Come on Michael, what’s it gonna be? 🥸 We’re all just sittin’ around waiting…..🍿
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Last edited by Panhead John; June 30, 2025, 09:22 AM. -
I do take analysis paralysis to a high art.Originally posted by Panhead John View Post
Whittling this down is a bit harder than I thought. I already have a good knife set. I have a PBC (although might not mind a spare) and a Fireboard. I already have a pellet grill.
A portable gas grill might be fun, but I'd probably use it just twice. The griddle looks cool....but I kinda would prefer a traditional form factor (rectangular rather than circular).
The SnS MasterKettle is very tempting, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with my current Kettle.
That leaves the Ninja 8-1 cooker. Out of all of its eight functions, only one really interests me: 700 F pizza oven. And I've always wanted a pizza oven.
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Wish he’d hurry up and pick somethin’, I gotta go to the bathroom. -
My son in law has and uses the round griddle in the prize list, and likes it for the most part. He uses it alongside a 18" kamado. He is talking however about replacing it with a rectangular griddle, as he doesn't like that it has no back/sides to stop things when scooping with a spatula. I've cooked on it and it required I use two hands and two spatulas to do stir fries and burgers. Not a big deal in my opinion, but a consideration. -
Oh, yeah. I have the Ninja! I find it really useful. It makes very good pizza. I also have the round griddle, and it's merely OK. Go for the Ninja!
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As a new owner of a griddle, I think it would be worth the risk! I typically only use 1/2 of my griddle space, and when I’ve used the whole thing, I would have been fine to do the cook in batches (think French toast and pancakes).Comment
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I think the Ninja would be fun.Comment
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The griddle and Ninja and now neck-and-neck.
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I will chime in in favor of the Ninja! In addition to being a really good pizza oven, and good searing broiler, it is also a surprisingly useful small-batch smoker! I used it just the other day to smoke some bacon that was done curing, and it came out nicely!
Although I will admit that the temperature can swing widely. I've clocked it at ~800ºF before it settled at back down to 700º.
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Michael_in_TX I may be wrong, but I believe you not only need to claim your prize, but also name your prize by 11:59pm Friday. You still have time, but be careful that it doesn’t creep up on you.Comment
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@Michael_in_Texas I am with Attjack on this one. A free 2 zone round griddle is way better than NO griddle. You just use a second spatula to push against if you are doing a stir fry and don't want to push food over the edge. I normally have 2 spatulas any time I am griddle cooking anyway. It also will let you know if you LIKE griddle cooking enough to eventually spend cold hard cash on a rectangular one. -
I have the round griddle, although it is the 30-inch version. And it's OK. But it has difficulty heating up quickly or evenly. Every time I use it I find myself wanting a Blackstone or better. (Although Blackstones strike me as a bit overpriced for what they are.) -
And also abut the round griddle: If one is so upset about the lack of a back fence to push against, just put down a few (clean) bricks across the far edge. That'll do. I'd recommend fire-safe bricks, but that's up to you. Just don't pick them up with your bare hands while they're hot.
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Congratulations to all the winners!Comment
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CongratsComment
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My choice is now slated to air on ESPN on a special entitled “The Decision.”
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Interestingly enough, I literally just got an email from Thermoworks about using a pizza oven to cook steak! Does that help with the decision?Originally posted by Michael_in_TX View Post
That leaves the Ninja 8-1 cooker. Out of all of its eight functions, only one really interests me: 700 F pizza oven. And I've always wanted a pizza oven.
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🦗🦗🦗Comment
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I have made My Decision! It is this:
"This fall I am going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat!" Wait....hold on....that's not right....
Ah, here we go....
"Pikachu! I choose you!" Ah, drat....while compelling, that doesn't seem to be it either.
Ah...
"I choose the danger. (Hell of a time to ask.)" Nope, not it either....
I know I have this in my notes somewhere!
Here we are, finally:
I choose the Ninja 8-n-1 Woodfire Oven!
This was challenging. I flip-flopped between this and the Cuisinart Griddle several times. It came primarily to getting functionality that I do not currently have. Also, it took a healthy consideration of the questions: "Which would I use more?" and "Which would I most enjoy?" (Those are very similar, but very different questions.)
I have watched effectively every YouTube video on both of these things. (And suffered through so many unboxing-only videos!) Part of the delay is that the Ninja models that are available in the US and the UK are slightly different and it took me a bit to get a handle on what those differences are. (This oven is really popular in the UK.)
So there you have it.
I am excited to up my pizza game.
(Also, if you get the third reference up there, you and I are friends!)Comment
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Panhead John may now finally go to the bathroom. We don't need a Tycho Brahe situation here.
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I guess I should point out the differences I discovered between the US and UK models. Obviously, the UK model defaults to Celsius rather than Fahrenheit.
(Which is so backwards! The UK should join us in adopting the Imperial System along with the other two nations that use it: Liberia.....a, uh, small, impoverished nation on the west coast of Africa......and, of course, Myanmar....a horrific, brutal dictatorship.....uh, never mind. Forget I even started this parenthetical!)
The other differences I noticed are these: the UK model has different names, temperatures, and times for the pizza modes. It's minor, but important as they do differ significantly. I perceive the UK models may be more refined/tested than the US models; that is, UK videos -- and this is anecdotal -- do not seem to need to fine-tune their settings as much as US videos do.
Finally, the UK model may get hotter than the US model, by perhaps 30, even 50 degrees F. I am not an electrical engineer, but it may be due to the use of 220 V power over 120 V. I was skeptical about this, but the number of people using IR guns in both UK and US videos really suggest this.Comment
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As an electrical engineer with international design experience, I can say that the power supply makes a HUGE difference. Most electrical outlets in the UK are 230V @ 13A (2990W). That is a LOT more than the 1800 watt limit placed by the 120V @ 15A that is on most US residential outlets. And to be honest, most electrical appliances in the US do not push against the limit, so it is likely limited to 1500-1600W instead of the max. -
jfmorris I didn't even think to check the wattage, but you are absolutely correct. The US model is 1700 W and the UK model is 2400 W.
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