Author Topic: "Serious Pie" by Tom Douglas in Seattle (Read 9043 times)

Art · « **Reply #20 on:** July 21, 2009, 02:26:16 PM »

What's the advantage over a wheel?

pacoast · « **Reply #21 on:** July 21, 2009, 02:54:17 PM »

I'm not sure that there is much of an advantage per se. It seems like more of a preference to me.

I do think that you could cut up a pizza a few seconds faster with a pizza knife than a wheel, but I'm not sold on that being significant. For me I find that using a pizza wheel is slightly awkward & most of them have side to side play so that the wheel pulls to the side slightly when you use it. A pizza knife just seems more "solid" to me, a better crafted tool for the job at hand IMHO, so I prefer using it over a wheel.

Keep in mind that a pizza knife usually costs double or triple what a pizza wheel sells for. In an ideal world you'd be able to try both & decide which appeals the most to you.

BurntFingers · « **Reply #22 on:** July 21, 2009, 03:20:17 PM »

We use a Mezza Luna, It is a two handled sharp half moon shaped blade knife. It is made in Germany, Wusthof Dreizack Solingen and has the number 4732 on the blade as well. The handles are substantial and it cuts easily holding a razor sharp edge. I forgot where we bought it though. It has been in the house for years.

Pete-zza · « **Reply #23 on:** July 21, 2009, 03:56:32 PM »

No doubt there are many reasons why one might prefer one type of cutter over another. However, from the perspective of a pizza operator, the biggest complaint I have read about is that a rotary wheel cutter tends to drag the cheeses and toppings across and through the pizza. They are also perceived as not being especially effective in cutting pizzas with a lot of cheeses and toppings. As a result, some pizza operators use both types of cutters. They use the wheel cutter to slice most of their pizzas (such as the ones that are cut right in the pizza boxes) and they use rocking cutters to slice pizzas that have a lot of cheeses and toppings. The rocking cutters are also pretty much mandatory for cutting deep-dish and stuffed pizzas. It also seems to me that the rocking motion of rocking cutters is likely to be more effective in cutting pizzas into a "grid" or "family" cut pattern, much as Serious Pie does with its pizzas.

It is true that rocker cutters are generally more expensive than wheel type cutters. Because of the size of the Serious Pie rocker cutter and the very deep blade, I would guess that their cutters are considerably more expensive than wheel type cutters and even most other rocker cutters. A disadvantage of the rocker style cutter is that the blade has to be sharpened periodically, or else replaced with a replacement blade. Some operators just buy several cheap rotary wheel cutters and simply throw them away when the blades get dull.

I would imagine that the folks at Serious Pie will reveal the source of their rocker cutters for those who might like to buy a cutter such as theirs.

Peter

David · « **Reply #24 on:** July 21, 2009, 04:58:24 PM »

http://cgi.ebay.ph/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360163158191

pacoast · « **Reply #25 on:** July 22, 2009, 02:20:58 AM »

Quote from: Pete-zza on July 21, 2009, 03:56:32 PM

I would imagine that the folks at Serious Pie will reveal the source of their rocker cutters for those who might like to buy a cutter such as theirs.

That's a good idea. I had already tried calling them at a slow time of the evening & asked.. but the fellow who picked up the phone didn't know (or didn't want to tell me). Probably he didn't know off the top of his head. Serious Pie is a two hour drive for me, but the next time I am in Seattle I will try their pizza in person and see if I can find out where they buy their pizza knife.

Thanks to those who suggested similar knifes..
burnt fingers, that Mezza Luna looks like it has a quality blade on it, but the two knob handle design isn't my favourite configuration.
David, that ebay one is pretty close to what Serious pie is using & great price. But just a couple inches too short to carve an 18" NY pie with or I'd be trying to buy one.

s00da · « **Reply #26 on:** July 22, 2009, 02:44:50 AM »

This one looks good enough http://www.amazon.com/Pizza-Knife-1-pc-Stainless-Steel/dp/B0001MRSP2/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1248245052&sr=8-9

It's 20"

pacoast · « **Reply #27 on:** July 22, 2009, 04:00:02 PM »

Thanks S00da. That is the one I'll buy if I can't find the same one that Serious Pie uses. The SP one still seems to have a more substantial handle, but the one you found is a good alternative.

Pete-zza · « **Reply #28 on:** July 22, 2009, 07:52:28 PM »

For more choices and pricing possibilities, see http://www.thefind.com/query.php?query=pizza+rocker+knife#page=1&local=0.

