Ben, here's a pic of how I set up the coals in my Kettle Pizza (full thread HERE.) I dump a FULL Weber chimney of lit over the top of all that unlit to drive the kettle to pizza temps! About 10 minutes before I launch my first pie, I roll a small split of wood (I usually have oak on hand) on top of the coals in the back to get a rolling flame. I'm typically seeing 550-600° stone temps with my IR thermometer with this method. Hope that helps!
I used 3 large chunks of post oak placed directly on top if the kit costs which I dumped in from the chimney. I waited 20 minutes or so, but the temp never rose about 400
How long it it take after you dripped the good to get the temp up to 600, which I feel is still not hot enough
I haven't used the KP in a while, so I don't remember really, but I'd guess 30 minutes or so to really get hot, and to make sure the stone is heated through. Also, I've gotten the temp into 700's with Kingsford briquettes, but if you want to go hotter, I'd consider using lump charcoal instead. Just know that you'll burn through that faster than briquettes, so if you are doing more than 2, or maybe 3, pies, you might have to add some fuel. I'm sure you can dial it into where you want it with some experimentation. For the temps you want, you for sure need more fuel than it sounds like you used last time.
If I were to buy a stand alone oven, the Ooni Koda 16 would be my choice. I've used my neighbor's, and that thing can COOK (a pie.)
I hope you get it working Ben.
Ben, sorry it didn't work out for you! While it's not as labor intensive as firing a wood-fired pizza oven (another neighbor of mine has one of those, and it's a 3-4 hour process to get the oven heat-soaked and ready for pizza), if it's not for you, it's not for you! Move on and find what works for you, for sure. I've cooked on multiple Ooni ovens, and, while not without their own quirks, have been successful on each. I don't know of anyone who has used the other two you mentioned, but hope you get what you need.
Ben, just curious....what did the bottom of the pie look like? Did you get good crust formation and browning? Top heat on the KP can be an issue (mine came with the steel which is an improvement), so the top of your pie is (unfortunately) about what I'd expect.
That looks about right to me. Indicates that you had good heat on the stone, but based on the top of the pie, not enough top heat.
Any of the wood or charcoal fired units are always going to take longer to get hot, etc. I typically have not been satisfied with a 15 minute pre-heat when I've used the Ooni, but that may just be due to my bread making experience that makes me wait longer to ensure the stone is thoroughly heated all the way through. I'm sure you'll be happier with the dedicated, gas options, as the are, indeed much quicker to get ready to cook a pie. Way more efficient, especially if you're just making one!
