If you’re a proud Kamado Joe owner, you already know the joy of exceptional grilling and smoking. But have you truly unlocked its full potential for crafting mouth-watering pizza? The Kamado Joe Pizza Stone isn’t just another accessory; it’s your ticket to recreating authentic, wood-fired pizzeria quality right in your backyard. Forget soggy crusts and uneven melts; with the right approach, your Kamado Joe and its dedicated pizza stone will transform your homemade pizza nights forever.
The Origin and Evolution of Pizza Stones for Kamado Grills
Pizza stones have been around for ages, designed to mimic the intense, dry heat of traditional brick ovens. They absorb and retain heat, then release it evenly, drawing moisture from the dough to create that coveted crispy crust. For kamado grills, which are already masters of heat retention and distribution, a pizza stone is a natural fit. Kamado Joe specifically engineered their ceramic pizza stone to capitalize on their grill’s unique thermal properties, ensuring consistent high heat and optimal moisture absorption for a perfectly cooked pie every single time. It’s not just a flat piece of ceramic; it’s a thoughtfully designed tool that leverages the kamado’s robust capabilities.
Why the Kamado Joe Pizza Stone Stands Out
The Kamado Joe pizza stone is crafted from heavy-duty ceramic, a material renowned for its ability to withstand extreme temperatures and distribute heat uniformly. What makes it special in a Kamado Joe is how it interacts with the grill’s insulated dome and airflow. This synergy creates a cooking environment that rivals a dedicated pizza oven, giving you a crust that’s wonderfully crisp on the bottom and chewy in the middle. Plus, it’s not just for pizza; this versatile stone is perfect for baking bread, roasting vegetables, or even preparing casseroles, making it a valuable addition to your outdoor cooking arsenal. It’s built to last and, importantly, engineered for ease of cleaning.
Types of Kamado Joe Pizza Accessories
While the standard Kamado Joe ceramic pizza stone is excellent, the brand offers complementary accessories to elevate your pizza game even further.
Kamado Joe Ceramic Pizza Stone (Standard)
This is the foundational piece, a robust ceramic disc designed to sit within your Kamado Joe. It comes in various sizes to fit Classic, Big Joe, and Joe Jr. grills, ensuring a snug and efficient fit. Its primary role is to create a scorching hot, dry surface for your pizza crust, simulating a brick oven floor.
The DōJoe: Your Dedicated Pizza Oven Attachment
For those serious about pizza, the DōJoe accessory is a game-changer. This innovative cast-aluminum wedge transforms your Kamado Joe into a best-in-class pizza oven. Its distinctive shape allows you to maintain steady temperatures between 400°F and 700°F for hours, all without having to constantly open and close the grill dome. This means uninterrupted cooking, consistent heat, and the ability to monitor your pizza with full visibility as it bakes. It’s designed with dedicated supports for heat deflectors and the pizza stone, ensuring optimal distances for a truly authentic, crispy crust and perfectly melted toppings.
Setting Up Your Kamado Joe for Pizza Perfection
Getting your Kamado Joe pizza stone setup just right is crucial for avoiding common pitfalls like burnt bottoms or undercooked tops. Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide:
- Prepare Your Charcoal: Start with quality lump charcoal. Fill your firebox just above the air holes. For high-temp pizza, ensure good airflow by cleaning out any old ash. Light your charcoal using a non-toxic fire starter; never use lighter fluid, as it can impart an unpleasant chemical taste to your food.
- Install the Heat Deflectors: Once your fire is lit and established, carefully place your Kamado Joe heat deflectors onto the lower or middle level of your Divide & Conquer Flexible Cooking System. The deflectors are absolutely essential for indirect cooking, shielding your pizza stone from direct flame and preventing a scorched crust.
- Create the Crucial Air Gap: This is a vital step often overlooked. Do not place your pizza stone directly on the heat deflectors. You need an air gap of about 1 to 1.5 inches between the deflectors and the stone. This gap allows heat to circulate around the deflectors and up into the dome, ensuring the stone reaches a stable, high temperature without getting excessively hotter than the dome itself. You can achieve this by placing a metal grate (like the cooking grate or accessory rack) on top of the deflectors, or by using metal spacers, pipe fittings, or even small balls of aluminum foil to elevate the pizza stone.
- Position the Pizza Stone: Place your Kamado Joe pizza stone on top of the spacers or grate. For best results, position it as high as possible within the dome without touching the lid, as radiant heat from the dome helps cook the toppings evenly.
- Preheat for Success: Close the lid and open both top and bottom vents fully (or use the DōJoe if you have it). Bring your Kamado Joe up to your desired pizza cooking temperature, typically between 500-700°F. Allow it to stabilize at this temperature for at least 30-60 minutes. This “heat soaking” ensures that not only the air in the dome but also the ceramic of the grill and the pizza stone itself are thoroughly heated, guaranteeing a quick and even bake. As grill master Leo Mancini often says, “Patience during the preheat is the secret ingredient to a truly spectacular crust.”
Tips and Tricks for Achieving the Ultimate Kamado Joe Pizza
Now that your setup is perfect, let’s talk about those golden pizza moments.
