Wow…what more can I say really…
So, when I said that I expected brutal honesty, this is definitely not what I had in mind, and that reaction was by no means the reaction that I anticipated.
I apologize for the delayed response; between working a full-time job, developing a product and running a Kickstarter project, there are simply not enough hours in the day for everything that needs to be accomplished.
I want to address the issues/topics that were raised as to show that I am not some “evil oven salesman”, and that I was genuinely looking for the opinions of those that I respected and regarded as pizza aficionados.
Scott123:
I am sorry that you feel that the world does not need another version of the 2Stone Pizza Grill. I tend to disagree, due to the fact that if the 2Stone had been more widely advertised and available in a retail environment, or if there had been another option that was, I would have purchased it and would have never developed The Brick Oven Box in the first place.
I needed (wanted) to be able to make pizzeria quality pizzas at home, and did not have the space to put a WFO in my 8’ x 8’ townhome patio. I set out on an amazingly frustrating, yet enjoyable, adventure of trying to recreate the effects of a WFO on my gas grill. As you can see from my post from almost a year ago, I came up with a design that consisted of firebricks, pizza stones and aluminum foil. I spent countless hours trying to devise a way to refine my design, and that ultimately led me to where I am today.
Once I had my design to where I wanted it, I turned to a patent attorney to help me protect my invention. Before working on the patent, he recommended that we search for prior art, and that was when I learned of the “High temperature bake oven” by one Mr. Willard Gustavsen (aka, 2Stone). I was instantly disheartened and thought that the countless hours of work were for nothing. However, he advised me that my product did not infringe upon Mr. Gustavsen's patent, and that my invention would still be patentable, as it is different and has unique features and qualities.
That is the only reason that you see my project today. I am not interested in wasting my time and/or money on something that does not have a chance at succeeding.
I am extremely impressed by the business that Mr. Gustavsen has developed, and hope that we will be able to co-exist within this space.
This is all that I have to say on that matter, and appreciate you having shared your thoughts and concerns and hope that we can move past this now.
Kickstarter:
When I said that I am not asking for anyone’s money, I meant that. I wanted feedback on the product and its pizza applications, design, etc.
I also indicated that if anyone is interested in backing me, that I would welcome their support. I apologize if that offended you.
Neapolitan Time Claims, BTU’s, Burnt Pizza, etc.:
The claims of baking Neapolitan Style pizzas in 60 to 90 seconds are based upon results that I have achieved myself. As petef pointed out, I will need to add a disclaimer that addresses the fact that this may range based upon BTU’s, grill specs, etc.
As you saw by the overly charred bottom on the pizza that you posted, not all pizzas come out perfectly. The same thing can happen in a WFO. That particular pizza was an experimental pizza that I made when I had the base stone at 1,015 F…yes, that is one-thousand and fifteen degrees...The pizza cooked (burned) in 55 seconds. The issue there was the top of the box did not have anywhere near the heat of the base, and therefore the top did not cook appropriately. The dough formulation was also not one for extremely high heat like that.
That experiment was also done before I fashioned the steel hood that you see in my designs. Now that I have the steel hood, I am able to keep the base and top of the box at almost the same temp, and when making Neapolitan Pizza, am able to preheat the entire box, turn off the middle burner and continue heating the top stone and am able to achieve hotter top stone temps. It does take some experimenting based upon your exact grill specs, but that’s actually part of the fun; I equate it to learning the keys to managing a WFO correctly.
The setup that I have done most of my testing on is an older model CharBroil that is rated at 40,000 btu’s with 3 burners (left, middle, right).
I am able to heat to the 800 to 1000 degree range in around 30 to 40 minutes. The exact times can vary based upon external temps, temp of The Brick Oven Box when it goes on the grill, etc.
And, FYI, if you ever want something from me, i.e.: images or details, feel free to ask me for it. I assure you that I am simply a fellow pizza lover that developed a way to make pizzas out of necessity, which is the mother-of-all-invention as they say.
Petef & Pete-zza:
Thank you for being a voice of reason throughout the thread. I do appreciate everyone’s insight and will take your suggestions under consideration.
I hope that if we continue with this thread, you will check out the product and let me know what kind of questions you have.
I am also willing to do a web conference / demonstration to answer questions and show you how it works.
Jeff v - better mouse trap:
EXACTLY!
Gray Oven:
It does allow for air to flow through the chamber. There are also alternative design options that include for channels to allow for additional air flow within the box.
Thank you all for you input and for checking out my project. If you would like to continue this thread, then I welcome your questions. If not, then I wish you all the best and Happy Pizza Making!
Tim
