Tell us what you have cooked lately (that's interesting)

I actually have a zucchini/ yellow squash, onion and rice recipe that uses a lot of dill in it. Some white vinegar, and a dash of salt and sugar as well. I’ve also used it to mix in some faro, to make it quite a healthy little side dish,

But yeah, generally not much in the way of dill usage for me. Basil, however, is a big one for me. I have the same starter, as well as a mixed greens pack.

Well, I think both of them are going to rise to the same temperature, which is essentially determined by the oven.

The Steel will rise SLOWER though, given its higher thermal mass. It’ll take more energy to raise its temperature, compared to the stone. This is why it will generally require you to pre-heat it significantly more than the stone.

Um, I hate to disagree, so I’ll just point you at this and back away. I don’t want to get into any more arguments around here.

Ah, that’s kind of interesting, and I guess makes sense.

The steel, on the other hand, stabilizes at around 450°F (though in some tests it peaked at closer to 500°F). This is due to the steel’s radiative properties. It’s constantly giving off heat even as it absorbs it, causing it to stabilize at a temperature that’s slightly cooler than the air around it.

So it’s basically throwing off heat faster, so it stabilizes a little lower than the temperature of the air.

Yup, but because it give up its heat quicker you get a better crust. Also, just to confuse things, my steel is actually 1/8", and not 1/4" like the original Kickstarter steel was, hence I’ve never needed to preheat it, alone, for more than about a half hour before it maxes out around 235 in my 250c oven.

If I was doing it over I’d be tempted to re-purpose the dill and parsley pods with something else, or just plug the holes and let the Basil and Mint fight it out.

Ah, yeah, mine is actually 1/2 inch thick, so it absolutely requires pre-heating. I think, in retrospect, this may be overkill and that a thinner one is a better option. The huge one requires a lot of pre-heating. It makes a really good crust, and I like it, but if I were to recommend one, I think I’d go with the 1/4 or eighth inch one like you have.

One benefit, perhaps though, is that I think the steel has an effect of stabilizing the oven’s temperature. Since there’s a giant ass steel radiator in there, Opening the oven doesn’t seem to drop the temperature as much, or at least, it gets back to temperature very quick.

1/2"? I’d need help carrying that to the oven. Sounds dangerously like a workout ;)

Cook’s illustrated seems to agree with their latest baking steel/stone reviews, finding the steels heated the crust up too fast, not giving the cheese time to melt. To me that just indicates their ovens are not getting hot enough.

I side with Modernist Cuisine, gimme a half inch of steel. I have the CI’s recommended stone and wish it darkened my bottom crust considerably more than it does.

I want to try using my gas grill with the baking stone next time. That should get me above the oven’s 550 but how much I don’t know, I don’t ever grill at that indirect temperature.

I rarely move my stone, it just sits on the bottom and if I need to I put a grate right above it.

I actually keep my steel up on the top of the oven, on the highest rack, and don’t move it. Most stuff ends up getting cooked below it, and it doesn’t seem to really impact the process of baking stuff.

And then having it at the top means I can heat it up, and then also use the broiler if I want to scorch the top.

It’s great in tzatziki sauce, either instead of, or alongside, mint, in addition to other stuff folks have said. It actually goes pretty well with some Greek/Mediterranean recipes in general, IMO, given that nearly all of them include lemon, anyway.

Y’all that can do this are lucky; my oven’s heating elements down there mean the best I can do is rack right above for stuff like a pizza stone or whatever. And I use both racks often enough that just leaving something on one of them would get obnoxious. . .

Borsch, too!

That explains the dried dill I have in a cupboard. I made chicken thigh doner kebabs last year and must have got it for the sauce. Hmm. Lets see, here’s what I worked from. Came out really well.

https://happinessstanlives.com/2014/07/10/homemade-chicken-doner-kebab/

At some point I have about two stone of winter weight to lose and this thread isn’t helping. Also, winter isn’t half over.

Hey, it was actually 2015. I found the picture (in my defense I don’t actually Instagram anything).

That IS one of the many clones on Amazon. This is the original:

Yeah, sorry, didn’t mean to imply it was the original. Should have said “one of the many other clones on Amazon” because I don’t feel like it’s worth dropping $100 on something that you can get an almost exact duplicate of for under $30.

I actually bought a Mk4 recently and it’s fantastic. The thermometer readings update incredibly fast compared to the thermometer I had been using. Really nice when I’m searching several spots of whatever is in the smoker so I can get the lid closed again faster. Is it might be overkill, but Very happy with the purchase.

If you can afford it, surely go with the best. There are faster reading clones on Amazon for around $60 as well that are probably closer to mk4 performance

Made the Serious Eats Paprikash in the pressure cooker. Great flavor, looks like cat food. Will probably make it again given how easy it was but the texture needs work.

Welp. I was GOING to make chicken wings. But then I discovered the bag had leaked and there was raw chicken goo all down the back/in the bottom of my fridge. Nothing like scrubbing down your whole refrigerator at 1am >:(