Unni Pizza Oven

frenchrooster · June 9, 2019, 1:18pm

i believe you, the wood must have better taste.

GraemeH · June 9, 2019, 1:29pm

Innocent_Bystander:

There is a difference in taste between wood and gas - though fairly subtle and having the temperature high enough is more important. You can get a gas burner for the Uuni if even faster warm-up is more important than it being wood fired, or simply for greater versatility.

When I was looking at the marketplace after first coming across the Uuni I found a number of other small wood-fired ovens available, but on balance, for my usage and criteria, the Uuni seemed pretty much spot-on, and this thread popped up just at the point where I was at decision point, whether or not to go ahead. In a few min it will have its 4th session, and absolutely no regrets so far, no bad pizzas and some exceptional, with everyone enjoying using it. I imagine that as the novelty wears off it will get used a little less often, but we all love the style of pizza it produces, including my wife who doesn’t go for pizzas cooked in any other way.

Great! Happy the thread was of use. The sun is making an appearance here and I’m thinking hmmm…

G

Gazza · June 9, 2019, 3:46pm

A little blip in the weather and we got the Lidl £79 Kemado out for a spin. Had some nice veg kebabs and then chicken…this runs hot with very little charcoal.Pizza stone next time.

Camphuw · June 9, 2019, 4:08pm

I spent a couple of years in Warsaw and enjoyed the food very much.
Then again I had already spent 5 years in Vilnius so had got used to potatoes and mushrooms. Happy days.

GraemeH · June 9, 2019, 4:18pm

My son’s not long back from visiting his partner who has been spending a semester in Vilnius. They are both ‘foodies’ and seemed spoiled for choice in what looks a very cosmopolitan city now.

He sent me pics from the city’s first ever ‘Pride’ this weekend which looked fabulous!

G

Camphuw · June 9, 2019, 5:20pm

Of all the cities I’ve worked in I enjoyed my time in Vilnius more than any other - people, food and degtine - beer without vodka is money wasted!

Alley_Cat · June 9, 2019, 8:34pm

Chicken number 1 was nice yesterday pm - I later managed to stick another small chicken and some stuffed pork on together.

After a busy day in the garden and a few glasses to unwind with music, I forgot about the meat and overcooked it. Ho hum.

Just trying some beef on there now:

Pete_the_painter · June 10, 2019, 5:48am

It does have some nice colour though

dave-marshall · June 13, 2019, 11:19am

@Gazza, @Alley_Cat,

Hi Chaps,

The weather cheered up sufficiently for me to get started on the Lidl Kamado, and I’m most impressed.

I watched a couple of videos on The Tube regarding temperature control, and it’s easy peasy really.

Tried the pizza stone in there, and enjoyed authentic “wood fired” pizza … yum. (I’ve worked out that I can also use the pizza stone as a heat deflector when cooking joints of meat, so that’s win / win).

Looking for a grill elevator rack which will fit, without paying the crazy “Green Egg” or “Kamado Joe” prices, so have you had any luck in that direction?

Roll on some better weather.

Gazza · June 13, 2019, 11:23am

Hi Dave, i have tried as a grill , the pizza stone turned up this morning and i will use as a deflector if needed. I have not looked for a grill elevator, will take a look. Did buy a small garden table to put it on though…cost more than the grill😂

Gazza · June 13, 2019, 11:31am

I wonder if a 25 cm cake cooling rack might be worth a try , they are only £3, and would lift a couple of cm?

dave-marshall · June 13, 2019, 2:03pm

The problem is that most of the 25cm circular racks have the “feet” inboard, so won’t provide any lift … until, that is, the penny drops, and you realise that you simply need to invert it … doh!

Alley_Cat · June 13, 2019, 5:51pm

I’m struggling to find an appropriately sized one - any hints on make/manufacturer?

Gazza · June 13, 2019, 5:56pm

On amazon cadaz pizza stone…but not used yet

Alley_Cat · June 13, 2019, 6:02pm

I’d also like to get a pizza stone to try.

As for a grill elevator rack you mean to lift the supplied grill up higher from the coals I assume. It was surprising how slight changes in vent settings could rapidly char the meat which I guess may have been too close to the coals, or too much charcoal.

Unfortunately mine has got soaked in recent days - I stuck a recycling bag over it as a cover but it must have blown off

The biggest issue I have is with juices/fat causing smoke and flames and cooling the charcoal below, might experiment having the charcoal mostly around the edge. Seems to produce a lot of smoke for such a small grill!

Alley_Cat · June 13, 2019, 6:10pm

Is it the Cadac 10" not Cadaz?

Looks as though I’d be able to pick one up in the nearby Go Outdoors.

Would be good to get one for the gas BBQ too as hard to do on that without the base burning on a pizza tray.

Gazza · June 13, 2019, 6:21pm

Yes thats where i ordered it from, fits nicely👍

dave-marshall · June 13, 2019, 6:33pm

Hi,

The stone I got was from Hacienda, via The River, costing £19.99.

The idea of the grill elevator is that I can use the pizza stone, placed on the new upside down cooking grid, as a heat deflector when looking to do a slower cook, say, for a joint of meat.

The “official” heat deflectors, from the likes of Green Egg / Kamado Joe are just silly prices for what they are, and I reckon I can achieve exactly the same effect this way.

It’s all a learning process where I’m concerned.

Alley_Cat · June 13, 2019, 6:34pm

Thanks Dave

Alley_Cat · June 16, 2019, 7:04pm

Well, weather has been dire, rain got into my little kamado, but about to enjoy a small (1 kg) tomahawk steak from Waitrose - half the price of their similar Côte de Boeuf 30 day aged which is usually excellent. The latter will be done on the gas Weber for the kids who don’t always enjoy a smokey steak.