originally posted by Steve Holat:
Yes. If you go to the original website you'll also see that they make an extension for the 22 to fit a 26.
I keep seeing posts here for products to make pizzas that require modifications or cutting up our kettles. My original interest in the Kettle Pizza Oven was you don't have to do that. You slap it on, make a hot fire and cook a pizza. Pretty simple and straight forward, imo. As is using a stone, ci grate, screen or tiles...
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I agree Steve. I use the stone to get the brick oven crispiness on my crust. Other than that........I'm sure that I could build a coal oven that would make the best Naples pizzerias jealous. However, if i had the time and money to do that, I wouldn't have bought an insert for my kettle......
 
Originally posted by Steve Holat:
Yes. If you go to the original website you'll also see that they make an extension for the 22 to fit a 26.
QUOTE] Thanks Steve, but please share the link. I can't seem to find it.
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Seems like it should work OK... it just adds another "piece of ring" that bolts between the ends of a 22" to make the ring larger.

Following the tradition of "shoot what you eat" (do I have that backwards ??), here is a pic of tonight's pizza. Think I'm getting the hang of this. The oven insert works OK with a stone or with the shiny pan that comes with the basic kit, but black **sheet metal** pans are a no-no. Not sure whether stone or shiny pan gives the best results, but I'm leaning towards the stone (even if I do have to do battle with my nemesis, the hated and much-feared peel). The crust is definitely crispier with the stone.

** Edited to clarify that I was only talking about sheet metal black pans, I haven't tried cast iron.

Tonight was chicken, ginger, sauerkraut and bird chilis. I was putting too much sauce on the pizzas for my liking so have been cutting it down, but went too far and didn't use enough sauce tonight.

I let the stone preheat for ~15 minutes with just charcoal in the kettle, then added hardwood and put the pizza in immediately. After monitoring the temps, I'm thinking that another 15 minute wait after adding hardwood would have been better since the temps were still going up when I took the pizza out.

DSCN3180.jpg
 
John said,
but black pans are a no-no. Not sure whether stone or shiny pan gives the best results
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Hey Shaun,
It seems that John would not like using the cast iron pan as you do. I think the cast iron pan would crisp up real nice..Especially with a bit of olive oil on the bottom.. Hmmm..
 
Interesting question. I was using a typical sheet metal pan - it heated up too fast and so the bottom of the pizza burned before the top was fully cooked. A bit too far along the crisp -> char -> burned black continuum for me. A cast iron pan might work really well if it distributed the heat enough; I suspect the burning is happening on the side closest to the fire and my periodic rotation of the pizza allows the entire crust a chance to burn
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I should clarify that my "black pan" experience is limited to cheap grocery store pizza pans. I hadn't considered cast iron at all so I probably slandered CI for no good reason. Thanks for catching it, AJ - I fixed the earlier post as well.
 
I'm leaving for vacation in the morning and will be making a couple pies for a quick and easy dinner. My wife just got me the Pampered Chef stone for father's day... but I read on the one linked post that they're apparently no good? I'm bummed about that.

My dilemma is always getting the pizza off whatever I've made it on, onto the pan (or stone I'll be using tonight for the first time).

My pies always seem heavy and they just don't want to slide with getting all distorted or tearing. I've used cornmeal and other stuff... it's just frustrating.
 
Originally posted by Chris Stanek:

My dilemma is always getting the pizza off whatever I've made it on, onto the pan (or stone I'll be using tonight for the first time).

My pies always seem heavy and they just don't want to slide with getting all distorted or tearing. I've used cornmeal and other stuff... it's just frustrating.
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Assemble your pizza on parchment paper and cook the pizza with it. After the crust sets in the cooker in about a minute slide the parchment out from under the pizza and continue cooking.
 
I've had the Pampered Chef stone for years and never had a problem with it, but then I've never subjected it to the temperatures the KettlePizza is capable of. I've been releuctant to use it because it's my best stone, it's sealed and easy to clean, compared to the unglazed stones.

As for peels, a friend (who says he loved my first pizza attempt this last weekend) bought me a really nice round-nosed, thin, wood, pizza peel from a restaurant supply house for a gift. It's very light, very thin 14"x16" (not countin the handle) and made in Viet Nam. I think it will be great for removing the pizza from the KettlePizza.

I have a SuperPeel coming and am anxious to try that for loading the pizza. Should work great! Can't wait!
 
My wife just got me the Pampered Chef stone for father's day... but I read on the one linked post that they're apparently no good? I'm bummed about that.
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They work great in the oven, nothing wrong with them AFAIK. They just weren't designed for the extra stress and abuse you get in a charcoal grill. My *guess* is that you would be OK using the PC stone as long as you put it in before the grill heated up and kept it back from the coals as much as possible. No promises though...

George, thanks for the tip about parchment; will give that a try.
 
So build the pizza on parchment paper then slide it onto the stone already in the kettle... then just slide the parchment out... correct?
 
I think so... I was going to :

- put parchment on peel
- build pizza on parchment
- slide pizza onto stone, parchment and all
- hope to be able to slide parchment out from between pizza and stone after a minute or few

If I were making multiple pizzas I guess we would build on parchment, then put parchment + pizza on peel when ready to cook, but for a single pizza that just seems like yet another way to get pizza all over the floor
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Originally posted by Chris Stanek:
So build the pizza on parchment paper then slide it onto the stone already in the kettle... then just slide the parchment out... correct?
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Give a minute or two for the crust bottom to cook before before removing the parchment. It should slide out easily at that point. If you wait too long the parchment will begin to char and may start to crumble, making removal difficult.
 
Originally posted by Chris Stanek:
My dilemma is always getting the pizza off whatever I've made it on, onto the pan (or stone I'll be using tonight for the first time).
Click to expand...
Purchase some semolina (or cornmeal). Sprinkle some onto the peel. Lay the dough on the peel, then assemble the 'za. When you are ready to transfer from the peel to the stone, shake the peel. If you haven't put too much onto the dough, the 'za will slide off easily.
 
Originally posted by RDOwens:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chris Stanek:
My dilemma is always getting the pizza off whatever I've made it on, onto the pan (or stone I'll be using tonight for the first time).
Click to expand...
Purchase some semolina (or cornmeal). Sprinkle some onto the peel. Lay the dough on the peel, then assemble the 'za. When you are ready to transfer from the peel to the stone, shake the peel. If you haven't put too much onto the dough, the 'za will slide off easily. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>This is the method I use except I use just plain bench flour. And before I transfer the pizza into the cooker I give the peel a sharp jolt to make sure the pizza is still loose on the peel.
 
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