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I own several thicknesses of Baking Steel, a Fibrament-D stone, and a KK stone from Dennis. The Baking Steel rocks as a burger griddle, but then you wreck it for anything else. I dedicate it to tortillas from house-made masa from nixtamal from corn from Masienda. For this purpose their Oaxacan corn beats Anson Mills. Fresh tacos is quite the process but entirely worth it. Masienda primarily targets high-end Mexican restaurant; there are stories of Mexican chefs in tears remembering their childhoods, when they first smell tortillas cooking from this corn. We also use the Baking Steel stovetop for sourdough English muffins, which doesn't wreck its seasoning. Fibrament-D and the Dennis KK stone are similar, but the KK stone fits better. There's PhD science behind baking stones, and Dennis has entirely mastered this physics. I remember old threads where we discussed stone characteristics. There are two primary issues: How long a stone takes to heat up, and how quickly it returns the heat to pizza. Think superball bounce. Fibrament-D used to resist selling thick stones to consumers, because unlike a pizza shop where the oven stays on all day, a thick stone takes too long to heat up. And people do worry about fuel consumption heating a thick stone in a KK. I don't; the KK does pretty well once it reaches cruising altitude, and I consider it an honor to get to supply my KK with fuel. The Dennis KK stone is thick, and I don't consider this an issue. A Baking Steel is ideal for Neopolitan pizza, nothing else. Neopolitan pizza cooks extremely fast. One can fall into the trap of believing that's the only kind of pizza, the platonic ideal to which we should all aspire. I don't, I have too many other variables in play, like grinding my own flour. I vastly prefer baking pizza or bread on stone. If you do go down the Baking Steel rabbit hole, don't congratulate yourself just yet. There are those who prefer aluminum or copper. Learn why, and be prepared to defend your choice.

I planned this to be a KK cook, in fact had the KK all set to light but a friend called to say she had some homemade beans and brown bread for me. How could I resist so decided to do a quick cook of the Miso Chicken inside the house and eat it next day. The best baked beans I have ever tasted. The chicken was very good but I know that it would have been much better done on the KK, next time.

So pleased that you are getting a cover @jeffshoaf. Our Argentinian barbecue was not as well made as the grill that you are getting and when we spent £600 on it 11 years ago we thought that was a fortune to spend on a bbq. Sadly the lack of a cover did for it and I wouldn't have wanted you to go through the sheer frustration of having a piece of kit that isn't worth keeping after too few years. I am planning on all the stuff that I buy now outlasting me.

More data. The bottom of a NY thin crust baked on a steel. Note the leopard spotted goodness. And here’s the bottom of a south side thin baked on stone. Exactly what it is supposed to be. Brown. Crispy. No leopards.

I have both for different reasons as above. Here’s a thin NY style on steel: Here are two Chicago style south side thin pizzas on stone in my 32. Each is 14”. I wouldn’t do these on steel due to different style of crust and longer, lower temp cook. Detroit style on stone: Another use for steel: smash burgers. Again, need the high heat transfer to get the right char.

Here's a pic of the tarp I found along the roadside, I used a piece of rope and tied a bungy to each end to tighten around the waist. It doesn't look bad, but it keeps the rain and weather at bay. Maybe you know someone with an old canvas tent you could re:purpose. Incidentally, I came across Covers&all by reaching out at BBQ equipment store in Santa Maria Ca. They provided this link to them because they make custom covers for their Santa Maria grills, however each grill is of a different size and anything they had in stock was too small for my needs. What I know of the matierial is that you could find it at a marine supply, uncoated as mine but treated in a process to make them waterproof. If your buying a cover keep in mind the difference between water repellent and water proof is that the latter is permanent long lasting application while the other is temporary of lesser quality. If you purchase the coated substrate fabric covers, you will find them stiffer with less drapability than the a treated fabric. Whatever route you take you'll find they all do the job pretty well

Managing the cover off and on is easy. Mine was ~15-20% of the cost of the cooker, but because it is made for it, it fits correctly, looks good and provides excellent protection. The cover has heavy duty velcro for closures and comes with a cover for the hand wheel as well. you're spending probably 3k on the cooker, might as well make the investment in the cover to protect your investment in the cooker.

Thanks now I have to rip out a deck and interlock it or open it up and secure it with cement blocks so it can hold this beast. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nooooo, don't drag me down this rabbit hole @Syzygies. I spent some time investigating nixtamalisation and found that getting a decent piece of kit to grind the corn properly is a fool's game unless you want to buy an industrial machine from Mexico. Please tell me that it is the Masienda flour that you buy and that you haven't found a way to nixtamalise and grind the corn yourself. If it is the former then I will calm down and think about getting the flour when I next make it to the US. If it is the latter I would like to know how you do it and then I will worry about how far down this rabbit hole I want to follow.

