The folks over at Kettle Pizza sent me a complimentary Deluxe Kettle Pizza insert for me to evaluate with the Weber Jumbo Joe.
You can get either the Deluxe Kit
or the Basic Kit
from Amazon. The Deluxe Kit comes with the insert, aluminum pizza peel, a 14 inch pizza pan and a 15 inch pizza stone made of cordierite and runs about $200. The Basic Kit just comes with the insert and runs about $140.
Quick Summary
1. I love this thing.
2. Do NOT follow the instructions provided by Kettle Pizza.
3. Versatile Eye Candy.
Deluxe Kit or Basic Kit
Okay…longer description.
The main reason for using the Kettle Pizza insert instead of how I used to make pizza on the Weber Jumbo Joe is that this lets you work at much higher temperatures without burning the crust. This is getting close to replicating brick oven pizza in your backyard. Instead of working in the 450F range and a pizza taking 30-40 minutes to bake this runs at 600-700F and pizza is done in 8-12 minutes. The end product is very different and if you are a pizza enthusiast this should make you very excited.
The technique that I came up with is an evolution of the work done by Kenji over at Serious Eats with the 22.5 inch Weber kettles. There is significantly less total volume in the Jumbo than in the larger kettles. Not only is the circumference of the grill smaller but so is the vertical component. The distance between the charcoal and the top of the dome is about 5 inches shorter on the Jumbo than on a 22.5 inch kettle. The decreased volume of the Jumbo Joe makes using the Kettle Pizza insert much simpler.
I am not going to go over the details of what happens with the Jumbo Joe when you follow the instructions provided with the Kettle Pizza. Suffice it to say that the results are highly disappointing. What follows is the technique I developed for this particular kettle. It is extremely easy and very reproducible.
Creating Kick Ass Pizza on the Weber Jumbo Joe with the Kettle Pizza Insert
1. Light a full chimney of Kingsford charcoal.
2. Distribute the charcoal evenly on the charcoal grate. Bottom vent fully open.
3. Support the grill grate on the wing nuts on the TOP of the Kettle Pizza.
4. Put the pizza stone on the grill grate and the kettle dome on the insert. Top vent fully open.
5. Let the stone pre-heat for at least 15 minutes.
6. If you are not getting to temperature (600-700F) throw a chunk of hardwood onto the charcoal.
7. If the grill heats past 700F wait until it cools to the target zone.
8. Lift the lid and slide your pizza onto the pizza stone. Use an oven mitt, the handle will be HOT.
9. Close the lid.
10. Stand around for 4 minutes until you start to smell the crust baking.
11. Remove the lid and use the peel to rotate the pizza 180 degrees.
12. Wait another 4 minutes and start peeping through the air vent at the toppings.
13. When the toppings are brown and bubbly remove the lid and use the peel to retrieve the pizza. Use an oven mitt, the handle will be HOT.
14. Repeat as often as needed. When the temperature starts to drop just throw more fuel into the Jumbo through the opening of the insert.
Safety Tip: I am doing something REALLY STUPID in these pictures. I am getting a charcoal grill hotter than heck with visible open flames on a wood deck. This is a classic recipe for disaster. I have a hose and fire extinguisher nearby and am ALWAYS watching the grill.
Deluxe Kit or Basic Kit
Basic Pizza Making Tips:
1. Go easy on the toppings. Less is better.
2. Dust the peel with corn meal before you making the pizza. This will let the pizza slide easily.
3. Pay attention when you slide the pizza onto the hot stone. It is easy to overshoot and end up with a pizza on the ground.
4. DO NOT use this with frozen pizza. Bad things would happen.
Versatile Eye Candy
I think the Kettle Pizza looks gorgeous on my Weber Jumbo Joe. The contrast of the wooden handles, stainless steel and black porcelain just work together. Add to that the orange and reds from an open fire and you are looking at something beautiful.
One night after a pizza making session my daughter and I just sat on the back deck and used the set up as a fire pit. Sitting there watching the flames leaping around in the little Jumbo was a wonderful evening. I could easily recommend the Kettle Pizza just for creating a beautiful fire pit.
But wait…that’s not all!!
The latest design of the Kettle Pizza lets you switch the location of two bolts (takes about 3 minutes) and convert this into an insert for a 22.5 inch Weber Kettle. If you have a small collection of Weber kettles this is freaking awesome!! Seriously…this thing fits both kettle sizes. Talk about a sweet deal!! I have not tried making pizzas on my 22.5 inch kettle so I will point you back to the work done over at Serious Eats for that discussion.
Deluxe Kit or Basic Kit
Bottom Line: The Kettle Pizza insert is an awesome addition for the Weber Jumbo Joe.
To all of the fine folks over at Kettle Pizza (I’m looking at you, George!) I want to say, “Thank you very much!”
Be sure to check out some other Weber Jumbo Joe Upgrades!