Pequod

Interesting. Very low Hydration -- 50% -- even for Neapolitan.

I've tried Truecaller on my iPhone and found that 1) it doesn't automatically update the block list, and 2) doesn't actually block spam calls, it just displays them with a red background. Since I don't answer calls from unknown numbers anyway, ends up being of little value. Is there a setting somewhere for blocking calls that I haven't found? I ended up using Nomorobo on my home landline (free) and paying for the subscription ($2/month) on my iPhone. It's far from perfect, but it does automatically update the block list hourly and actually blocks (most) calls.

They're super easy. I used the recipe on the Baking Steel website. This is the one: http://www.bakingsteel.com/blog/english-muffin-recipe

Interesting roaster. I can't seem to find much info on them online other than a wee bit on H-B. Are they sold in the US or do you order directly from Bella? I'm still thinking about the Huky. It has the capacity I'd need -- about 350g for brewed coffee per week.

A little example of why a baking steel griddle is awesome. This is the griddle side of the same steel I use on my KK for pizza and smash burgers. Indoors, we're doing English muffins today for eggs Benedict made with some leftover Wagyu tri tip.

Wow! That sounds superb!

After eating out all week while on family vacation, picked up some wild sockeye and asparagus on the way home.

@jarraa- I've used my 15" griddle on the stove. It works fine, but the skinny griddle would be better as it would straddle two burners. I've contemplated adding a skinny griddle for exactly that reason.

Or you could just rotate it 90 degrees?

@jarraa griddles are here and are 3/8" thick: https://shop.bakingsteel.com/collections/griddles Four sizes to choose from. Only difference between griddles and other steels is juice groove on one side.

I have to disagree with this. Sorry. The steel excels for thin crust pizza, giving perfectly leopard spotted crusts. The stone is best for lower heat transfer applications and longer bakes, like bread or thicker pizzas. Also, flip over the steel and, if you purchased the griddle, you have the perfect surface for smash burgers. I use my steel a LOT both inside and outside. Extremely versatile. Need to think of the steel and the KK stone as being for different applications.

Here's a pic of my round, 15" baking steel on the upper grate of the 23. Looks like you've got plenty of room for the rectangular steel.

Cool, thanks! I strive to be you someday.

@FotonDrv, do you no longer have the motorized HG-1? I read about it at H-B. Do you still do brewed coffee or just espresso now? I currently use a Pharos grinder for espresso with my PID'd Gaggia Classic. I use a Chemex and French Press for brewed coffee. For those I use a Capresso Infinity, but finding the grind distribution out of whack, so am looking to upgrade. Was considering a Lido 3. I typically brew 40-50g of beans at a time, so smaller manual grinders won't do.

Seems all roads lead to some model of North! I'll have to think on this a bit more. Given finite funds, I'd probably be better off upgrading my espresso machine to something high end -- maybe a lever -- before attempting roast profiles I'd not be able to differentiate in the cup. More to think about. Thanks!

Celebrating Canada Day a few days late. Anyone know where I can get some poutine in Niagara Falls?

I've never seen on any forum anywhere, regardless of subject, the owner/admin take someone to task like that publicly. Whatever you said (which I took as a joke), his response was unacceptable. Period. Small man indeed. I have my own opinions of the Guru and it's owner. Suffice to say I've found little reason to hang out there. Side note, @CeramicChef, folks at AR have been asking about you. You're still welcome there.

Don't know what it is about the Guru, but I can wander away for months at a time, and it's a certainty that whenever I poke my head in again there's some kind of drama. Less Guru for me. The internet is too big to waste time there.

Yes it does, thank you. Have been studying up at home-barista. The Huky seems to have a somewhat rabid following and have been digging more into that. Not outrageously priced either. Have a few months (at least) before I can pull the trigger due to having bought my second KK earlier this year, but this discussion helps point me in the right direction. More research to be done!

Good comments and interesting roaster -- definitely looks to be in the "KK" equivalent class, but you're right it probably isn't the right place to start. Interesting too that you were able to use the Behmor for espresso. My (less than thorough) reading on the Behmor is that you have a very limited window after second crack before the whole thing goes up in flames. Maybe exaggerating just a bit, but my understanding is that the cooldown is internal, and so it coasts a bit once you punch the cool button and is easy to overshoot. Can you do a Vienna roast with a Behmor? The Hottop has definitely crossed my eyeline. Maybe a bit more pricey than I'd hoped, but possibly the right answer. I'd rather buy the right solution once than to buy a "starter" roaster, only to replace it with KK class stuff two years later. The Behmor seems like an inexpensive way to get started, but my gut tells me that I'd be buying a Hottop or similar shortly after.

I know there are some coffee geeks here (ahem @FotonDrv, I'm looking at you). I'm starting to look into options for trying my hand at home roasting. Have been looking at the Behmor, but then my KK "buy the best" instincts kick in and tell me to shoot higher. That's where the waters start to muddy a bit. What would you suggest I look at for good all around roasting options? The facts: I'm a roasting noob, but wanting to learn. I understand about first crack and second crack. And then things can catch fire. I do both brewed coffee -- French press and Chemex -- and espresso using my PID'd and fine tuned Gaggia Classic. It gets the job done for now. Will probably upgrade at some point. I like City and Full City roasts for brewed coffee - usually buy from my local microroaster (GREAT stuff) and he's inspired me to give this a go. I like Redbird for espresso - maybe Full City+ to Vienna range? That's all for now. Off to post questions about BBQ on a pizza forum, and pizza questions on a coffee forum.

Drawing down on online forums, but will leave y'all with this. Sourdough pizzas. Ground my own Italian sausage.

The splitter is easily removed. However, I have two baskets for my 23 not so that one is split and one not, but to hold different types of charcoal. One basket holds nothing but CoCo char for low and slows, and the other is regular lump for everything else. I have only one basket for my 32 that stays mostly in the 50% split configuration (two-zones), and I keep KK Coffeewood lump in that basket.

Great color!