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Spider and Accessories When it comes to accessories, pans and tongs are the two things we experimented with the most. Simply, pans perform two important tasks and tongs are our favorite hand tool. The clock is a handy accessory as it just makes us a more consistent cook. |
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Pans (Bakeware & Pizza): |  |
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In ceramic cooking, pans are used to (1) catch drippings and/or (2) act as the indirect piece. They come in varying thicknesses, materials and sizes. Here are some things we’ve learned, probably more than you want to know! On thickness, most pans range from 24-gage to 14-gage. The lower the gage number, the thicker the material. For example, 18-gage material is 1-millimeter thick. 14-gage is 50% thicker at 1.5-millimeters. We like heavy pans (14-16 gage), greater wear and tear for the value. On materials, there is variety. Cast iron is heavy but it requires seasoning and added care. Stainless (18-8 or 304 grades) is good, but it can be expensive. Aluminum is readily available and light weight, which makes it the practical choice. Plus, aluminum won’t rust. One note on aluminum, it melts around 1200 degrees and lump burns slightly hotter than 1200 degrees, so care must be taken not to melt the pan. Simply do not use aluminum pans near the lump (on the Spider), while doing a high temperature (searing) cook. You can melt the pan. There are several coatings available today. Most coatings are non stick and can have questionable uses in high heat situations. So, our philosophy is simple: Except porcelain products, we don’t use coated pans in the egg. It’s the easiest way to avoid confusion and uncertainty. We stay clear of Pyrex brand products too. We read the Do-Nots on Pyrex’s site and concluded it’s not for us. http://www.pyrexware.com/index.asp?pageId=104. Some pans use tin or tin-on-steel. We don’t use tin as it requires seasoning and added care. There is aluminized steel, steel with a very thin coating of aluminum for protection. We have no experience with aluminized steel cookware, so we can’t comment. For Teflon surfaces, here is a link to DuPont’s Teflon temperature recommendations: http://www.teflon.com/Teflon/teflonissafe/cookware_safety.html. First, short pans have the least amount of impact on air circulation. So pick the shortest pan you feel comfortable using. Second, realize not all cookers sit level. The slightest tilt can impact the pan’s ability to hold liquids. Remember, liquids sit level to the Earth and not your cooker. Third, if you use liquids in the pan, we recommend a deeper pan to prevent spilling. The most difficult movement is removing a liquid filled pan after the cook. If you don’t use liquids, shorter rimmed pans can be a better choice, since the drippings burn off or evaporate during the cook. Fourth, if you foil the pan then a large deep pan can be too big for a roll of foil. It’s not a big hassle, as double foiling in an “x” pattern can provide the needed coverage. Fifth, a finished rolled edge is better than a straight edge. A rolled edge is easier to grab, less likely to tear the foil and gives the pan rigidity. We recently tried tapered pans and like them. Heck, we finally figured out the pan’s diameter is only critical at the rim. Plus, a tapered pans increases foil coverage. The smaller bottom requires less foil. When using any pan, we recommend lining the inside of the pan with foil. Not only does it make clean up easier, a little excess foil along the edges can help extend the pan’s coverage. Just spread the foil up and out to increase coverage. This is a good trick when using a pan with long racks of ribs. Round Pans: Round pizza pans are a great match for a round cooker. We have access to just about any type and considered offering several but then realized, sometimes simplicity is best. So, we decided to offer a pan style that we like and now use: 1 inch deep, 14 gage (1.5mm thickness), aluminum – no coating, 3/4-inch tapered side and rolled top edge. These are solid pans and we’re happy to say - made in the USA. The recommended pan diameters are listed below and can be found in the shopping cart. Please check the Woo2 and Adjustable Rig sections on how to use each pan.
Rectangular Pans Drip or Indirect: Why rectangular you may ask? Well, the egg is round, but not everything we cook is round. Ribs, briskets, and some pork butts can match up better with a rectangular shape pan. With a properly positioned pan, you don’t have to worry about burning ends or corners on these meats. Plus, a rectangular pan can provide better air circulation. The Medium Woo2 is designed to hold the 9x13, quarter size, commercial grade sheet pan. These pans are readily available, so we don’t stock them. Like the large, the pan only fits one way. For the XL set-up, we don’t recommend a standard rectangular size. The cooker is big enough that there are plenty of options or size configurations readily available. The Small Woo2 is just the opposite from the XL. It’s small, so we recommend using the round pan.
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Tongs: | |
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Tongs are probably the most overlooked accessory we use. The right tongs can make life so easy while the wrong pair can produce an instant migraine. There are many types: salad, pastry, ice, pasta, and utility. They come in several styles: spring loaded, springless, nylon coated, locking and color coded. And, let’s not forget build: metal, plastic, 6-inch plus lengths and light-to-heavy duty.
That’s it, one pair for everything. They are long enough to grab steaks during a sear and short enough to handle single items on an elevated grid. When unlocked they don’t overly spread out. The grip is cushioned which feels nice in the hand. Plus, they are built to be used. They are dishwasher safe but we try to hand wash them to preserve the softness in the cushion grip. We have two sets, just in case one is dirty or comes up momentarily missing, which does happen. It’s just a great pair of tongs. |
The best tongs we have found, in fact the only tongs we use, are the 16-inch locking tongs with cushion grip from OXO. |
On the Clock: | |
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Why red, because it sticks out. Can’t tell you how many times we forgot to start or stop the clock or lost the clock on a messy table. A red clock is quite visual. On a side note, we’ve tried writing down start times only to use the paper to wipe up a spill. We’ve tried remembering times, but after 10 hours and a night’s sleep, it’s generally forgotten. We’ve tried watches only to find the wrist and watch missing in action at critical times. The table top clock is a simple way to remember times. And the red color is a simple reminder to use and check it.
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Why a clock, and particularly a red one. One of the more common questions on the forums is…how long does it take to cook such and such? Well, we can give ball park estimates, but the best way to learn how fast you cook something is, time your cooks. So, nothing better than a little stop & start clock to help keep time. The OXO clock keeps regular time and counts up & down. For cooking, it’s a good little time keeper.