steel cooking surface

[Lill Dave]

Has anyone put down a steel surface over the refractory brick floor.
I am thinking of a 1/4 in. steel surface that can be removeable from my 36 in . pompeii. If so how well does it work , hold the heat , transfer the heat .
I'm thinking this smooth clean surface will make the health inspector a little more comfotable.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: steel cooking surface

One of the objectives of WFO operation is to balance the heat transfer from the dome and the floor. A finely-tuned commercial operation seeks to have the floor recharge enough to cook multiple pies top and bottom quickly. A metal floor heats up quickly, but (like a frying pan) will transfer heat faster than the dome can radiate its top heat. I think you'd burn the bottom of your pies the same as cooking them on a gas-fired griddle.

[Lill Dave]

Re: steel cooking surface

That makes sense, I,m going to get a piece 17x20 in. and see what happens .
Will get back with the results.

[shuboyje]

Re: steel cooking surface

People trying to cook brick oven style pizzas in standard ovens dabble with steel plate due to it's higher conductivity. At 500F it will produce pizza nearly as fast as a high temp brick oven. At brick oven temperatures the bottom of your pie will be charcoal before the top is anywhere near cooked.

I've never been in your shoes, but if I was I would instead find UL and NSF listings for ovens build with brick floors. That should show a reasonable person seams are not an issue in this situation. Then maybe cater to their sensibility. Seam or no seam what is gonna possibly live at 750F+ that most run their hearths at? You could probably dip the pie in bacteria and have it be safe to eat after cooking, lol. Nobody try that at home!