Pizza on the Camp Chef Expedition

Dredger

We've had the Expedition for awhile. We got the pizza oven when we bought it and it rocks. Just moved it out to the deck and did some more pizzas last night.






It isn't a Blackstone, but it gets the job done plus we like the portability.

Thatgrimguy

I have that same stove built into my Shirley trailer. It's awesome. I have the 2 eye griddle and the 3 eye griddle. I've been eyeballing the pizza oven!! Looks like it did a pretty darn good job on that pizza.  Are you happy overall with it?  

Dredger

@Thatgrimguy, absolutely. It's ready for pizza cooking in a matter of minutes. We like to cook pizza on screens and we run it around 550 and the crust is perfect. We like thin crusts, but a thicker crust could be done at a little lower temp and cook a little longer. We use the IR gun to check the stone temp. Once you get it dialed in, it's consistent. You can cook just about anything on it that you would cook in the oven. Bread, cornbread, casseroles, pies. It's very efficient. The two eye griddle came with our Expedition. We got the new grease trap accessory not too long ago. It's really nice. Need to post some pics of the griddle cooking. We love the fact that all of their accessories have a carry bag available, so very portable.

SmokeyPitt

That pizza looks perfect! .  I really like the looks of the camp chef stuff.  It is cool how versatile it is.  @Thatgrimguy that would make a sweet addition to the trailer.  It is so easy to spend other people's money on this forum . 

Dredger

 It is so easy to spend other people's money on this forum . 

Thanks @SmokeyPitt. I'm trying to do my part, lol. We like Camp Chef products so much we bought a 2nd Expedition with griddle. Don't use it as often as we would like, but it's nice to have with a crowd. Weather is warming up now, thank goodness, so will be using them more often. We also have the Camp Chef Smoke Vault. They make good stuff. Built like a tank.

northGAcock

@Dredger   are you going to Butt Blast? Would love to meet you....even if you are an ol Tiger. You are just showin off now. 

NPHuskerFL

Good lookin Zas! #idontneednostinkingblackstone

blasting

NPHuskerFL said:

Good lookin Zas! #idontneednostinkingblackstone

@NPHuskerFL

booooo, now those are fighting words! 

JohnnyTarheel

Nice nice nice.... How do you have room for all your toys?  LOL

SGH

Looking good sister. Looking good  

Dredger

@northGAcock, don't know right now. We have some family health issues that will dictate. If it had been held in Asheville, we could have definitely made it for at least one day. We will know later in March, I would sure hate to miss it. I was so looking forward to meeting everyone.

@NPHuskerFl, not knocking Blackstone at all, but we love to get into the field and dredge for gold when we can. Needed portability. All you have to do is remove the legs and put it in a carry bag.

@blasting, no Blackston disrespect here, lol.

@JohnnyTarheel, garage for the most part on a heavy duty Origami shelf system.

Thanks @SGH, I know pizza is not for everyone, but hubby loves them. No more delivery for us.

blasting

Dredger said:

@blasting, no Blackston disrespect here, lol.

Never thought you were, just giving @NPHuskerFL a hard time.

Pizzas look terrific @Dredger  I wasn't even aware that oven existed, thanks for posting. 

Dredger

@blasting, I didn't know it existed either until I started digging. Luckily, we already had the Expedition, so it was a no-brainer for us. We bought the Expedition on a Tuesday and the pizza oven on Friday. A very nice addition. I think @NPHuskerFL was just funning, lol. Blackstones are very nice. I appreciate a good piece of equipment and it looks like one. Just need to be able to move ours around easily. When the yeller stuff calls, you just have to go, when you can. Gold prospecting is a lot of fun, especially when you find a picker (chunk of gold) in your sluice. We are lucky enough to have a gold mine about an hour from our house. 

blasting

Dredger said:

@blasting, I didn't know it existed either until I started digging. Luckily, we already had the Expedition, so it was a no-brainer for us. We bought the Expedition on a Tuesday and the pizza oven on Friday. A very nice addition. I think @NPHuskerFL was just funning, lol. Blackstones are very nice. I appreciate a good piece of equipment and it looks like one. Just need to be able to move ours around easily. When the yeller stuff calls, you just have to go, when you can. Gold prospecting is a lot of fun, especially when you find a picker (chunk of gold) in your sluice. We are lucky enough to have a gold mine about an hour from our house. 

Don't want to derail your thread, but I've been considering getting into prosecuting with my daughter.  It looks like a lot of fun, and apparently we are in a bit of a hotbed for it here in AZ.  Nice to hear you enjoy it yourself.

