Everyone Needs a Metal Peel

[rcbaughn]

I kind of hate to start a new thread for this, but I just want to stress just how much my new metal peel helped me last night in getting my pie to cook better in a home oven. I was using a flat metal cookie sheet before to remove the pie and a wooden peel for launching, but man, the peel is about 10x better. And for anyone thinking that the $16 or so that you will spend would be better elsewhere, remove that thought from your head. Especially if you do any broiler tricks to get your pies to cook, you can hold the pie literally centimeters away from the broiler to get that char that you've been looking for. Get a metal peel! I'm a convert now and thank whoever told me to get one, it is the best thing to happen to my pizza baking since I bought my stone.

[buceriasdon]

+1

[TXCraig1]

Ya, using a cookie sheet as a peel just doesn't scream "I'm serious about pizza!" 

Next thing you know, you'll be thinking you need a pizza cutter...

[FeCheF]

Ya, using a cookie sheet as a peel just doesn't scream "I'm serious about pizza!" 

Next thing you know, you'll be thinking you need a pizza cutter...

Wait...What? I use a pizza cutter. Have i been duped into buying a useless piece of cutlery?

[rcbaughn]

Hahaha I use a chef's knife to cut my pizza............................................ Just kidding! LOL, although my pizza cutter is pretty lousy. One of the $1 jobs from Wal-mart. I guess I need to read up on a good pizza cutter and go order it. I saw one of those Bialetti pizza rockers but wonder if it's much better than a pizza cutter. It's kinda big to store in my kitchen too.

[pizzaneer]

For small jobs - just a few pizzas here and there, you could try an Ulu.  This is an eskimo snow knife, made from SS, usually with a wood handle.  Its also handy for everyday use (chopping veggies, meat, etc), unlike a pizza cutter.

http://www.ulu.com/

the handle on my first one came off, so I took a 1" dowel, cut it lengthwise and drilled holes matching the ulu tang holes.  I left some length on it, so it looks more like a rounded hatchet than anything else.  Unbelievably useful - 20 years later, its still my go-to knife.

[TXCraig1]

Hahaha I use a chef's knife to cut my pizza............................................ Just kidding! LOL, although my pizza cutter is pretty lousy. One of the $1 jobs from Wal-mart. I guess I need to read up on a good pizza cutter and go order it. I saw one of those Bialetti pizza rockers but wonder if it's much better than a pizza cutter. It's kinda big to store in my kitchen too.

I'm pretty sure mine came from Wal-Mart too... or  maybe World Market. In any case, it wasn't much more than a buck. 

[rcbaughn]

I'm pretty sure mine came from Wal-Mart too... or  maybe World Market. In any case, it wasn't much more than a buck. 

Well that makes me feel better then, one of the best pizza makers on this site is using a cheap cutter too. Haha, only thing that I may try to spend money on is a cutter with a removable blade, would make cleaning the sucker a whole lot easier.

[TXCraig1]

Well that makes me feel better then, one of the best pizza makers on this site is using a cheap cutter too. Haha, only thing that I may try to spend money on is a cutter with a removable blade, would make cleaning the sucker a whole lot easier.

Don't do that - you'll take all the flavor out of it.

[rcbaughn]

Don't do that - you'll take all the flavor out of it.

Today's secret artisan ingredient?        ---------------------------->        Cheap pizza cutters.

[pizzaneer]

wrap a 100 dollar bill around the handle - you'll respect it a whole lot more and the pizza will taste better!

[Tatoosh]

Cookie sheets do not scream serious?  Well, they scream serious about cookies, I guess.  We turn out a pretty serious Toll House CC cookie that I'm not ashamed of at all. 

I do want a metal peel but haven't got one coming yet, just a wooden peel on the way.  I may see if my local fabricator can make one.  I'm thinking I will do one with the perforations instead of solid metal.   

[TXCraig1]

Cookie sheets do not scream serious?  Well, they scream serious about cookies, I guess. 

Re-read what I wrote.

[scott123]

I'm pretty serious about pizza and I use a cookie sheet    The inexpensive metal peels have always struck me as being a bit clunky and I refuse to pay the huge bucks for the really sexy ones.

I have recently made the decision to get a cheap metal peel and see where I can get with sanding it to a finer edge.

[widespreadpizza]

wood peel all the way.

[rcbaughn]

Oh I love my wood peel for launching, it never ever lets a pie stick now that I rubbed it harshly with flour. The metal one is great for getting a pie RIGHT up against the broiler at the end of the bake though..... Without igniting into flames and burning my house down. LOL.

[chickenparm]

I use the Force.Perfect pizza every time!
 

That said,I love my metal peel,I use it to remove the pizza or place it under the broiler.I use a wooden super peel to launch the pies to cook.

 

[Tatoosh]

I apologize for not using the appropriate smiley when I posted my reply to you Txcraig1, no offense meant:

Ya, using a cookie sheet as a peel just doesn't scream "I'm serious about pizza!"  

Next thing you know, you'll be thinking you need a pizza cutter...

I was jus' joshin'  

Tough love on the metal peel, rcbaughn? All hard rubbing with flour and so on.  Does that actually work?  I was figuring on having mine made out of aluminum sheet metal, perforated.  Or maybe I should go for tool steel and ground down to a nice sharp edge since foreigners aren't allowed to have weapons in the Philippines.  

If I ever hit the lottery, I'm going to have a Damascus Steel Pizza Peel made.  That oughta improve them bunches!  

[rcbaughn]

Haha, home protection with your ultra sharp metal peel! But yeah, I have had great luck since I took my wooden peel and really rubbed the hell out of it with flour. Nothing will stick to it now, it's dry as a bone even when I launch a pretty sticky feeling pie. I have had to go back and rub it maybe once or twice with flour, but I've baked a lot of pies recently and none of them have come out with excess bench flour on the bottom. That was my big reservation with doing it at all since I HATE raw flour on a pie, but it's worked out well.

BTW, I have a damascus steel Case knife and it's beautiful. That is by far the most beautiful form of metal working to me. I'd love to have about 10 more in my knife collection, and a whole set of kitchen knives as well. Maybe when I make a little money one day I can make the investment. LOL.

-Cory

[buceriasdon]

Cory, Once I have the time I'm having a 18" rocking cutter made. My present one is only 13" and doesn't quite do the job right on my 16" pies. I like a rocking cutter.
Don

Hahaha I use a chef's knife to cut my pizza............................................ Just kidding! LOL, although my pizza cutter is pretty lousy. One of the $1 jobs from Wal-mart. I guess I need to read up on a good pizza cutter and go order it. I saw one of those Bialetti pizza rockers but wonder if it's much better than a pizza cutter. It's kinda big to store in my kitchen too.