Presto Pizza Player

[rp2813]

AKA "Pizza Pizzazz."

 

I've been wanting one of these just for fun and found one in the box with instructions at Goodwill this past week.

 

Tonight I let a frozen rising crust pie take a spin on it and I have to say it was cooked perfectly.  Better results than in a conventional oven.  This little gadget will be seeing more use for sure.

 

The only shortcoming is that the turntable is a bit wobbly if the pie is even slightly out of balance and won't accommodate one larger than 12" across, but that's more than adequate for just the two of us here.

 

Does anyone else have one of these?  If so, how do you like it?

 

The picture below isn't mine.  It's from Presto marketing and depicts a bogus situation.  They say not to cut the pizza on the turntable or risk scratching the non-stick finish, and it's downright impossible to cut on it when mounted (balanced) on its spindle anyway -- the turntable would flip right off with the first application of pressure.

 

[petek]

I bought one years ago when they first appeared on the shelves.. couldn't resist the name or the funkiness of it. It's all I use for pizza because it does work so well along with the fun factor. When the pizza's done I just remove the tray and then slide the pizza onto a large plate for slicing with my pizza wheel. simple. They say you're not supposed to cook other things on it and I haven't but I've seen reviews where people do cook other things and it looks like they've since brought out another model that says you can.. but it looks exactly the same. I'm sort of surprised the thing has been on the market as long as it has been because it's sort of a niche thing and I'm the only person I know who actually has one LOL,, cept for you now.

 

[whirlcool]

I remember when they first came out they got good reviews in consumer magazines.

 

[countryguy]

How does it cook? From the top only? What is the heat source? How long does it take to cook a pizza?

 

[hooverwheelaway]

We do!

We have one, need to give it a try again, haven't used it in quite a while. We felt like we got mixed results the last few times we did use it, however, I'm willing to give it another try. Robert calls it the "pizza-go-round". 

 

[tomturbomatic]

This uses a cooking technique called air impingement which blasts hot air at the food. It has proven to be successful in large commercial ovens. I think there is also heat from underneath that crisps the crust.

 

[joeekaitis]

I'm waiting for that new format . . .

. . . that uses a laser beam instead of a needle. Only problem is, the pizzas are TINY! You have to eat a dozen!

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

I remember seeing these, but have never bought one.   Fun idea, but limited appeal being it's a "uni-tasker" as Alton Brown would say.    

 

What are the different settings / controls Ralph?   

 

Looks like a great way to warm up a cold room too, just cook a couple frozen pizzas!  

 

Kevin

 

[rp2813]

Cooking Method

There are radiant heating tubes above and below the turntable.  They operate together or separately, depending on the type of pizza you're "baking."  There is no blasting of air like Tom described.

 

For example, instructions for the pizza I did last night were to start with lower element only and "bake" for 10-12 minutes (there's a timer for the heating elements up top), then switch to both upper and lower elements and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes.  I fudged it a little and added more time for the elements to heat up.

 

The turntable is not switched.  It starts revolving when the unit is plugged in.

 

I checked the pizza box and it was going to take longer in a conventional oven, plus the time for the oven to pre-heat. 

 

Kevin, the beauty of this thing is that it doesn't heat up the room at all.  I was impressed with that, too.

 

[combo52]

Presto Pizza Cooker

I also found this gadget interesting and got one at a thrift store a half dozen years ago and like most single purpose cooking appliances it works pretty well.

It has a slide switch on top to select either top or bottom heat or both, it uses 1350 watts if top and bottom heat is used. It is probably a little cheaper than using a regular oven in terms of power use and the good thing is if you are in a hot climate where A/C is in use you could use this out on the porch etc to keep heat out of the house.

The big problem with this type of gadget is the space consumed storing it, and the brother of cleaning it as well, normally I just bake pizza on the oven rack and cut it on a cutting board that goes in the DW. The metal pan on this Presto can get pretty messy and it is not DW safe.

 

[rp2813]

John, I read a post on line from someone who uses foil on their turntable and has had no problems.  That's what I did, and got good performance and good results, with the turntable remaining clean.

 

As for storage, I have the luxury of a basement, although unfinished, that has shelving for storage of this sort of thing.

 

[chachp]

My garage sale buddy has one...

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">He speaks very highly of it.  I haven't had pizza on it but he uses it exclusively for his pizza.  I'm a little old school when it comes to Italian food.  Pasta and Pizza dough home made and cook pizza in a 500 degree oven on a hot stone.  Maybe some day I'll have a wood burning oven for pizza!!</span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">I guess it's my Italian roots!!</span>

 

[rp2813]

I have a stone and a peel that have been sitting around gathering dust for years after only a few uses.  Making pizza from scratch is way too much work for me.   Hats off to those who have the process down, but if I want from-scratch pizza, I'll happily pay for it at a pizzeria that offers it.

 

Putting food on the table is a chore for me.  Dave was always the cook in our household before he had his stroke, and for 24 years I never had to lift a finger -- indeed, I was barely even allowed to get near the stove.  Now it's all on my shoulders, along with every other aspect of running a household, so convenience is key.  For me, gadgetry adds a little enjoyment to what is generally just another mundane task.