Re: Portable Neapolitan-Style Pizza Oven

[Mr_You]

I began my "portable neapolitan-style pizza oven" experiment over the weekend and glad to have come across this forum.

I bought one of these "cheap" infrared portable grills last year.  I might be able to provide pics later, camera batteries weren't working.  I can't post with hyperlinks so visit bbqgalore.com for the info on the "Turbo Sport Infrared Stainless Steel Portable Grill".

I put a single layer of unglazed quarry tile on the grill, but I might need another layer (still experimenting).  The manufacturer says not to cook with the hood down and from some quick searching of this forum it seems this could eventually warp the hood. 

The surface area of this grill isn't huge, but works fine for me.  Another thing I'm considering, which I have come across before, is modifying this grill for two infrared burners and using it primarily for searing meat and cooking pizzas while using a separate large grill for normal grilling.

So right now I'm trying to determine a decent way to line a single layer of tiles inside the hood.  Any ideas?  I've thought about an extra grill rack, but lining the hood would be more attractive without crowding the oven.  Hopefully this will prevent the hood from warping and increase the temperature above the bottom tiles.

I'll report my progress.

[scpizza]

I don't know if you need tiles under the hood.  The tiles are good at drawing out moisture, but as Varasano suggested to me, they are not especially useful as direct radiators of heat.  They have some value providing increased thermal mass in an environment where hot air is what is doing the cooking, but then the bottom is just as good as the hood for locating them.

I think your biggest problem here, beyond getting the temperature high enough is getting the top to cook before the bottom burns.  If you remount half of the heating elements in the hood, that could make a huge difference.  And of course you'd have to cook with the hood closed, no question about it.

[Mr_You]

So it sounds like if I modify the hood to accommodate another infrared burner (it only has one in the bottom) that I may be "half way there".   I need to get a proper thermometer, but these infrared burners can get REALLY hot.  Thanks for the reply.

[Mr_You]

Actually instead of modifying the hood I might just try positioning an infrared burner on top of an unglazed quarry tile "pizza box" with the hood open.  Heat the tile on high then drop back down to low when the pizza is in.  Or maybe I don't need the quarry tile.

[Flagpull]

What about insulating the hood?

[jimd]

Not sure if this adds anything of value to this thread, but at one point I screwed several firebricks to the underside of the hood of my Weber Gas Grill to see if they would radiate enough heat downward to cook the top of a pizza before the bottom burned.

This did not work, and I did not notice any real differance between having the bricks and not. In fact, even after allowing the grill to heat for 30 minutes, I did not feel any really intense heat coming off the firebrick at all. Practically, it may take a higher and more intense heat source to warm firebrick to the point where it is able to give back enough heat to cook the top of a pizza.

Jim

[Mr_You]

Practically, it may take a higher and more intense heat source to warm firebrick to the point where it is able to give back enough heat to cook the top of a pizza.

I think thats the key here.  And in regards to grills, I think the infrared burners may be the only source that can come anywhere close (these suckers get hotter than flame burners).  I'm not fooling myself into thinking this will be perfect, but its fun and my goal is to get close enough for reasonably quality neapolitan style pizzas.

What about insulating the hood?

Good idea!  But, last night I found I'll be able to create a box with the quarry tile and still be able to close the lid!  yay!     As long as I can steady the peel without bumping the top of the box, this should hopefully work great.

I'll see what kind of temperatures I can reach with the single burner and consider a second burner (maybe on top if the top tiles don't get hot enough) and/or hood insulation.  I'm thinking I would crank the heat to get the tile box hot then lower it and put the pizza inside.   

Thanks!