Peter

s00da · « **Reply #29 on:** July 31, 2009, 05:12:22 AM »

How about one of those

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej3KSfVU5aw&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej3KSfVU5aw&feature=player_embedded</a>

Pete-zza · « **Reply #30 on:** July 31, 2009, 10:03:01 PM »

I sent Tom Douglas an email via the Serious Pie website and asked Tom where I could get a rocker knife such as shown in the video. I received a reply tonight and here is his answer:

The knives are homemade!

That perhaps explains why I couldn't find anything really close to the Serious Pie rocker knife.

Peter

s00da · « **Reply #31 on:** August 01, 2009, 01:05:05 AM »

This one is very similar: http://cgi.ebay.ph/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360166943048

And I like the looks of this one: http://www.lloydpans.com/C-1000038/All+Steel+Rocker+Knives

Pete-zza · « **Reply #32 on:** August 01, 2009, 06:35:51 AM »

Saad,

I agree. If you click on the Lloyd link at http://www.lloydpans.com/C-1000038/All+Steel+Rocker+Knives that says "How do you use a rocker knife", you will see yet another large rocker knife, albeit one that apparently is not sold by Lloyd Pans. I still like the Serious Pie model the best, because of its size and the use of wood.

Peter

pacoast · « **Reply #33 on:** August 01, 2009, 06:02:26 PM »

Thanks for asking about the Serious pie knife. I will be there in the next week or so and will see if I can find out any additional details.

I think homemade would refer only to the wood handle. But the blade is surely a commercial item, unless they have a knife maker on staff.. which would be rather unusual. One could make a similar rocker knife with a different blade too, as long as it was of similar size and most importantly, has a flat tang or some suitable point that a wooden handle could be attached.

.

pacoast · « **Reply #34 on:** August 02, 2009, 10:30:21 PM »

The closest off the shelf rocker knife to the Serious pie one, seems to be this American Metalcraft rocker. About $40 depending on where you buy it. I think that by replacing the two small handles with a single, long wooden one should end up with a rocker knife that is almost the same dimensions & ergonomics as the the Serious pie one.

The stock handles should come off if the handle rivets are drilled out. Then one would need a piece of hardwood about 2 x 3 x 58cm with a slot cut in it as a replacement handle. With a 20" blade, this rocker knife should work for the occasional 18" NY pie that comes out of my oven, as well as the normal 12" ones that I make. Or so goes the plan.

.

bluesalt · « **Reply #35 on:** August 27, 2009, 02:25:13 AM »

Rocker knife makes a straight line every time. More importantly, you can see exactly where the cut will go before you make it. I'm cutting pies more evenly after 4 days of using a rocker knife than I was at 4 months of using a wheel. Really helpful if you are selling pizza by the slice.

Jack · « **Reply #36 on:** August 28, 2009, 04:14:00 PM »

Costco's Business Benter (Fife, WA) has rocker pizza knives for under $30. Others may have them, or they may be available through Costco.com.

The business center is a bit different than the regular Costo stores. It's smaller and is very business oriented, with far more commercial stuff. Ours has a huge Stainless and commercial cookware section. My wife does not like me to go there alone. She says it's hazardous to our budget. <evil grin>

Jack

Edit - Nope, I just checked and did not see it on Costco.com

speedym · « **Reply #37 on:** April 21, 2010, 11:16:06 PM »

Friends were there recently - they say ambiance is good, deserts are good, but, according to their taste, pizza crust is too bready, drips in oil on the bottom, and toppings are nothing special and quite scarce.

Just wanted to share their impression.

sconosciuto · « **Reply #38 on:** April 23, 2010, 11:59:59 PM »

Quote from: speedym on April 21, 2010, 11:16:06 PM

Friends were there recently - they say ambiance is good, deserts are good, but, according to their taste, pizza crust is too bready, drips in oil on the bottom, and toppings are nothing special and quite scarce.

Hearsay!

"Your honor, the above poster didn't actually experience the pizza first hand, I move to have the evidence stricken from the record!"

AKSteve · « **Reply #39 on:** November 09, 2010, 12:56:24 AM »

Had some of this pizza today. I was really impressed, especially with the crust. If you look at one of their pizza's, it looks like it might be kinda of tough. Then you bite into it, and it's a revelation. Very crispy on the outside, yet moist inside with just the right level of chewiness. I have no idea how to make this type of crust and I really want to find out the secret. I'm going to try to find some of the Shepherd's Grain high-gluten flour they use and do some experiments at home. I can get my home oven up to over 600° after using the calibration feature to raise the temp, so I should be able to at least cook my pie at right temperature.

Btw, if you stay at Hotel Andra a block away, you can order pizza from Serious Pie thru room service. Nice