Can bake pizza in Cast-Iron Pot over Charcoal on top of Concrete-like Counter in Kitchen of Apartment ?

[Our Man in the Tropics]

1_

Can bake pizza in Cast-Iron Pot over Charcoal on top of Concrete-like Counter in KItchen of Rented-Apartment ?

 

1_1_

Practically ?

e.g.

How far should Pot be from Top of Charcoal ?

 

1_2_

Safer than using Gas Ring ?

 

1_3_

Legally ? ;

Electrical Cooking Appliances are automatically considered legally fine for Apartments & Condominiums ;

But, they do occasionally cause fires due to :

negligent cooking

faulty manufacturing

damage by users

Charcoal as far as I know does not produce :

wild flame

smoke [ Hmm ... ! ]

 

2_

If Charcoal is fine Re; 1_1_, 1_2_, & 1_3_ [ above ], what type of Burning Vessel do yee recommend for the Charcoal ?

e.g.s

Round Clay Bucket

Stainless Steel Rectangular Vessel with Grill Support

 

Thanking in advance all posters replying with helpful replies,

 

Our Man in the Tropics

 

 

Edited May 10, 2018 by Our Man in the Tropics

[jcisco]

Buy yourself a large Dutch oven, and buy one with a lip on the top and feet. You can pick one up on E-bay for a few hundred dollars.. 

Also get yourself a chimney starter for the charcoal, or otherwise make one, they make it easier to get going.  Also a cheap infrared thermometer is handy.

You heat up the charcoal then put it under and on the lid of the dutch oven, use a fair bit to get it hot, then you can remove most of it and place whatever you want to cook inside.

I recommend a metal square to drop in the bottom of the dutch oven so you can place your pizza or bread or whatever inside on a ceramic plate. It will cook just fine.

They are wonderful for cooking, check out youtube, there should be plenty of videos explaining what they are and how to use them.

As for a burning surface a couple of concrete blocks is just fine, they cost a whole 10 THB for a full block, a few of those will do, they may crack after awhile, if you want to avoid the hassle some clay bricks or paving tiles at least and inch thick will do.  You don't need mortar, sand or epoxy will do just fine if you want to fill the gaps. 

The best solution however might be a piece of ceramic fiber board if you can find it, just note that its R value reduces greatly if you compress it, so you might want to put an inch or two of it under whatever you are cooking.

Edited May 10, 2018 by jcisco

[Crossy]

Charcoal produces a significant amount of smoke when it is started before it reaches the optimum temperature, I wouldn't be using it indoors, period!

 

 

[jcisco]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

Charcoal produces a significant amount of smoke when it is started before it reaches the optimum temperature, I wouldn't be using it indoors, period!

 

 

That's why I use a chimney starter, you can start them outdoors then bring it inside. 

Edited May 10, 2018 by jcisco

[Crossy]

3 minutes ago, jcisco said:

That's why I use a chimney starter, you can start them outdoors then bring it inside. 

If he has an "outside" he could just do all his pizza making outside.

 

Even with a chimney starter, there's still enough smoke to worry the neighbours if it's seen belching out of an apartment.

 

If I was the landlord and caught someone using charcoal inside he would be out on his ear faster than I could say "dutch oven".

 

[Our Man in the Tropics]

@ jcisco,

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I have a large thick sectioned Cast Iron Pot with Cast Iron Cover ;

Ceramic Coating on outside.

Seasoned Cast Iron on inside.

 

It has no Lip.

Nor does it have Feet.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..

Chimney Starter = ?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A cheap, but good, Infra-Red Thermometer is a very good idea in  my opinion

Thanks for that.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"... You heat up the charcoal then put it :

under the lid of the dutch oven

&

on the lid of the dutch oven ...

....

then you can remove most of it and place whatever you want to cook inside. ..."

THIS LAST PART SURPRISES ME MUCH
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
I was thinking of simply placing the dough on a Dust of Flour sieved onto :

1_

the Base of the Pot

2_

1mm approx. thick sheet of aluminium shaped to fit into the Pot

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I aim to return with reflections on what u recommend for supporting the Pot itself during cooking.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Thank u for great reply.

[KhunBENQ]

Indoors!

No way!

The smoke almost kills me when I sit outside next to it and the daughter starts the fire.

Your tenant will throw you out, the neighbors will occupy your door, the fire brigade will be on it's way. With closed doors/windows you might suffocate.

 

[Our Man in the Tropics]

16 minutes ago, Crossy said:

If he has an "outside" he could just do all his pizza making outside.

 

Even with a chimney starter, there's still enough smoke to worry the neighbours if it's seen belching out of an apartment.

 

If I was the landlord and caught someone using charcoal inside he would be out on his ear faster than I could say "dutch oven".

 

Thanks Crossy for ur information.

