ceramic smoker appreciation thread???

Zippylip said:

gtsum, curious as to why you think it doesn't do well on pizza? Also, can you fit a 1/2 sheet pan on to do Sicilian pizzas? I do a lot of these but I'm limited to the oven, can't fit the pan in the egg

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Now that is a nice sicilian pie!! Nicely done! I should have clarified my comment above a bit - for an american style pie (or Sicilian like your's above), it works well. For a NY style, Elite NY Style, or Neopolitan, it leaves a lot to be desired. To cook one of those three types of pies (in the truest sense...not saying it cant be done other ways though), you need to be able to produce a sub 5 minute pie, sub 4 minute pie, and sub 2 minute pie respectively. The hardest thing to do is to balance the bottom heat with the top heat. Having a stone at 700 degrees and a dome temp of 550 is going to result in a scorched bottom and a gummy dough with the toppings not cooked. In an ideal world, the top heat is at least equal to the hearth heat or greater (like a WFO or a LBE pizza cooker...aka poor man's WFO).

Cooking a steak at 750 degrees in a ceramic cooker is easy.....to get a pizza stone to 700 plus degrees AND get the dome temp to AT LEAST that much is darn near impossible. It would take me well over an hour to get to this point, and at that point the ceramic is thoroughly heat soaked and as such, the bands would stretch from the heat...I almost lost my lid one time....as well my hinge is permanently bent. In the Primo, it is about impossible (at least it was for me and I tried for a year to produce the pies I was looking for....as did others that are far more advanced in pizza making then I). I am now on my third firebox and 3rd firegrate....and my 3rd nomex gasket. It certainly will cook a fine 7-10 minute pie at 450-525 or so, and I like those too, but my homemade pizza quest is cooking Elite NY and Neo/NY style. Although I have been known to make a few mean deep dish chicago style pies as well

It has been a long time since I have cooked on a BGE, but it seems that folks have a bit better luck cooking those style of pies on them then the Primo...I personally think the round shape lends itself to a better pizza cooker then the oval of the primo (as well as the depth of the firebox).

For an all around cooker, I don't think a ceramic can be beat...they are the jack of all trades imo - I bake, bbq, smoke, cold smoke, grill, and roast in mine...but, if I am being honest, I prefer the que cooked on a log burning offset a bit better, and I prefer my pizza off my LBE cooker quite a bit better

BUT, that pie of yours above is making my mouth water...I might have to make me one of those!

Those Komodo Kamados are unbelievable, never thought I'd lust after a cooker! I visit their forum every so often, look at the tile choices, pick out my favorites and say someday.....

In the meantime, here's my (not so ceramic) Bubba Keg and my Bayou Classic Cypress -



That's about all I've got room for and all I need at the moment.

-lunchman

The Xl BGE and the Kamado

Zippylip said:

GreenDrake, that's another cooker I've never seen in person, does the Kamado Joe come in different colors or all red? I've always liked the Grill Dome for that reason, I'd like to pick up a black one at some point.

Very nice, thanks for posting it

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Yep, they also come in black. I just got one about a month ago and am absolutely in love.

Yeah Zippy, like Shooter said, they come in Red or Black. I really REALLY like the look of the black one with the brushed stainless trim sitting in the stainless table. Local dealer has one on his floor, looks great like that. Fun cookers

I really think there would be a market for different nest designs. I like keeping my egg in the nest, I just wish there were more attractive options.

I appreciate the hell out of my ceramic cooker!

Cheers,
Braddog

Zippylip said:

LT, I don’t think there is any difference in flavor from cooking on ceramic vs. metal, last night I did 4 bone-in chicken breasts on my kettle. Piled the coals up on one side & did a nice sear skin side down for a little while, then moved them to the opposite side, added a fist full of wild apple chips & finished them off indirect, took about 30 minutes to hit 160 degrees internal. Threw some corn on the cob over the fire near the end. The finished product was spectacular, every bit as good as any chicken I’ve ever done on the egg. I think there are people that will maintain that the food tastes better but that has not been my experience – I love the egg for its versatility & ease of use, but not to the exclusion of any other method of cooking

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ok cool thanks. i want a ceramic cooker but that wont be for a while. haha

I have a kettle, a UDS, a ECB, a gasser and a tire rim fire pit in the works

Zippylip said:

that thing is absolutely wild, I've never seen on in person. It looks huge too, what's the height/weight?

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thats the one my friend has. they are awesome! EXPENSIVE though

I have a lage BGE Was asked what I wanted for my 60th That was it