which is better: Hearth Bake Disk or QuikDisk?

[canadave]

Well, I'm taking the plunge...after years of using my quarry tiles, I'm going to finally acquire a pizza screen and give that a go.  Just to compare.

I'm ordering from LloydPans.com, and I see they have an 18" Hearth Bake Disk and an 18" PSTK QuikDisk, both the exact same price.  Which one, I wonder, would be better for achieving a crispy, browned NY-style crust in a 530-degree home oven?

--Dave

[Pete-zza]

Dave,

I have both types of disks but haven’t played around with them enough yet to conclude much of anything. However, both disks are intended to be used with conveyor ovens. Tom Lehmann has been a strong advocate of the Hearth style disks (see the posts below) but it is not clear how objective he is on the matter because he was involved with Lloyd in the design of the disks. He has also been a supporter of the use of the disks with the Lincoln FastBake conveyor oven, and is often quoted in the Lincoln promotional literature.

Here is a sampling of Tom Lehmann PMQ Think Tank posts on the new Hearth style disks:

http://thinktank.pmq.com/viewtopic.php?p=19242#19242
http://thinktank.pmq.com/viewtopic.php?p=18561#18561
http://thinktank.pmq.com/viewtopic.php?p=13506#13506
http://thinktank.pmq.com/viewtopic.php?p=8933#8933

Note, in particular, the last Lehmann post. You will see that the dough mentioned there has a low thickness factor—meaning a thin dough (in the “elite” NY pizza range). I mention this because my recollection is that your NY style dough has a considerably greater thickness. So, it is not clear how well your pizzas might bake using the new hearth style disk.

Peter

[canadave]

Dave,

I have both types of disks but haven’t played around with them enough yet to conclude much of anything. However, both disks are intended to be used with conveyor ovens. Tom Lehmann has been a strong advocate of the Hearth style disks (see the posts below) but it is not clear how objective he is on the matter because he was involved with Lloyd in the design of the disks. He has also been a supporter of the use of the disks with the Lincoln FastBake conveyor oven, and is often quoted in the Lincoln promotional literature.

Here is a sampling of Tom Lehmann PMQ Think Tank posts on the new Hearth style disks:

http://thinktank.pmq.com/viewtopic.php?p=19242#19242
http://thinktank.pmq.com/viewtopic.php?p=18561#18561
http://thinktank.pmq.com/viewtopic.php?p=13506#13506
http://thinktank.pmq.com/viewtopic.php?p=8933#8933

Note, in particular, the last Lehmann post. You will see that the dough mentioned there has a low thickness factor—meaning a thin dough (in the “elite” NY pizza range). I mention this because my recollection is that your NY style dough has a considerably greater thickness. So, it is not clear how well your pizzas might bake using the new hearth style disk.

Peter

Thanks very much Pete for the info.  Are you implying that neither a QuikDisk nor a Hearth Disk will be better than a true pizza screen for a home-oven-baked pizza?

As for thickness, I've been forming my crusts thinner these days, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem...I just want to avoid getting a screen that won't even come close to crisping my crust.

[Pete-zza]

Dave,

No, I was not implying that disks are better than pizza screens in a home oven. It's just that I have had much more experience with the screens (or a combination of screens and a stone) than the disks. Members who have used the disks more frequently than I will be in a better position to comment on their value in the context of a home oven, and for which particular styles.

Peter

[pcampbell]

I have the QuikDisk - I would be really curious to see how the hearth one comes out.  I will probably order a smaller one.  I have the 16" Quik Diskand now that I am not ridingmy bike 300 miles a week we're eating smaller pies, which tend to cook better I think because they cook more quickly.  At least in our oven.  After using the disk I really have never wanted to use the screen again.  It cleans up in just a few seconds and never sticks.  There is a 5% coupon for pizzatools.com if you search on here.  I also noted the hearth is thicker (16 vs 18 ga) and with fewer holes it should be more durable than the QuikDisk regardless.

[canadave]

Hi guys,

For what it's worth, I decided to write to the LloydPans folks and put the question to them directly.  Here's what I asked:

Maybe you can help me decide.  I'm going to be using the disk in a home oven, at a maximum temperature of 530 degrees.  I bake New York-style thin-crust pizzas, and I'm looking for something that will make the dough crust as *crispy and browned* on the underside as possible.  Which would be better for achieving that as quickly as possible: an 18" Hearth Bake Disk or the 18" QuikDisk I ordered?  They're both the same price on your website, so if you could just ship me whichever one would be better in that situation, and modify my order accordingly if need be, I'd appreciate it very much.

And here was their reply just now:

"Hello Dave,
Actually your order hasn't shipped yet, it was on hold awaiting your approval. I have changed your order to a Hearth Bake Disk and it will ship out today. The Hearth Bake Disk has a larger surface area, and larger perfs. This allows it to better brown the crust and and make the bottom of the crust look more like it was cooked in a deck oven. I'm sure it will better achieve what you are wanting than the Quik Disk. Let me know if you have any questions."

Voila
--Dave