OT - Outdoor Kitchen, Grill/Smoker, Accessories Questions

[jleves]

We're going to sink some money into an outdoor kitchen. We're going to have a fair amount of counter space - about 19 feet and then another 3 or 4 foot return. I plan to have a charcoal grill and a gas grill along with a couple of burners, sink & fridge. We live in Southern California so we can pretty much use it 330+ days a year.

First question - Pizza Oven: Worth it to build one? It will make things a little crowded but I could fit it in. Does it add value and if you have one, how often do you actually use it? If you were buying a house, would it make a difference for you? I just can't figure out if it's worth it or not.

Second question for smoking: Would this charcoal grill with smoker oven be good enough to make great ribs? Is it comparable to all the smokers talked about in the smoker thread? Any idea how many baby back racks you could cook on that at once?

Last question: Is a sear burner worth it? It will take up either 19" (double) or 14" (single) of space on the counter further crowding things.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Northbound]

No on the pizza over - we hammer out grilled pizza at the time, no need for a pizza oven in my book.

I think you could get a Green Egg instead of what's in the link and use it to smoke,'pizza oven and grill.

That give you options. I have a variety of smokers and use them often, but if you're not going to use it often I'd got would something that serve multiple purposes. By the way I also have an Egg and it's pretty damn good.

 

[Goat]

I get great ribs from a Weber charcoal kettle and a Slow 'n Sear insert - see slownsear.com. I have done 3 racks of St. Louis cut ribs or 4 racks of baby back ribs at a time. Nice low temperature smoke and that beautiful smoke ring and delicious bark with the right rub.

I don't think you need a special oven for pizza, particularly if you use one of the new high end Weber kettles which seem to be Green Egg quality, but more versatile.

My gas grill is also available as an insert for a kitchen island. Unless you are throwing huge parties, remember that when you light the grill to make a weeknight dinner for 4, you are heating a big surface unnecessarily.

I chose a Napoleon p-500 because the warranty is awesome. The Pro 500 has a few extra nice feature, but didn't seem worth the extra money. Depending on the part, Napoleon cover you for your lifetime, 10 years, 10 years plus 1/2 off replace parts for an additional 5 years, etc. Weber is reported to have fewer warrantee claims, 1% compared to 10% for Napoleon, but their warranty period is much shorter.

The side burner is designed for super hot, Ruth's Chris kind of cooking. The Maillard browning reaction is the bench mark for outstanding steaks and you can use it as a cook top too.

I also recommend grill-grates.

You can find lots of good ideas, including most listed above at amazingribs.com - which is a bountiful source of grilling wisdom.

Enjoy!

 

[UconnFanNVa]

Do you need a pizza oven? Of course not. And I make amazing pizza on my weber grill with a pizza stone. However, it's not the same as a food fire oven. When I grow up I'm getting a pizza oven personally.

 

[8893]

Do you need a pizza oven? Of course not. And I make amazing pizza on my weber grill with a pizza stone. However, it's not the same as a food fire oven. When I grow up I'm getting a pizza oven personally.

Grilled pizzas on the Weber with the pizza stone last night and they were amazing.

But yes, I still dream of the day the playscape comes down (well, I actually dread that day because it means the kids are all grown, but...) and I replace it with an outdoor pizza oven.

 

[jibsey]

Has anyone has bought and used the smoker that is sold at Costco?