 

I reckon from this that in general using Charcoal Cooking Vessels is NOT allowed in rented Aapartments so.

 

Maybe the only option will be to do it on a secluded beach or such ?

A very unlikely adventure by me, ... me thinketh  8-)

[KhunBENQ]

Just now, Our Man in the Tropics said:

Maybe the only option will be to do it on a secluded beach or such ?

A very unlikely adventure by me,

Look for the next construction camp with Burmese slave workers.

Maybe they will fancy a bite

[Our Man in the Tropics]

1 minute ago, KhunBENQ said:

Indoors!

No way!

The smoke almost kills me when I sit outside next to it and the daughter starts the fire.

Your tenant will throw you out, the neighbors will occupy your door, the fire brigade will be on it's way. With closed doors/windows you might suffocate.

 

Thanks KhunBENQ,

 

U are very persuasive on top of what Crossy says.

 

[jcisco]

Chimney starter can be a simple home made job such as below, you just put some acetone (paint thinner, 40Baht a bottle) and piece of paper in the bottom, it burns clean with no residue or smell left over. Just make sure the acetone has burnt out before you pick it up and move it. You can pick up acetone at all paint shops or hardware stores, it usually has a blue label. Otherwise my preferred method is just using a propane gas torch to get it going.  Leave it for 10 minutes until you see a flame at the top, it will get that hot.

You can probably get away with flour on the bottom, but i find it is too hard to lift what you are cooking out, that is why I suggest using a ceramic plate sitting on a piece of metal. Any thing metal will do, I use a piece of of 5mm steel bent into a triangle, it is only 25mm high.  

You can pick up a very large aluminium pot very cheap, just get one of those and pour some sand into the bottom and sit it on a wood cutting board. 

 

Edited May 10, 2018 by jcisco

[Fruit Trader]

I suggest you call the number below before carbon monoxide kills you or you are taken away by men in white coats.

 

Edited May 10, 2018 by Fruit Trader

[wgdanson]

Charcoal gives off CO, carbon monoxide when it is glowing. I have read of guys using it instead of jumping.

[Our Man in the Tropics]

8 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Look for the next construction camp with Burmese slave workers.

Maybe they will fancy a bite

Some of those Female Burmese construction workers look quite cute ;

It would be nice to share my pizza with them.

 

This whole Baking Pizzas in a Cast Iron Pot may well be the ice-breaker that Falangs desperately need for to kindle affection from these comely construction workers.

 

Falangs on every floor of those open high-rises into the night feasting with the Burmese maidens.

 

Edited May 10, 2018 by Our Man in the Tropics

[jcisco]

You can buy an electric hotplate pretty cheap, you can go that route, personally I prefer gas or wood/charcoal for baking. 

[delphioracle]

With all due respect  I like others here do advise you that although it may well be a good idea it could well be terminal.     

 

Quote

As the combustion gases from charcoal grills are not directly removed via fireplace systems when used indoors, there is a risk of severe poisoning because the gas can spread unnoticed around the room. Carbon monoxide is odourless, colourless and non-irritating.

 

[champers]

Buy a house and cook what you like how you like. What you are proposing is likely to set off smoke alarms and sprinklers (if your room has them).

[Crossy]

We have one of these;-

 

 

Charcoal fired Korean cooker, great for bulgogi and the like.

 

We always use it outside of course. We did try it inside one day when it started raining, the beast was well alight when brought in, with all the windows open it was pretty ok, until Madam decided to add more charcoal, cough, cough, splutter ...

 

Not going to try that again, our outside eating area now has a roof 

 

 

 

[lemonjelly]

Carbon monoxide is sooooo dangerous, just don’t.

[VocalNeal]

Why not use a regular electric countertop oven some of which come with a pizza stone?

[Kieran00001]

1 hour ago, jcisco said:

Buy yourself a large Dutch oven, and buy one with a lip on the top and feet. You can pick one up on E-bay for a few hundred dollars.. 

Also get yourself a chimney starter for the charcoal, or otherwise make one, they make it easier to get going.  Also a cheap infrared thermometer is handy.

You heat up the charcoal then put it under and on the lid of the dutch oven, use a fair bit to get it hot, then you can remove most of it and place whatever you want to cook inside.

I recommend a metal square to drop in the bottom of the dutch oven so you can place your pizza or bread or whatever inside on a ceramic plate. It will cook just fine.

They are wonderful for cooking, check out youtube, there should be plenty of videos explaining what they are and how to use them.

As for a burning surface a couple of concrete blocks is just fine, they cost a whole 10 THB for a full block, a few of those will do, they may crack after awhile, if you want to avoid the hassle some clay bricks or paving tiles at least and inch thick will do.  You don't need mortar, sand or epoxy will do just fine if you want to fill the gaps. 

The best solution however might be a piece of ceramic fiber board if you can find it, just note that its R value reduces greatly if you compress it, so you might want to put an inch or two of it under whatever you are cooking.