Just spoke to Dennis, went with the 32 / blue pebble. I’m excited! Now I will need to sell the 21. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Non KK “cook” but a Valentines Day tradition in our house. Got to use my new Suisin bread knife that @tony b recommended. midnight moon, humbolt fog, OG Krystal, frommage D’affinois w/fig jame and slice honey crisp apples. Served with sopresata rustica & seeded sourdough baguette lunchtime beverage is Laurent-Pierrer Rose. Followed by Joseph Phelps cab

I’ve had my 23” Ultimate for a couple months now and have had some really successful cooks, most recently these tri-tips smoked at 225-250 dome temp until rare then reverse seered on bottom rack at 500 dome temp for a couple minutes on each side. The roasts turned out more medium than medium rare but they were still incredibly tender and juicy (pics below)! I also made a home made Chimmichurri sauce to accompany the meat. Questions: 1) I can’t seem to get temps to stay at 225 or below. I was reaching 245 to 250 with a tiny crack open in the bottom vent and the top dampener opened about an 8th of a turn. Any tips on how to maintain 225 or even lower? 2) Are there any drawbacks to having a full charcoal basket at the start of each cook? I’ve noticed a lot of you aim to have only the charcoal you need for a cook. C8D1FA3C-32D9-4607-AAAD-FC8DDB632478.mov IMG_5478.MOV

I added one to my order - thanks!

Oh come on, you know me, was there ever any doubt? I started a thread on making nixtamal from Masienda corn, to consolidate what I've posted on other threads such as here: Nixtamal / masa / tacos from Masienda Oaxacan corn

For the uninitiated, see above for @Pequod's post about the Chicago Thin. I can just taste that fennel sausage now. One to make very very soon.

Amazing review, since I am getting a 32 now I can put everything in the order and not worry about the shipping cost so for sure I’ll be getting the baking stone along with a few other accessories. Now I’m just excited the wait is going to be hard Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Steel is about 15x higher heat transfer than stone. Very high initial thermal “punch.” It’s best for thin crust NY or Neapolitan style pizzas where you want a leopard spotting on the bottom. Put another way, pizzas that you’d normally do at high temps (think 650+) work well with a steel at lower temp (500-550). Pizzas that you’d do at 450-500 — e.g. deep dish - don’t benefit as much from steel.

For those interested, here is my review of the Worksharp ken onion sharpening tool. Given this tool uses a belt that flexes when blade pressure is pushed upon the belt, it creates a convex edge to the blade. Although I understood the theory of honing a convex edge, until I had achieved this, you really can’t appreciate the difference. The edge doesn’t feel as sharp against your skin, but don’t underestimate how sharp it is when slicing. I can get a razor edge on stones that look and felt sharper than what this tool can do, however, my knives now slice equally well, AND, keep the sharp edge for easily twice the amount of cutting. In fact, I haven’t had to resharpen yet. The one downside is yes, the guides can leave a rub line about 20mm from the edge. There is an extension to this tool with larger belts designed to free run the blade without guides to overcome this- I don’t have this extension, maybe later. It’s easy to use, quick, and provides a longer lasting edge. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The half grate comes as standard with the 32. Even more grates come as standard with the 42 if you were so inclined...

Hello, my name is Will and I am a French chef living in Oakland, California. Today I received my new 32" BB completing my collection of kamado grill. I can't wait to start cooking on this beast 😉

Kid cactus you have nailed that tri tip. As Tyrus said, check everything is sealed, and do you have the lid closed to the second bump? Top flue 1/8th and the bottom can still be 5- 10mm open. Less than that and my fire goes out. Fill your basket with each cook. No advantage to a smaller basket of charcoal, and it’s a pain if you run out mid cook. Tyrus the colour on the outside of that steak is very pretty. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Flank steak pinwheel with garlic cheddar, spinach, prosciutto & feta. Cooked half basket, slid over to opposite side with a cherry balsamic sauce to set. Home fries on the new outside wok and burner from Bass Pro. These tatoes are dedicated to Tekebo's search for the perfect tata. Soaked in a salt brine and cooked in olive oil till done. Finished with a little Maldon flake then bombed with Heinz. Crisp out soft inside. Fresh veggies yum

@Pequod, I have thought this since joining the forum and not a better chance than now. But this used to be my favorite chicago style when I lived there. The cheese ring on the cast iron effect is something I’ve since replicated many times. https://m.yelp.com/biz/pequods-pizzeria-chicago Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When my daughter was growing up, we made flour tortillas from home-ground flour multiple times a week for bean and cheese burritos. She was a rather conservative eater, so we stuck with palm shortening or olive oil, but the chicken fat sounds yummy! We haven't gotten to serve her the homemade corn tortillas yet, after the pandemic, I hope.

