Game changers

[winmonster]

Instant-read thermometers/leave-in temp probes. ThermoWorks offers some good kit at various price ranges. I've been kind of okay on the cooking front, but knowing internal temps has elevated my game in the kitchen and on the patio. I have some fantastic tools at my disposal, but the thermometers have made the biggest difference. Any suggestions from the circus for similarly game changing instruments?

[Dave Thompson]

My game changer piece of equipment has been a cast iron griddle plate for my BBQ. Now I can easily make really good bacon-wrapped cheese stuffed shrimp. This has become somewhat of a staple at Casa Thompson on Tuesday nights after the fish guy comes by with his cargo of fresh shrimp.

[Too Tall]

Slab of steel for making pizza in the oven. Changed my indoor pizza game from just ok to freakin' great.

Giant Mortar and Pestle. Grinding salt to the consistency I desire based on what I'm serving or cooking rather than have a cupboard full of various salts NOT to mention compounding spices (giant palm to forehead).

[dgaddis]

Our Big Green Egg. Came with the house we bought (stand was built into the deck). It's made me really enjoy cooking and trying new things. Plus, it's easy to make amazing food, and makes anyone (even me) look like an awesome cook. Pulled pork from the BGE using a store bought rub is better than any BBQ I've ever had at any restaurant, ever, and it takes zero skill. Put rub on pork. Stabilize grill temp. Put pork on grill, close the lid, and don't open it again till the thermometer says it's done.

[guido]

Slab of steel for making pizza in the oven. Changed my indoor pizza game from just ok to freakin' great.

Josh -- How does this compare to a stone? Like a fool i let my SO pitch my pizza stone while i was dabbling with paleo. That has passed and it is time to rebuild the pizza infrastructure...

[guido]

My game changer piece of equipment has been a cast iron griddle plate for my BBQ. Now I can easily make really good bacon-wrapped cheese stuffed shrimp. This has become somewhat of a staple at Casa Thompson on Tuesday nights after the fish guy comes by with his cargo of fresh shrimp.

Have you shared this recipe and i just missed it? Or do you like to think of us at our desks salivating excessively?

[funcrusher]

automatic pepper mill...not sure why i was hand grinding all these years...

ELIS SENSE - Pepper mill Stainless Steel | Peugeot Saveurs

[echelon_john]

Masterbuilt electric smoker. Yes, the purists may turn their noses up at it, and no, you probably won't confuse the end result with world class wood-smoked bbq. But damn it's easy to use, easy to clean, and makes it easy to decide at 5PM to smoke a slab of salmon for dinner, let alone ribs, turkey, etc.

Best $150 (delivered! Amazon Prime!) I've ever spent on a cooking/kitchen item. (Note: I see it's now $200, and still well worth it...)

Amazon.com : Masterbuilt 2791 3-Inch Black Electric Digital Smoker, Top Controller : Patio, Lawn & Garden

[Too Tall]

Josh -- How does this compare to a stone? Like a fool i let my SO pitch my pizza stone while i was dabbling with paleo. That has passed and it is time to rebuild the pizza infrastructure...

Steel does not retain any humidity. The bottom crust will crisp up at 500F vs a stone which does a nice job but not like the steel. The steel lives in my oven, it also makes for more even baking. I remove it when using convection.

[guido]

Steel does not retain any humidity. The bottom crust will crisp up at 500F vs a stone which does a nice job but not like the steel. The steel lives in my oven, it also makes for more even baking. I remove it when using convection.

Commercial product or sheet from your local metal supplier? Is it seasoned like good cast iron?

[Too Tall]

Commercial product or sheet from your local metal supplier? Is it seasoned like good cast iron?

Not seasoned. It is from someone in NYC or Brooklyn. I'll dig around for the sales recp't. There was a reference on Vsalon a few years ago in one of our many pizza threads.

*Edit. Quick Google Search finds this: https://shop.bakingsteel.com/collect...pecial-edition which looks just right. Infact, I *think this is the same gent who I purchased from during a kickstarter campaign.

[guido]

That looks perfect! Thanks!

[hidayanra]

Josh -- How does this compare to a stone? Like a fool i let my SO pitch my pizza stone while i was dabbling with paleo. That has passed and it is time to rebuild the pizza infrastructure...

it's like a group meeting in here:
Hi, my name is Ian, and I'm a pizza nerd.

I have a few pizza cooking option at the Villa-Deschutes, and my favorite combo is a charcoal grill heated HOT, pre-heat the cast iron pizza 'stone', and then in one motion transfer the pizza onto the grill/stone.

As close to Neapolitan pizza as is reasonable without a substantial investment.

**edit** I got a Lodge pizza pan (AMAZON LINK) for a wedding gift years ago, it works a charm, is quite a bit less $$, and has handles for when I use it inside (tight spaces make non-handled pans tricky in my oven)

The one TT linked is a good bit better looking - so it goes.

[guido]

Excellent guys keep it coming!

On a stone I would use corn meal to keep the crust from sticking. Is that the same practice with the steel surface?

[Too Tall]

I dust my pizza peel with corn meal so whatever comes with the pizza is enough. No need for extra corn meal on the steel, it would burn like he!!.

Excellent guys keep it coming!

On a stone I would use corn meal to keep the crust from sticking. Is that the same practice with the steel surface?

[hidayanra]

I dust my pizza peel with corn meal so whatever comes with the pizza is enough. No need for extra corn meal on the steel, it would burn like he!!.

my metal one is seasoned well enough that there's no dusting necessary. (as TT notes, it'd burn off in a bad way)

of note: I season my Lodge pan same way I do my cast iron skillets- more or less this. Lodge pans come factory finish w/ a manuf's finish that is okay, but slightly grainy and not great for eggs and such? A bit of time w/ a orb sander and re-seasoning, it's a glistening beauty.
I used the lodge pan for years w/ out re-seasoning, it was just fine - like 25mm Vittorias. Post seasoning, we are talking like 28mm Schwalbes here.

[darkmother]

Slab of steel for making pizza in the oven. Changed my indoor pizza game from just ok to freakin' great.

Pizza is a bit of a staple food around here, so I am interested. How thick is the steel you are using? I assume you preheat the steel in the oven beforehand? How do you keep the dough from sticking to the hot steel?

[Too Tall]

Pizza is a bit of a staple food around here, so I am interested. How thick is the steel you are using? I assume you preheat the steel in the oven beforehand? How do you keep the dough from sticking to the hot steel?

I believe mine is 1/4" steel and it lives in the oven. You'll want the steel at 500F. Pizza is not going to stick if you dust your pizza peel with corn meal.

[darkmother]

I believe mine is 1/4" steel and it lives in the oven. You'll want the steel at 500F. Pizza is not going to stick if you dust your pizza peel with corn meal.

Badass. That sounds like the way forward from where I am now. Thanks!

[winmonster]

That steel sounds interesting. I leave our stone in the oven, too, but who can argue with steel?

I'll reluctantly add my range into the list. Hot burners (19.5K BTU in an closed burner, alas I wanted open but these work) and a super consistent convection/steam oven. We've turned out some awesome meals.

Strike that. The vent is better than the oven. We have some super high-powered vent and it sucks the air right out of the room. It's loud, but it does its job.