 

A few hundred dollars?  What would be the advantage over a normal oven?  

[jcisco]

I use them in an environment where I have either a brick oven to use or a dutch oven.  Dutch ovens are great for when you want flexibility as you can bake in them or say use them as a regular pot or for stewing.  If you want to cook a loaf of bread can do it, of course if you want to cook a few KG of bread, use the brick oven, usually better more consistent results. 

You can get coals on the top and on the bottom so gives a really even baking environment. If you have a modern oven at home, then sure you can just go ahead and use one. But if your cooking outdoors, camping or otherwise on the move, these things are the killer. 

Yah regarding the price, if you want a large wont, say 12quart or about 30-40CM accross, expect to drop at least $150 for one. I've never seen them any cheaper. they are heavy, they will weight at least 6-10KG depending on the sizes. 

Edited May 10, 2018 by jcisco

[Our Man in the Tropics]

Possible to buy Cast Iron Pot with Cast Iron Lid all together for some THB 1,500 from IKEA ;

Actually, I think it is much closer to being THB 1,000.

And, there is a smaller sized Pot available which is round.

 

But,  ... :

it is Oblong-shaped ; This may be a negative for some uses

it lacks some of the useful cast-in features of the Pot supplied by jcisco

whilst it does have side handles, it does not have a special ring attached for to enable the pot to be suspended from a Tripod or Chain or Beam over Fire.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Our Man in the Tropics

[jcisco]

E-Bay has a good selection, I personally haven't got one from a store there, but others have.  They seem to have the best prices for these sort of things that I can find. 

[Get Real]

49 minutes ago, Our Man in the Tropics said:

Some of those Female Burmese construction workers look quite cute ;

It would be nice to share my pizza with them.

 

This whole Baking Pizzas in a Cast Iron Pot may well be the ice-breaker that Falangs desperately need for to kindle affection from these comely construction workers.

 

Falangs on every floor of those open high-rises into the night feasting with the Burmese maidens.

 

Really? If pizza is that important, just buy one.

[Our Man in the Tropics]

I hope that it allowed by Thaivisa.com for I to post URL from IKEA showing the 2 Cast Iron Posts available in LOS.

Anyway, here goes ;

And, I notice that the price approximation I originally gave is actually an under-estimate.

 

https://www.ikea.com/th/en/catalog/categories/departments/cooking/22668/

 

 

[jcisco]

Yah those will do just fine, they aren't specifically designed for pizza but they have enough mass and depth you can use them for that using the method I prescribed previously. 

[Our Man in the Tropics]

15 minutes ago, jcisco said:

Yah those will do just fine, they aren't specifically designed for pizza but they have enough mass and depth you can use them for that using the method I prescribed previously. 

Thanks jcisco, & to everyone else thus far, for all ur replies.

 

Pending I getting my own house or condo-villa or driving to the beach perhaps, I will not be using my Cast Iron Pot.

 

By-the-by ;

Electricity is too expensive.

Ditto Gas.

And, I have no Electrical Oven nor Gas Oven.

 

Until then, I will have no option but to buy from a restaurant or do without.

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..

 

Returning to ur reply above, jcisco, I am pleased to know that u approve of what I have there.

I just found out that 5 litre = approx. 5 quart [ Actually, just under 5 quart ]

 

jcisco, I aim to study more of what u wrote, & follow up with study of the  youtube videos ,so as to get proper handle on this cooking with Charcoal malarkey.

I know for a long time that cooking with a "Dutch Oven" is an essential survival, & cost-saving, & flexible, living practise.

 

Many Thanks, again, to all who replied.

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2018 by Our Man in the Tropics

[jcisco]

Glad to be of assistance. 

[Kieran00001]

59 minutes ago, jcisco said:

I use them in an environment where I have either a brick oven to use or a dutch oven.  Dutch ovens are great for when you want flexibility as you can bake in them or say use them as a regular pot or for stewing.  If you want to cook a loaf of bread can do it, of course if you want to cook a few KG of bread, use the brick oven, usually better more consistent results. 

You can get coals on the top and on the bottom so gives a really even baking environment. If you have a modern oven at home, then sure you can just go ahead and use one. But if your cooking outdoors, camping or otherwise on the move, these things are the killer. 

Yah regarding the price, if you want a large wont, say 12quart or about 30-40CM accross, expect to drop at least $150 for one. I've never seen them any cheaper. they are heavy, they will weight at least 6-10KG depending on the sizes. 

 

Ive seen cast iron pots in the Japanese second hand shops a few times, they normally want a few hundred baht for them, but I would have thought an electric oven would be more convenient for baking unless restricted to cooking over an open fire, and considering he is talking about cooking indoors, clearly anything with charcoal involved is not at all suitable as has been previously mentioned, it's seriously dangerous.