Pizza Accessories

Charcoal Mike

Hi All -[p]Looking to accessorize my large egg, and the wife wants to do Pizza. I know I need the 14" pizza stone, of course, but what is the best way to raise it to an appropriate level? I have seen photos of folks using the ceramic plate setters, and also the wire grill extenders. Which works best, or is that one of those things best left in the eye of the beholder?[p]Also, I've been hunting for a wooden peel to go along with the above. Found about a zillion different kinds on the web. Any favorites / gotchas when buying one of these - particular wood, size, etc.?[p]Thanks again![p]- Mike

WessB

Charcoal Mike,
I find that putting the pizza stone on the plate setter holds heat better or more evenly, I was putting it on top of firebricks before I got the plate setter and that also worked well..not sure there is a major difference but the plate setter can be used for a whole bunch of other things as well...my peel is approx 12' wide, wood, I also picked it up on the internet ( no idea where anymore ) and it is a necessity with the egg and I can`t see where there would be a whole lot of difference from one to the other..IMO[p]Wess

Unknown

Charcoal Mike,
As Wess says both brick and sitter work but go with the sitter. As for the peel I learned on a metal one and am quite happy with it though it is more slippery and less forgiving* than wood, but then I serve on a wooden one as it looks nicer, let alone cuts better!
*forgiving means fewer pizzas dumped upside down on the deck, but shhhhhhhhhh don't tell my wifey!

The Naked Whiz

Charcoal Mike,[p]If you visit my website, you will find directions on making your own peel, if you have some woodworking tools and skills. [p]As for a pizza stone, you might want to consider a larger stone than 14". I buy unbaked pizzas from my local pizza place that are 14". Anything that is near or hangs over the edge of the stone will be burned. I bought a 16" stone from Crate and Barrel that does the trick.[p]TNW
[ul][li]The Naked Whiz's website[/ul]

Spin

Charcoal Mike,[p]The plate setter/14" pizza stone is the most versatile combination for pizza as the plate setter can also be utilized in may other configurations. A real plus with using the plate setter is you don't need the grill at all. Resting firebrick, ect. on the grill eventually knicks the porcelin coating, making it very hard to clean.[p]I have 5 peels, 4 wooden and 1 metal. I don't use the metal one as it requires a lot more flour/cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking to it. The flour/cornmeal also tends to dump off the peel and onto the stone on insertion of the pie. It also is the very slickest peel to use for managing the finished pie. It is the easiest peel to use for picking the pie off the stone because it is so thin, but you can heave a pie surprisingly easily.[p]Of the four wooden peels, I like the birch one the very best. It is the thinnest (thickness of the paddle), making it the easiest to retrieve the finished pie and it requires the least amount of flour/cornmeal to prevent sticking. It is also a long handled peel. When holding the peel, the handle runs along the underside of the forearm providing much more leverage than a short handled peel (short handles place all of the leverage on the wrist).[p]The best place to find a good peel is from a restaraunt supply store. There may be one local.[p]Spin

WudEyeDoo

Charcoal Mike,
I got my pizza peel thru the internet at Armchair World. It is 14" made of alder wood and seems to be very good quality. I am happy with it. It was $21/$27 delivered. I have no idea if that's a good price. I would do a link for you but I have no idea how to do that. Look at armchair.com under the Gourmet Helper section under Bakeware.
Bob

Unknown

See if this works. No guarantees.

Charcoal Mike

The Naked Whiz,[p]Thanks! Actually, I did see your peel on your site - was one of the first places I looked, as I remembered seeing it once before when I was admiring your table. I have the skills and the tools, just not the patience. [p]I was also thinking about the 14" size being a tad small, but 14" was all I could find on my favorite BGE sites. I found the crate and barrel website for anyone interested, link is below.[p]One last question, may be obvious. If I have a 16" stone, what size peel do I need? Never bothered to measure a pizza before - is a 14" peel big enough for most uses?[p]Thanks for all replies![p]- Mike
[p]
[ul][li]Crate and Barrel Link to Pizza Stone[/ul]

WessB

WudEyeDoo,
to add a link you need to put the URL in the box provided "Optional link URL" and you HAVE to give it a name in the box "Link Title" or else it wont show up...hope this helps..I will try it for you...[p]Wess
[ul][li]Armchair peel[/ul]

Trout Bum

WessB,
Wow, that's a real fine looking peel. I'll have to order one and retire my cheap one. It must be made out of balsa wood, cause it scratches and dents like crazy.
B D

Trout Bum

The Naked Whiz,
You want to watch it when going up in size. If the stone or any other device gets to big it will choke of the air flow from the bottom to the top of the egg.
Just my $.02 worth.
B D

Trout Bum

Link Attempt,
To post a link:
1) Open the link with your browser.
2) Right click on the address in the address bar and hit copy from the drop down menu.
3) Go to the BGE forum page and right click in the box under "Optioal Link URL" and hit paste from the drop down menu.
4) Left click in the box under "Link Title" and give the link a name, this must be done or it won't work.
5) Fill in the rest of your forum response as needed and submit it.
Note: Will work the same for an image, except there is no title.
Happy Qing,
B D

WudEyeDoo

Big Daddy,
Thanks for the instx. I have copied it for future use. I think my mistake was not giving the link a title.

WJS

Spin,
Where do you order/buy a plate setter? I know there used to be a link to a site, but I couldn't find it.

JJ

WJS,
You can order a plate setter from BGE, Atlanta. I understand that some of the BGE dealers also carry them.

The Naked Whiz

Big Daddy,
I've been using the 16" stone in a large egg with no problem.[p]TNW

WJS

JJ,
Thanks for the info. I live out in California, in a somewhat rural area. My "local" BGE is a BBQ Galore 60+ miles away, with a very limites supply of accessories for the Egg. I'm hoping for a specific dealer willing to ship, or a web site.[p]