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Pizza Stone question and recs please

OK first off I am new here . I just got my egg less than 2 weeks ago and to say that i am in love is an understatement .
I have a couple questions ....
1) If I have a plate setter why do i need a pizza stone ?

2) besides the BGE stone are there others that anyone could recommend ?

Thanks
Toronto

Comments

  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    edited October 2013
    1) You really need and indirect piece and a cooking stone.  If you were to use the plate setter legs down I suppose you could throw a pie on there, however the surface will get really hot because it is it is directly in the heat.  If you put the plate setter in legs down, grid on the plate setter legs, stone on top of the grid; then the heat is directed around the stone and it will get hot but not so hot that it will burn your crust.  

    2) No real recommendations.  I have a stone that was a gift and so far it has held up.  

    Good luck, and welcome! 



    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • pantsypants
    pantsypants Posts: 1,191
    thanks !
    I have heard that a lot of stones crack .
    Just wondering if I should buy the BGE  stone or i can get away with a cheaper one

    Toronto
  • Gator_Man
    Gator_Man Posts: 138
    edited October 2013

    You need the stone and something to create an air gap between the plate setter and pizza stone. Many Eggers use 3 or 4 copper pipe elbows on the plate setter and the pizza stone on the elbows. I have used the cheep pizza stones but they have all cracked, I have been cooking with BGE pizza stones for 6 years and none have cracked. Here is a picture of a medium plate setter on top of my large plate setter, this give me an air gap and raises higher in dome for better convection of heat on top of pie.

    image 

    Gator Man

    I'm from North Carolina summer and Okeechobee Florida winter.

    I'm only hungry when I'm awake!

  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    I have a BGE stone for my XL and it's a tank. Don't see how it would break unless I drop it. SWMBO has a Pampered Chef stone I was going to use until I read horror stories of it shattering on the egg.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • pantsypants
    pantsypants Posts: 1,191
    Hey Gator Man
    what about using a couple fire bricks between the plate setter and the stone ?

    thanks

    also is this what you mean about the cooper elbows ?
    http://www.homedepot.com/p/NIBCO-3-4-in-x-3-4-in-Copper-90-Degree-Cup-x-Cup-Pressure-Elbow-C607/100678006?N=buu2#.Uk1yvBDKV8E
    Toronto
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    I'm of the other school, MBGE, I have a 13" cheapo stone, $10 from Kitchen Collection, has cooked at least 50 pies. I cook <600º so maybe that's why it lasts. 
    Set-up is PS legs up, grid with spacers or a grill dome extender to get an inch or two above the felt line. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,136
    You didn't say what size Egg you had...

    I do very successful pizzas (imho) PS legs down with the stainless grate on top of that, then my pizza stone. 

    I use a 16" cordierite pizza stone from Sur la Table.  It's amazing..  Thick to be durable and not drop in temperature too badly when the pizza hits it.  And cordierite is heated to some ridiculous temperature and then dunked in ice water and still doesn't shatter from thermal shock.

    Your basic kiln shelving - online kiln supply pages will have it for you if SLT doesn't.
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


  • Gator_Man
    Gator_Man Posts: 138
    Yes fire bricks will do and yes to the link on copper elbows. When baking or doing pizza the higher in the dome the better. Make sure the thermometer doesn't hit anything high in the dome, you could bent the thermometer and if it is touching anything the temp is not correct.

    G M

    I'm from North Carolina summer and Okeechobee Florida winter.

    I'm only hungry when I'm awake!

  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
    1. You do need the stone.
    2. I have used on the grill along with the platesetter with legs up.  I have also done raised and direct without the platesetter ( see photo).  That is my preferred method now.
    I have the BGE stone (received as a gift), but also have a rectangular one purchased at Williams Sonoma (about $50) that I have used for years.  Note, I shoot for 450-500 dome and stone temp for pizza.
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
  • pantsypants
    pantsypants Posts: 1,191
    Hey thanks for your help everyone !!
    Toronto
  • QDude
    QDude Posts: 1,052
    There was a group buy on a steel plate for pizzas. I love mine!

    Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

    XL BGE and a KBQ.

  • Bonar
    Bonar Posts: 28
    I put my stone direct onto plate-setter and get better results than placing stone on grill. I cook like it is in a regular oven with papa johns recommended temp of 425 up to 450 range. I make 7 pizzas in a row with no issue and give 15 minutes in between each cook to let stone regain heat. The 15 minutes in between are devoted to pie consumption and beer drinking.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    Bonar said:
    I put my stone direct onto plate-setter and get better results than placing stone on grill. I cook like it is in a regular oven with papa johns recommended temp of 425 up to 450 range. I make 7 pizzas in a row with no issue and give 15 minutes in between each cook to let stone regain heat. The 15 minutes in between are devoted to pie consumption and beer drinking.
    Excuse me, but you meant Papa Murphy didn't you? I don't believe Papa Johns is into take and bake pizzas - at least not here anyway.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Bonar
    Bonar Posts: 28
    U-b rite, good catch Papa Murphy is correct, my bad.
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    Bonar said:
    U-b rite, good catch Papa Murphy is correct, my bad.
    sorry - I didn't mean ill - will - I just went to Papa Johns one time and asked if they offer a take and bake and the manager snarled at me and said "that this is Papa JOHNS - not MURPHY". I said "Thanks ****" and walked out!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Bonar
    Bonar Posts: 28
    LOL kind of like who's your papa? Papa John or Papa Murphy? Like who's you're daddy? May have to go on one of those TV show's to get DNA test on the pizza to see which papa is the daddy.
  • Yes, you need a pizza stone. I use the BGE stone with no problems at high temps.

    I also have a pizza steel. If I were to choose between the stone and the steel, I would take the steel. It works just as well as the stone, mine is heavier than the stone, won't break, and works great as a griddle.

    Here are a couple of pics. Excuse the Weber. I was experimenting - could not get it hot enough for the best pizza but it worked. The pizza is shabby, but the BBQ onions (full pulled chuck from the Egg) were great.