Aussie Ora Posted January 23, 2017 Report Share Posted January 23, 2017 I have multiple Baking Steels, and multiple Fibrament-D baking stones. I take at face value any claims that a given solution works, but one can only make comparisons by trying both. People who make baking stones understand all sorts of heat transfer coefficients not generally revealed to the public. Dennis in particular understands this for his stones, which I have no doubt are as good as Fibrament-D. The rough idea is how quickly the stone returns heat energy to the baked good. One has seen something similar with bouncing rubber balls of different materials. Some balls bounce high, some are nearly dead, on purpose. To hit a given target, one compensates with different balls by how hard you bounce them. Here, good cooks can adapt and get great results from either Baking Steels or stones. Yet we're fighting a strong current here; to adapt, it helps to know which way it is flowing. A Baking Steel is optimized for returning a lot of heat in a hurry. A stone is tuned to return heat at a measured pace. Thus, I prefer a Baking Steel for thin crust pizzas, e.g Neapolitan style cooked very quickly. It also makes a great burger griddle, working on the KK. I prefer stones for baking bread; I don't like my bread to burn. A special problem, baking in the KK, is that heat comes from below. An unprotected steel or stone, left too long, gets too hot. One ends up cooking entirely from below, when ideal (think how a classic wood-fired pizza oven works) is mostly radiant heat from above. I work around this by stacking everything I've got, as a heat shield. For example, I had bought a thick rectangular kiln stone for baking bread. It didn't quite work, again the wrong thermal characteristics. (I'm of a certain age, and hippies loved appropriating objects that "the man" intended for other purposes, even if the redirection doesn't quite work. The old literature is filled with references to lining one's oven with kiln stones.) So I ordered a matching, also thick, Fibrament-D stone to set on top. It nicely fits two loaves of bread side-by-side, and the stack is thick enough to not overheat in my time frame. My giant cast iron skillet, filled with chain (meant for producing steam) also helps to turn the KK into an indirect oven. I loved playing squash lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooBeeQ Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 I have a stone, a steel and several cast iron pans and as mentioned above, all good for whatever you are trying to achieve . I prefer the steel because of the lower temp required to get a Neo crust on a thin pie. I feel I am stressing out my gaskets when I use a stone at 800 on my KK. (I have noticed some small smoke leaks on the sides when I do a low and slo therefore I think i've scorched the gaskets, they are cleaned and I may be nutz ) I also prefer a thin crust. Deep dish is OK but not what I would ever make. As an aside I have purchased the Pizza Kettle kit that I'm going to stick on an old weber kettle or UDS and make that my goto pizza oven. I Live in the northern climes and cook on my KK year round so heat soaking the kk/stone/steel from 0' is a tough go in the winter that will be alleviated with the KP kit. I hope. Besides can you ever have enough options for real food???? I think not. Zo0 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 Exactly, options are important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stile88 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 34 minutes ago, ZooBeeQ said: I have a stone, a steel and several cast iron pans and as mentioned above, all good for whatever you are trying to achieve . I prefer the steel because of the lower temp required to get a Neo crust on a thin pie. I feel I am stressing out my gaskets when I use a stone at 800 on my KK. (I have noticed some small smoke leaks on the sides when I do a low and slo therefore I think i've scorched the gaskets, they are cleaned and I may be nutz ) I also prefer a thin crust. Deep dish is OK but not what I would ever make. As an aside I have purchased the Pizza Kettle kit that I'm going to stick on an old weber kettle or UDS and make that my goto pizza oven. I Live in the northern climes and cook on my KK year round so heat soaking the kk/stone/steel from 0' is a tough go in the winter that will be alleviated with the KP kit. I hope. Besides can you ever have enough options for real food???? I think not. Zo0 I love that steel you have sue i have been meaning to get myself one. what temp do u cook pizza on it and what temp is the steel when you do nice to see you posting again i bet you didnt go out and cook during our little storm lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicChef Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 I like mass when I am baking. Keeps the temps nice and stead. That is why I love baking in my KKs. That is also why I love using the baking stone that I ordered with TheBeast, my 32" Big Bad. Because of that mass, whenever I cook multiple pizzas, I get really fine and consistent crusts. I also use it for breads, pies, cakes, cobbles, etc. I particularly like using my baking stone whenever I cook lasagna. I haven't used a baking spell in a very long time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooBeeQ Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 On 3/15/2017 at 3:03 PM, Stile88 said: I love that steel you have sue i have been meaning to get myself one. what temp do u cook pizza on it and what temp is the steel when you do nice to see you posting again i bet you didnt go out and cook during our little storm lol I get the steel up to 475 500 according to my infra red thermo. any hotter and it burns before it cooks. Thanks eh? I'll try to keep in the loop more LOL well no, you got me there, NOT that it was too cold mind, just choveling the drive is enough and THAT didn't get done till yesterday HA. We did however, do some piggery dogs and home made pita in the fireplace :-p. Sue 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stile88 Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 1 hour ago, ZooBeeQ said: I get the steel up to 475 500 according to my infra red thermo. any hotter and it burns before it cooks. Thanks eh? I'll try to keep in the loop more LOL well no, you got me there, NOT that it was too cold mind, just choveling the drive is enough and THAT didn't get done till yesterday HA. We did however, do some piggery dogs and home made pita in the fireplace :-p. Sue lol yea i didnt get out there to shovel till yesterday either i got a tad more snow then you though from the looks of your deck i will have to remember that temp when i eventually get the steel bet those dogs were delicious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooBeeQ Posted March 18, 2017 Report Share Posted March 18, 2017 I did'nt think we got as much as even by the airport so only 8' ? Sounds like you live close by so if you can get the Piggery meats, treat yourself to a real hot dog ! With Weber mustard of course !! lol so yes, they were terrific, Sahlens do not compare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
