If I lived in Norway, I don’t think I would EVER come inside the house. It’s too beautiful outdoors.
I think you want about 95 Celsius on the core bread temp.

Thank you for taking the time to detail your experiences with your grill. It is exactly the kind of information I am seeking in deciding which one to purchase as well as which accessories will be necessary.

Sounds like folks eat *very* well at your table! Loved reading the menu of items you cook up on the grill as well as how you do it.

Two summers ago, my husband and I finally purchased a Ducane Affinity 3400 (Weber distributes these) for about $450. I think that particular model has been discontinued, but I think there are similar models out there. I wanted a sturdy grill, and something that I could use frequently without having to worry about it falling apart, but at the same time, I did not want an over-the-top backyard kitchen.

This grill has the following features, and I use every single one: 3-burner stainless steel grill (12,000 BTU each, about 340 square inches); side burner; rotisserie kit; smoker box, in-lid thermometer; electronic ignition. The stainless steel features on this feel a bit thin, but it’s held up very well to this point. However, I must point out that we are rather fastidious about maintenance. I think I would have rather had a Weber, but we live in a small community, and supplies are often limited.

When we purchased the grill, I also purchased the round baking stone with the flame diverter that is mentioned in this thread, above, as well as two pizza slips. I bake/cook the following frequently: No-knead bread, rustic fruit tarts, pizza (you can bake a thin-crust pizza on these things in less than 7 minutes once you get the hang of it), fruit cobblers, paella, cookies, hamburger buns and other sorts of bread rolls, banana bread, biscuits, tortillas. I roast tomatoes for canning, cook potatoes, roast chickens and other meats using the rotisserie, etc., as well as the “usual” grilling items (hamburgers, sausages, fish, shellfish, vegetables, kebab, kofte, etc.). The grill and the accessories (baking stone, slips) are in constant use during the summer and fall time, at least 3 times per week, and sometimes twice or more in a day.

This size grill works well for my husband and me (we have no children), but often entertain a few other people, and have never had a problem with the grill being “too small”.

Baking on a grill does take practice, so it’s important to realize that there may be a lot of mistakes at first, but sometimes that’s the best way to learn.

Hope this essay gives you a few ideas to work with. Good luck in your grill search!

I have been a life-long bread baker, and in recent years have taken to baking almost all of my bread in covered pots in the oven. I seem to get such consistent results this way and even bake long loaves in a caphalon fish poacher.

I have a question for all you bread grilling/outdoor bread baking enthusiasts:

I am finally having a patio built and will be able to install a natural gas grill. I live in central Ohio, so weather wise, it gets pretty hot in the summer and can go below zero in the winter. I would like to purchase a grill that can be a de facto second oven/stove. I like the idea of baking bread outside when it’s 95 degrees so I don’t make it worse in my kitchen, but also would like to use the grill to smoke meats or roast veggies or grill whatever when I have my indoor oven otherwise occupied, say during the holidays. I have never owned or cooked on a gas grill; it’s always been charcoal for me til now.

What do you all recommend? I’d like something that I won’t need to replace due to rust after a few years; I’d like something that I might want to use several times a week; I don’t want to spend thousands but have budgeted for between $300-$999. I can hardly sort through all the stuff online- there is just too much info- and I want to ask folks who use these grill in the way that I would like to- what works for you? Or if you have something now that would be perfect if you just had a particular feature that you hadn’t considered at the time of purchase? (I don’t want to be shortsighted- I mean, I don’t *think* I “need” a rotisserie, for example, but might I regret not having it eventually?

I finally accepted reality- as much as I would love a wood-fired or charcoal outdoor fireplace/brick pizza oven, I know I wouldn’t have the patience to nurture the fire properly and wait for it to get to the right temp., etc. But to bake outside, grill or roast when I’d like, smoke something occasionally, well, this would be the final stage of having my dream kitchen.

I suspect that a four-burner would be a necessity, from what I’ve read, so that I can manage indirect cooking methods. Beyond that, what else?

Thank you SO much!

Yesterday I tried a cookie crust for a fruit pizza. Put it on a cookie sheet, monitor the heat closely (easier w/ a gas grill). Worked out fine… still no baking brick required. I will try the baking brick, you all seem so sold on the idea… but it’s not always necessary.

Thanks Marianne!

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