Used Pizza Kettle Mod - could not get the temp above 400 degrees.


 
Rich G said:
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! :)

Enjoy it whatever you end up doing! I have found that pizza is a hobby that has endless roads to explore if you are into that kind of thing. I've got five dough balls using a sourdough starter that are sitting on my counter as I experiment with yet another dough recipe! :)

R
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Well, I respectfully disagree on the time it takes to get the ovens I mentioned up to temp. As mentioned, I've used my brother's and it really took 20 minutes from lighting to eating. Waiting 1 3/4 hours to make a pie is a massive waste of my time and something that I will never do again.
 
BenM said:
Well, I respectfully disagree on the time it takes to get the ovens I mentioned up to temp. As mentioned, I've used my brother's and it really took 20 minutes from lighting to eating. Waiting 1 3/4 hours to make a pie is a massive waste of my time and something that I will never do again.
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All good.....just my experience, and tainted by the amount of time it takes to really heat soak the stone I use in my bread making (which I readily admit is not likely necessary as the stones in most of those ovens are relatively thin anyway.) The main point is, get what you need to make the pie you want with a process and timing you like! ;) At least 1,000 ways to skin that cat! 🤣

R
 
Rich G said:
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!

View attachment 59420
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my process is pretty similar
- base layer unlit
- full chimney lit
- no wood
- 550-600 temps
-using a riser (I use a 14" cast iron griddle instead of a pizza stone - and I use a 16" screen which holds the pie off the surface of the griddle a bit)

~6 minutes is as long as I can cook before I scorch the bottom of my crust. I use dry low moisture mozzarella and a very simple sourdough. We're not exactly talking Neapolitan but I like it fine.
 
With live fire under the stone, I can get the stone 650 to 700 F in about 20 mins. This is my setup.

20220716_201525.jpg
 
BenM said:
I kit the charcoal at 11 am EST. It is now 12:35 pm EST and this is what I have. Sorry, not for me. I'll buy an Ooni, Big Horn, or a Miniuo Pizza Oven. 1 3/4 hours to make pizza, plus the coal and wood...way too much time, effort and $$$
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Have a look at the Halo Versa 16, too. It has a rotating stone, 2 burner system with a dedicated IR burner for the stone, and a hinged lid for ease of access. I've been very happy with mine, enjoying the ease of launching with the lid open lately...it's a handy feature to have.

palapizza.com

Review: Halo Versa 16 Pizza Oven - Pala Pizza Ovens

The Halo Versa 16 Outdoor Pizza Oven is another solid entrant into the world of outdoor pizza ovens and is a great choice for both beginners and professional
palapizza.com palapizza.com
 
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Ed P said:
Have a look at the Halo Versa 16, too. It has a rotating stone, 2 burner system with a dedicated IR burner for the stone, and a hinged lid for ease of access. I've been very happy with mine, enjoying the ease of launching with the lid open lately...it's a handy feature to have.

palapizza.com

Review: Halo Versa 16 Pizza Oven - Pala Pizza Ovens

The Halo Versa 16 Outdoor Pizza Oven is another solid entrant into the world of outdoor pizza ovens and is a great choice for both beginners and professional
palapizza.com palapizza.com
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TY. But my days of trying to cook a pizza on a weber are over. As mentioned, not worth the time, effort or money to do so
 
BenM said:
TY. But my days of trying to cook a pizza on a weber are over. As mentioned, not worth the time, effort or money to do so
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Weber?

It's not made by Weber, it's a Halo Versa 16 Pizza Oven, made by Halo Products Group.

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1663356719192.png
 
My original post was specific to using the Weber Kettle to make pizza. When making pizza, propane is not what I am looking for. Wood-fired or nothing else. Sorry, I'm a traditionalist
 
@BenM Since you've moved on from wanting to use the kettle pizza, Ed is sharing with you his stand-alone propane powered pizza oven.

We tend to let conversation wander sometimes, and I'm guessing he thought you might be interested.
 
DanHoo said:
@BenM Since you've moved on from wanting to use the kettle pizza, Ed is sharing with you his stand-alone propane powered pizza oven.

We tend to let conversation wander sometimes, and I'm guessing he thought you might be interested.
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No, I get it. I clarified my post
 
In Post #14, you said:
BenM said:
I kit the charcoal at 11 am EST. It is now 12:35 pm EST and this is what I have. Sorry, not for me. I'll buy an Ooni, Big Horn, or a Miniuo Pizza Oven. 1 3/4 hours to make pizza, plus the coal and wood...way too much time, effort and $$$
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I suggested you also include the Halo in your list of options.
 
After researching pizza ovens for the last week or so, I decided to go with the Pellethead PoBoy Wood Fired Pizza Oven. It is double-walled, high-intensity steel, that includes an infrared thermometer, pizza peel, fire starter, and a blower. I checked reviews and one excellent video which pits it head-to-head with the Ooni. The Pellethead won hands-down. Bottom line - $199 delivered.
 
BenM said:
After researching pizza ovens for the last week or so, I decided to go with the Pellethead PoBoy Wood Fired Pizza Oven. It is double-walled, high-intensity steel, that includes an infrared thermometer, pizza peel, fire starter, and a blower. I checked reviews and one excellent video which pits it head-to-head with the Ooni. The Pellethead won hands-down. Bottom line - $199 delivered.
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I'd like to see the video! I am new to the pellet world and I like the flavor that a pellet fired grill adds that is missing in a gas grill. I think a pellet-fired pizza oven, if designed properly, has the potential to be a great oven at an economical price.
 
Ed P said:
I'd like to see the video! I am new to the pellet world and I like the flavor that a pellet fired grill adds that is missing in a gas grill. I think a pellet-fired pizza oven, if designed properly, has the potential to be a great oven at an economical price.
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Ask and you shall receive -
 
I'm excited for you! There's a bit of a learning curve with all pizza ovens, and the trick is to get the bottom done at the same time as the top. It's really all a matter of timing that comes from learning how your oven bakes and developing or discovering a recipe that performs well in your oven and that everyone enjoys. An useful item to have out at the oven, besides an IR thermometer, is an inexpensive digital timer, and of course hot gloves or oven mitts. Good luck on your pizza adventure, and be sure to post your experiences! Always a pleasure to talk pizza!

Also, it's helpful (and fun!) to keep a pizza log, and take before and after pics of your pizzas.
 
TY so much (y)

I log all my food cooks. I'll just add one more log to the fire - sorry, I couldn't help it :D:D:D:D:D
 
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