baking steel lid. does it help?

[lksdrinker]

So anyone have any experience with a kettle pizza?  I'm specifically wondering whether the deluxe version (or whatever their highest end product is) with the baking steel might help with some better pizzas.  I have a KP and am really enjoying using it.  But I often find that I wish the cheese and top part of the pies I'm making were a little more well done.  Cant seem to find that sweet spot just yet and I wonder if that baking steel "lid" would help.  If the general consensus is "yes" (which I'm imagining it will be), anyone have any suggestions on how to accomplish the same thing without spending over $100 for just that piece from KP's website?

[HoosierKettle]

I don't have a steel but I won't make one on the kettle again unless I get one. My inside gas stove makes incredible pizza top and bottom. Making pizza outside is more fun and challenging but my regular oven is so easy and good.


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[varekai]

That's why I went with my lid mod, it's darn near the perfect set up....

[captjoe06]

I just lift the peel up at the end of the cook so the pie is up inside the lid and it browns the cheese and toppings due to the higher heat up there.  Less is more with the toppings as well.  too much sauce or cheese and there's too much moisture to brown.

[HoosierKettle]

That's why I went with my lid mod, it's darn near the perfect set up....

This is the route I will go if I return to cooking pizza on the kettle.


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[Troy]

The baking steel is a must IMo


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[BertVentures]

Here's a much cheaper alternative (not as convinient as a steel plate) using ceramic briquettes with your cooking grate, vent shown is optional, you can arrange the briquettes and leave open space for vent anywhere you want and then cover with aluminum foil. You just have to figure out a way to support it on top of your pizza kettle.  Ceramic briquettes will store and radiate more heat in my opinion.

[MacEggs]

I now use a piece of sheet aluminum on the upper part that lays on a cooking grate. Works great!

Also cut a piece for @MrHoss . He can attest to its effectiveness.

[Jason]

Before I got the KP baking steel, I used the lid from a 55gal drum. It works just as well as the baking steel, but not as pretty lol. And yes, having some sort of ceiling there make a very big difference.

[lksdrinker]

Definitely going to need to make something work.....I'll be playing with an oil drum lid for sure!

[blksabbath]

A foil wrapped pizza works up there too.  Or a pizza stone.

[baglorious]

I was able to trade into a set of Grillgrates for the Weber kettle, and using those on top of a spare grate seems to do the trick.  I think that any piece of metal (or whatever) will work, so long as it creates a ceiling over the stone and reaches the back of the grill (so the flames will roll forward).  In a perfect world, it has a rounded side that can contour the back of the kettle.  The more it can retain heat and radiate it, the better. 

Only caution with using a secondary stone is that it better be a brute.  I've cracked two stones when I get to high temp (the "light duty" ones we had lying around for regular oven use... not heavy/thick ones).

Note:  I also checked with a nearby metal fab shop.  They quoted me $60 for a plain steel 3/16th circle at 21" diameter with 2 small cuts on opposing sides.  Would have been plain steel (and needed seasoning or care)... but way cheaper.  That was what I planned to do before I traded into the grillgrates.

[Bob BQ]

I currently use the CI griddle grate on the top of KP.  I did just get a 21" diameter steel circle from @SteveZ... can't wait to get that all cleaned up and try it out.

Here's a stock pic of the CI griddle grate that I currently use:

[lksdrinker]

awesome.  Thanks guys....I'll definitely be playing around with something!  @Bob BQ  I love the look of that and feel like I could really use it for so many things other than pizza even!

[Bob BQ]

awesome.  Thanks guys....I'll definitely be playing around with something!  @Bob BQ  I love the look of that and feel like I could really use it for so many things other than pizza even!

It's a phenomenal grate!  I also have a CI grate that I swap out the griddle for.  Both the griddle and CI grate are the same size as Genesis B/C.