Many pizza ovens can handle cooking not just pizzas but other dishes as well. You can use your oven to grill steaks, chicken, sausages, hamburgers, and more. But if you want to do that and achieve the best results, you will need a good grill rack to use for your oven.
In this comprehensive article, discover what types of grill racks are available out there. Find out what specific type will be the best for your oven and cooking needs. Learn all the other benefits you can enjoy by getting one and how to choose the best one for your needs.
Benefits of Grill Racks When Using Pizza Ovens
Grill racks are some of the best pizza oven accessories you can get. This is because getting a rack for your oven offers a lot of benefits, including:
Enhanced Flavor
Grilling adds a more distinct smoky flavor to food. If you have a wood-fired pizza oven, this is a great advantage. But it also works well with a gas pizza oven. After the grill heats up, it can cause the natural sugars in food, particularly meat and vegetables, to caramelize.
Moreover, the raised position of the rack enhances the circulation of heat within the oven. This contributes to better heat distribution around the food. This can make your pizza’s crust more delicious and savory—the other food you grill as well.
Convenience
Just like portable pizza ovens, many grill racks are portable as well. This makes them easy to bring everywhere—picnics, campsites, and more. Plus, since these racks are removable, cleaning them and the oven will be a breeze.
Versatility
There are different types of grill racks you can use with pizza ovens. This implies that you can prepare a variety of dishes with it. Additionally, it's not just used for grilling. It can also be utilized for roasting, baking, smoking, and cooking slowly. You can even use the rack to warm your food.
For example, if your guests aren’t there yet, you can keep the pizza or other food warm by placing them on the rack inside the oven. With this, you can enhance the functions and uses of your pizza oven.
5 Different Types of Grill Racks for Pizza Ovens
The types of grill racks depend on the material they’re made of. So, here are the main types you can get for your pizza oven and cooking needs:
1. Cast Iron
Cast iron grills are popular for their heat retention and production of even cooking temperatures. At the same time, many people who love grilling prefer bare cast iron grills—the heavier, the better. Because the surface of a cast iron grill can hold a lot of heat, it can cook your pizza and food faster. It can also leave some good and bold sear marks on the pizza and food.
But, to enjoy these benefits, you will need some extra work when using cast iron racks. Similar to cast iron frying pans, cast iron racks require a little more maintenance. You have to always keep them clean as their surfaces are porous. This makes them prone to rust—you need to maintain them regularly.
Still, this doesn’t affect the fact that they’re durable and can last long. One way to ensure this is by using one properly. When using it for grilling, use grease or oil to protect the surface. You can surely get the most out of your investment when buying this type.
2. Stainless Steel
Stainless steel grill racks tend to be popular because they tend to be the most affordable type. They’re also lightweight and heat up quickly, making cooking easier. But most importantly, stainless steel grill racks are durable and don't require much maintenance—they don’t rust. This means you can use it for a long time without much problem. Plus, compared to cast iron grills, stainless steel grates tend to be thinner.
However, you should still do proper care and use one to ensure its quality. In case you didn’t know, stainless steel isn’t corrosion-resistant so the rack’s surface may degrade over time—this can make the surface uneven. Fortunately, they are easy to clean so you can prevent this for some time.
3. Porcelain-Enameled
Porcelain-enameled grill racks are typically porcelain-coated steel or cast iron. This coating gives the grills a non-stick layer and prevents the actual metal surface from corroding. At the same time, it makes the rack’s surface easy to clean and resistant to rust. Plus, porcelain-enameled racks can leave grill marks on your pizzas and food as well.
But, pay close attention to the quality of the rack when buying. Those with cheap porcelain coatings can lead to many problems later on. At the same time, keep any hard metal items and accessories away from it when using. It can chip the coating and allow moisture to pass. This will cause the surface underneath to rust.
4. Chrome Steel
This is a cheaper version of a stainless steel rack. You can also use this type for all kinds of pizza making and cooking other food. As a material, this type of steel has a protective layer of chrome. This can protect the grill and make it quite resistant to rust.
But despite these good qualities, there are some major disadvantages you should consider. In general, chromed steel racks aren’t environmentally friendly to produce. At the same time, the protective chrome layer doesn’t make it as durable as stainless steel. It’s still prone to chipping and rust.
5. Aluminum
Some grill racks are also made of aluminum. Compared to the other materials above, aluminum is relatively cheaper and has a rust-resistant advantage. This makes it easy to clean and requires little maintenance. At the same time, aluminum grills are relatively thin, which allows heat to transfer immediately, allowing easy cooking of pizza and other dishes.
But you have to remember that aluminum is a fragile metal. This means that it would be easy to damage the rack. Many aluminum racks are also not ideal for large types of food, including large-sized pizzas, steaks, and roasts.
Tips on How to Choose the Right Grill Rack
Make sure you’re getting the best rack for your oven and cooking needs by considering these tips:
Consider Heat Retention
When it comes to cooking, it's crucial to take into account the retention of heat. Effective heat retention in any object keeps food warm and reduces the need for extra cooking fuel. This will ultimately help improve the oven's efficiency. So, if you want these advantages, check the heat retention properties of your preferred rack types. Your best option is the cast iron type for excellent heat retention. However, stainless steel can also retain heat for quite a long time.
Check Maintenance Requirements
Being made of different materials, different rack types will need varied amounts of maintenance. If you are looking for something easy to clean and low maintenance, stainless steel grills are a good option. Nevertheless, it's important to remember that every type will still need appropriate care and upkeep, so be sure to review the details for the type you've selected.
Ensure It’s In the Right Size
You have to make sure that the rack can fit inside your pizza oven. So, pay close attention to the size of the rack. Though the shape is relatively important too, depending on the size, square or rectangular racks can still fit inside dome-shaped ovens. But, you can also find some circular or round-shaped racks in the market.
Whichever shape, always make sure that its length, width, and height will fit enough inside your pizza oven—with space around it and for the food. Remember to compare these dimensions with the interior dimensions of your oven.
Decide On a Budget
The costs of the different types of grill racks depend on many factors, but the material is one of the most significant. This is why stainless steel racks tend to be more affordable than cast iron ones. But of course, there are other factors that will affect the final price tag, like brand, size, and more.
Deciding on a budget in advance will simplify the process of narrowing down your options. To give you an idea, the prices can range from $100 to $300 but may vary. There is no need to aim for the lowest price because the quality might not be good.
However, choosing the most costly option is not necessary as price doesn’t guarantee quality. Use this as a basis and decide how much you’re willing to spend for a rack that will work best for your pizza oven and cooking needs.
Get Yours Today!
Grill racks can make cooking with pizza ovens easier and more versatile. With one, you can cook more than pizza and you can also enhance the flavor of what you cook. Just make sure to consider the material and size of your options. The best grill rack is one that can fit in your oven, is easy to maintain, and comes at a price you can afford.
If you want to check some options, you can visit our oven accessories collection. We offer quality racks made for the best pizza ovens and many other accessories that can make cooking a better experience for you!