SGH

NPHuskerFL said:

Good lookin Zas! #idontneednostinkingblackstone

That's a mighty long word there brother Husker

northGAcock

Dredger said:

@northGAcock, don't know right now. We have some family health issues that will dictate. If it had been held in Asheville, we could have definitely made it for at least one day. We will know later in March, I would sure hate to miss it. I was so looking forward to meeting everyone.

Regardless of your attendance, I wish you all the best with the health issues. I always subscribe to the family first approach.

if I ask you again as we get closer, pretend it's the first time. I'll never remember.

YukonRon

Prospecting is so freaking fun. Once you find a nugget, you understand gold fever.
The expedition looks very portable and would be a nice addition for camping, however, a nice low and slow tenderloin and baked potato is awesome after a long day of hiking, too. Hmmm, gotta get one.....

Dredger

@blasting, no derail, for me anyway. Love to talk gold prospecting. You are, indeed, in a great location for prospecting. http://www.goldfeverprospecting.com/argolo.html.
There are many ways to go with the hobby, but before buying much equipment, make sure you know your state laws. You might search for what is called a "pay to play" spot to get an idea of whether you want to pan, sluice, highbank or dredge. There is also metal detecting. Where we go, we can dredge in the river or buy a load of dirt from the mine and highbank. We always take the metal detector to double check the pilings. Some places will even rent supplies and equipment and give a lesson on how to use them and that's a good way to go until you decide what strikes your fancy. Tons of YouTube videos on gold prospecting out there. Great family time. When we found out that we were going to be grandparents, one of the first things we bought for our granddaughter was a tiny little gold pan, lol. Maybe we should start a gold prospecting thread if anyone is interested. The season is almost upon us. Not sure how much, if any, we'll get to got this spring yet.

@SGH, that is a big word, lol.

@northGAcock, thanks. I appreciate that.

@YukonRon, you are so right about that first nugget. Of course, a vial of fines ain't bad either. We run our equipment and bring the cons home and work them at our leisure.

YukonRon

I went on a backpacking expedition, years ago in Peru. While there we panned for gold. We were there, just a couple days, ending with about a fith of a small tobacco bag of rather small ingots, leafy in shape, about the size of a child's small fingernail. The pouch easily fit in the palm of your hand. I will never forget the surprising weight of that bag, not that it was super heavy, just more substantial than I thought it would be.
I would like to have known what the value of that pouch would be today. Others were along that creek that had been living there, for a long time, had told us about their findings, and spoke of others that had left with nothing. 
We were on our way to the Trail of the Incas to get to Machu Picchu. We thought that would be the real treasure. I have to admit, I did indeed, think about just staying and panning.

Dredger

@YukonRon, that sounds exciting. The current price for gold today is about $1,230 an ounce. The more ragged the shape, the closer to the source it is, i.e., gold vein. If it's smooth, it has gone down the river for a distance. No telling what you would have found if you had gone upstream. Gold is where you find it. If no one has found it there before, it probably isn't there. But, then again, you never know. Sample, sample, sample. Pull up a shovel as close as you can to the bedrock and pan it out. If you find the yeller stuff, drop the dredge hose, strap on the weight belt, mask up on the air compressor, and dive. You could get lucky. Just have someone man the sluice on the topside to yank on the air hose when you hit the gold pocket so you stay in that spot.

ScottNC

Nice looking thin crust! My favorite

Dredger

Thanks @ScottNC, we do roll ours out and like it super thin. Blasphemy, I know, but that's how we like it.

blasting

@Dredger  Thank you for the info, that's a very informative site.

Dredger

You're welcome @blasting. Just do your research and try to get exposure to the hobby before buying equipment. State and federal laws have been changing over the past few years. No point in buying a gas operated piece of equipment unless you have somewhere nearby to use it. On the other hand, it's a great time to pick up some great used equipment at a good price. Also, be sure to check the regulations for your local state and federal parks. They may be different than the state laws governing your chosen area. Violate those and it will, at best, be equipment confiscation, and at worst, jail time. Those guys don't play. Enjoy the hobby, but do your due diligence. That is one of many reasons we like Thermal City Gold Mine. It's legal and they have bathroom facilities, lol.

NC_Egghead

One of my favorite shows on TV is Gold Rush. Can't go wrong with a bunch of guys operating heavy equipment, moving dirt and washing rocks!

Dredger

@NC_Egghead, our operation is a lot smaller than that, but it is a fun show. This is a video from Astrobouncer, a very good prospector high banking at Thermal City. We have the Keene highbanker/dredge combo that is similar to these. https://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KwzuodDIQg