- Dough Matters: While store-bought dough can work, a good quality, homemade dough designed for high temperatures will yield superior results. Ensure your dough has rested and is at room temperature before shaping.
- Launching Your Pizza Like a Pro: A well-floured pizza peel is your best friend. Dust your peel generously with semolina flour or regular flour. Build your pizza quickly on the peel to prevent sticking. Some people use parchment paper underneath for easy transfer, but be aware that parchment can burn at very high kamado temperatures. If you opt for parchment, slide it off the stone after the first minute or two of cooking.
- Monitoring and Rotating for Even Cook: Keep an eye on your pizza. Kamado grills can have hotter spots, so a slight rotation midway through cooking can help achieve an evenly browned crust and perfectly melted cheese. Use your pizza peel to gently turn the pizza.
- Temperature Control Mastery: For classic New York-style pizza, aim for 500-550°F. For Neapolitan-style, push it higher, up to 700°F or more (especially with the DōJoe). Learn to adjust your vents incrementally to maintain your target temperature. A pizza should cook quickly—often in 4-8 minutes, depending on the temperature and thickness.
Benefits Beyond the Bake: More Than Just Pizza
While the Kamado Joe pizza stone excels at creating restaurant-quality pizza, its utility doesn’t end there. Think about what makes a great pizza: high, even heat and moisture absorption. These are the same qualities that elevate other baked goods. Use your pizza stone to bake rustic bread with a beautiful, crackling crust, or to cook casseroles that develop a delightful crispy bottom. It turns your Kamado Joe into an incredibly versatile outdoor oven, expanding your culinary horizons far beyond traditional grilling.
Caring for Your Kamado Joe Pizza Stone: Longevity Secrets
A well-maintained pizza stone will serve you for years.
- Cleaning: Never use soap or harsh detergents on your ceramic pizza stone. It’s a porous material and will absorb chemicals, imparting unwanted flavors to your food. After use, let the stone cool completely in the grill. Once cool, simply scrape off any stuck-on food bits with a metal spatula or a wire BBQ brush. For stubborn residue, you can flip the stone over on your next cook, allowing the high heat from the charcoal fire to burn away any remaining food particles.
- Storage: Store your clean, dry pizza stone in a dry area to prevent moisture absorption and potential cracking from temperature shock on its next use.
- Avoid Oils: Unlike cast iron, ceramic pizza stones do not need to be seasoned with oil. In fact, applying oil can lead to smoke and residue buildup. It will naturally darken and age with use, which is a sign of a well-loved tool.
Troubleshooting Common Pizza Stone Challenges
Even seasoned grillers face challenges. Here are quick fixes for common Kamado Joe pizza stone issues:
- Burnt Crust Bottom: This is usually due to the pizza stone getting too hot, often because there isn’t a sufficient air gap between the deflectors and the stone, or the preheat temperature was too high. Ensure your deflectors are in place and you have at least 1-1.5 inches of air gap.
- Pizza Sticking to the Stone: The stone wasn’t hot enough, or you didn’t use enough semolina/flour on your peel. Make sure your stone is thoroughly preheated (at least 30-60 minutes at target temperature) and dust your peel generously.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How hot should my Kamado Joe be for pizza?
A: For most pizzas, aim for 500-550°F. For Neapolitan-style pizza, push it higher to 650-700°F or even more, utilizing the intense heat of the Kamado Joe.
Q: Do I need a heat deflector with my Kamado Joe pizza stone?
A: Yes, absolutely! A heat deflector is crucial for indirect cooking and preventing your pizza crust from burning due to direct heat from the charcoal.
Q: How do I clean my Kamado Joe pizza stone?
A: Allow it to cool completely, then scrape off residue with a brush or spatula. Never use soap. For stubborn spots, flip it over on your next cook to burn off debris.
Q: Can I use a regular pizza stone in my Kamado Joe?
A: While theoretically possible, using a Kamado Joe-specific ceramic pizza stone is recommended as it’s designed to withstand the extreme temperatures and fit perfectly within your grill’s system for optimal performance.
Q: What is the DōJoe, and how is it different from a pizza stone?
A: The DōJoe is a cast-aluminum accessory that transforms your Kamado Joe into a dedicated pizza oven. It holds the pizza stone and deflectors, allowing for continuous, high-temperature cooking with visibility, enhancing the overall pizza-making experience.
Q: How long should I preheat my pizza stone?
A: You should preheat your Kamado Joe pizza stone for at least 30-60 minutes at your target cooking temperature to ensure it’s thoroughly heat-soaked and ready for baking.
Conclusion
The Kamado Joe pizza stone is more than just an accessory; it’s an invitation to elevate your outdoor cooking and delight your taste buds. By understanding its unique properties, mastering the proper setup, and following a few simple tips, you can consistently achieve pizzas with perfectly crispy crusts and wonderfully cooked toppings, rivaling your favorite pizzeria. So fire up your Kamado Joe, embrace the art of the perfect pizza, and get ready to create unforgettable culinary experiences right in your backyard. Your journey to homemade pizza perfection starts with the Kamado Joe pizza stone.