The cover AZ BBQ sells is heavier than the covers Dennis sells for the KK's.

Ooh! My kind of relationship! My friend who turned me on to fresh masa years ago tried a food processor and was disappointed. Think about it; why would Indians buy wet grinders if food processors did the trick? He ended up borrowing my Vita-Prep commercial blender, using too much water, and thickening back to masa with masa harina. Half and half is still better than nothing. This by the way is the way to make a Thai curry paste; just borrow some of the coconut cream you'll later fry in, and let the Vita-Prep replace an hour's work with a mortar and pestle. I used to own a Sumeet Indian food processor. It felt like India. It worked great while it lasted, but even a Sumeet isn't up to nixtamal. My first mill for grinding flour (for flour tortillas and chapatis, of course) was a Samap Manual Grain Mill. It would take me half an hour to produce enough flour for a batch of pasta, then I'd need a shower. No, I haven't tried a matate. Even Mexicans just finish on a metate, after doing the bulk of the work with a hand mill.

Forrest, you wouldn't be hoping to cash in on that would you? just a little. Where you going to store all that, well look no further...Dennis has some pretty nice teak and SS cabinets.

True with the reference to marine, as was the cover I found, but the ones they provide are the coated (I believe) and sewn on heavy duty sewing machines. I simply toss one end up and pull it over. AND get the ROTO you'll be kicking yourself later if you don't. I know mine was an extra grand just for that but oooh what a difference and so many doors open for cooks

Here's what AZ BBQs say about their covers:

Thanks for the reminder of this recipe. I plan to give this a try once the weather gets better.

Of course. Wedges are for...coastal elites.

Can you wangle a copy of the recipe for us? I will try.[emoji16] Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk

Congratulations @buzilo!

You got really good marks on that chicken for an IDK cook @MacKenzie. Best baked beans you have ever tasted? They must have been good. Can you wangle a copy of the recipe for us? That looks like a lovely Valentine's Day spread @Troble.

21" SUPREME Metalic Bronze Komodo Kamado For Sale - $3000 https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=53718&share_tid=10731&url=https://www.komodokamadoforum.com/index.php?/topic/10731-21%22-SUPREME-Metalic-Bronze-Komodo-Kamado-For-Sale---%243000&share_type=t&link_source=app Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I put up the listing with all the pictures Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Beautiful St. George, UT Red Rocks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Best meat probe on the market! I have the Meater Block. I’m worried about the reception in the KK, them walls are thicc! Lol! I will post a review of Meater in regards to how it works with my KK once I get my 21”. It works great in my Big Joe and the walls are thick too. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

He said that he is waiting for the tiles hopefully! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Clever sous chefs you have, Troble.

Nice steak Forrest, just the perfect amount of char, purdy color too. Is that the Matterhorn behind your house, a little dusty and barren, but a monument nonetheless. Love it.

I know those girls handmade those chocolate berries. Yep, somewhere in the archives I have the pic of my daughters doing the same. Hey, Happy Valentines Day Pretty girls

I see that you have a MEATER. How do you like it?

Soapstone action baby! \

I can only guess you stalked those quail outback of the house with a bow and arrow and brought them to the table. Very nice cook Tekebo beautiful color. I didn't expect anything less.

Chicken schawarma over Jollof rice. Delicious. We ate way too much. I put a casserole into the KK afterwards, to cook slowly for supper. Now not sure I can eat again before tomorrow. We were out of pineapple so I topped the schawarma with a half red onion and half of a quince. The latter made everything smell like Christmas.

Sunbrella cover

If you can afford it just buy them all. If you don’t use something I’m sure you could sale it on here to another member. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think you will quickly notice the difference between how your new KK operates and your experience with other kamados. I suspect your concern with heat entrapment under the drip pan will eliminated once you use it. These really are superb units.

I just placed my order for the brick-lined Santa Maria grill from Arizona BBQ Outfitters. They're estimating the current lead time to get it built at 14 weeks; the 48" model is actually 57" wide so it's a big'un and weighs 800 lbs. I upgraded to the dual stainless steel grates. I went a bit over what i had hoped to spend once the shipping was added in, but it was less expensive than my KK and my pizza oven. They said the had two being built now; of course, those belong to someone else so i have to wait my turn. She also said the price of steel is going up so i wouldn't be surprised if they have to raise their prices. Based on their Facebook page, they've been busy and recently shipped a bunch of BBQ pits. Now i need to find a source for wood. We had a wood burning furnace when i was growing up so i have plenty of experience cutting and splittng wood, but my old worn-out back can't handle that anymore! Thanks for everyone's input!