Cast iron OR ceramic plate setter?

MaskedMarvel

greetings friends,

We get some accessories with the new egg for dad..

is it worth getting the cast iron plate setter?


i know I should call ceramic grill works. We’re goin with the free accessories.


Thanks!
8-Damien

Stubby

Nice to have the choice.. i got the ceramic place setter with my purchase. Not sure which way i would have gone.

SonVolt

This is just my opinion, but the whole point of a plate setter is to deflect heat, not radiate it. Cast iron is a big heat sink and will push off a lot more heat that stone, which you may or may not want. 

whldch

the cast iron definitely deflects heat, I can agree with Sonvolt that if its legs down there may be more radiant heat on top but deflected below, I doubt it would make a difference. If you're measuring temps at the grate the temp is the temp. Other than occasional seasoning and the added weight the CI platesetter will last forever.

blasting

SonVolt said:b

This is just my opinion, but the whole point of a plate setter is to deflect heat, not radiate it. Cast iron is a big heat sink and will push off a lot more heat that stone, which you may or may not want. 

I see your logic, but I'm not sure there would be much of a difference between the two since you aren't cooking on it. There are a few inches of air gap to the food, and in most cases a drip pan too.

Im just guessing though.  It would be an interesting little test if someone had both.

DMW

It would be convenient if someone had done a side by side review and posted on a web site somewhere.










http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/ibcps/castironps.htm

nolaegghead

SonVolt said:

This is just my opinion, but the whole point of a plate setter is to deflect heat, not radiate it. Cast iron is a big heat sink and will push off a lot more heat that stone, which you may or may not want. 

This is true.

Conductivity values (k) for a variety of materials, in units of W/m/°C.

The k value for cast iron is 55. 

Ceramics are 1-1.6

For comparison:

Aluminum is 237 and copper is 398.

nolaegghead

In effect, the lower the k value, the better it shields heat and the worse it is to transfer heat.

nolaegghead

That said, you can put a baking stone on the CI plate setter and you're even better off.

stlcharcoal

The biggest thing with the CI vs ceramic is where you want to keep it.  If outside, then go ceramic.  Otherwise the CI is going to rust.  Pros and cons to each.

I started selling the grate lifter rig from Smokeware and then drop a pizza stone in it if you want to go indirect.  Cheaper than the ceramic plate setter and no breaking legs off by accident or wear/tear.

Elijah

I've had both. I'd go with cast iron. A little more durable.

bubbajack

My daughter won a cast iron plate setter at BB2018. I have used it often on my refurbished large egg. There are slight differences in temps compared to ceramic, but not that big of a deal IMO. It is cool to be able to cook directly on it. Marinated Mexican skirt steak, 1/8" thick......   Flash Grilled at 600.
 I have 
I have also used it legs down for pizza. Worked very well.
Cooked some beer can chickens feet up with a drip pan for veggies. 

 The cast iron plate setter just gives more options for cooking. I use the ceramic plate setter just as much with equal success.

bubbajack

MaskedMarvel

Great input thanks gang. 

Well see see what the price difference is..

MaskedMarvel

stlcharcoal said:

The biggest thing with the CI vs ceramic is where you want to keep it.  If outside, then go ceramic.  Otherwise the CI is going to rust.  Pros and cons to each.

I started selling the grate lifter rig from Smokeware and then drop a pizza stone in it if you want to go indirect.  Cheaper than the ceramic plate setter and no breaking legs off by accident or wear/tear.

Rusting. ...

The thing WILL be kept outside. Thanks brother. 

SonVolt

Cast iron is going to rust outside no matter how much you baby it. 

Jupiter Jim

I have both and would not spend the $$$$ for cast Iron, I won the won I have and don't use it much seem to always go with ceramic.

MaskedMarvel

Dealer said they’d never heard of the cast iron PS?!

bubbajack

https://charlotte.craigslist.org/for/d/cast-iron-plate-setter-for/6618342043.html

MaskedMarvel

It’s a smokeware product. I just figured this out. 

Principalchef

In my first four years with my XL BGE, I broke two ceramic plate setters. I broke both of them setting them into the egg. I may have dropped them 1/2" into the egg - my bad I'm sure. But it was inconvenient, expensive, and I hated it.

In May of 2016, I bought a cast iron platesetter. I love it. I keep it outside. Mind you, I live in CA where we hardly ever get rain, but I live near the coast. It has a little rust but not much. 

For now, I'm a fan. It has been flawless. It has outlasted my ceramic platesetters, and I think it will keep going for a while. I have noticed no difference in cooking, whether it's smoking pulled pork at low heat, or cooking pizzas at a high heat. 

I give my Cast Iron Platesetters two enthusiastic thumbs up!

ColbyLang

Cast iron here. Humid and hot Louisiana. Had it for almost 2 years with absolutely no rust. It stays in my XL. Remove if not needed for a cook.

whldch

I feel as though I am missing the point that is made on similar threads that the CI radiates too much heat. Whether we measure temps at the dome or the grates, temp is temp. If anything, to maintain a temp, lets say 250, if the CI is more efficient at radiating heat from below, then we use less fuel, but why would that make it hotter inside. CI is durable, will not crack nearly as readily, but can rust and is heavier. That being said these are issues to compare, not the desired temp. Just my 2 cents.

SonVolt

Someone should make a solid aluminum PS. No rust... light weight. 

jtcBoynton

whldch said:

I feel as though I am missing the point that is made on similar threads that the CI radiates too much heat. Whether we measure temps at the dome or the grates, temp is temp. If anything, to maintain a temp, lets say 250, if the CI is more efficient at radiating heat from below, then we use less fuel, but why would that make it hotter inside. CI is durable, will not crack nearly as readily, but can rust and is heavier. That being said these are issues to compare, not the desired temp. Just my 2 cents.

Temp is temp, but temp does not cook food. Heat does.  The 250º you see on the thermometer tells you the air temp at the location of the probe.  Temps within the egg are not uniform. It is a lot hotter down near the burning lump. Some of the heat getting to your food is coming around the indirect plate and some is coming through the plate.  The conductivity of the material of the indirect plate makes a difference in how much is coming through the plate compared to around it.  I don't know of anyone who try to measure the internal temp of the egg below the food. For some cooks it may make a difference, for others not so much.

blasting

True, CI will radiate more heat that ceramic. I'm thinking this would only be an issue if you were cooking within an inch of it, which normally isn't the case.  Usually there are spacers and a drip pan, so the difference would be very little.

All that being said - why not go with a solution from CGS?  This is a better option imo.