The KettlePizza Oven has captured the imagination (and the taste buds) of numerous pizza aficionados. We call them our KettlePizza Oven Ambassadors, and we asked them to tell us their story.
Do you have what it takes to be a KettlePizza Oven Ambassador? If so, join the KettlePizza Owners Group on Facebook! We want to hear your story and see your cooking! And if you have what it takes we will find you!!
Al is the inventor of the KettlePizza and co-founder of the company. “I’ve been working on grilling inventions for years but when I came up with this product I knew we had a shot at changing the way people cook on their grills. George and I work very hard to produce the highest quality products possible. We believe strongly in American manufacturing and source locally whenever possible.”
George Peters is one of the co-founders of KettlePizza. George is an inventor with a love of grilling and wood-fired pizza. “I love great pizza and when Al showed me the first prototype of the KettlePizza Oven I knew we had a winner. That was seven years ago. We are very proud to have sold KettlePizza Inserts in over 60 countries around the world.”
We love to grill and we love pizza, so when I ran across the KettlePizza Oven on the internet I was very intrigued. We watched a few videos and decided to give it a shot and we were not disappointed. This immediately brought our pizza cooking to a whole new level. We love to experiment with sauces, toppings and crust recipes all the time. We have a lot of parties and it brings everyone together, the young and old love to participate.
We have had so many pizza parties and it is always the conversation piece. We ended up getting two KettlePizzas because our parties kept getting bigger. Everyone is always impressed with our results and they have a great time doing it too! I am a Pizza Geek and love it! We can’t even order pizza out anymore because that stuff just tastes terrible. We even grow our own heirloom tomatoes so we can make the very best sauce, we preserve it and have pizza sauce all year long!
Meeting as students at the Culinary Institute of America, Brian and Shanna O’Hea have owned The Kennebunk Inn since 2003. Their culinary skills were honed in settings ranging from premier hotels (The Four Seasons – New York City, West Palm Beach) to university campuses (M.I.T.), clubs and resorts (Dixie Landing, Grand Floridian, Ocean Reef, Greenwich Country Club), and private residences / estates (New York City, London).
The O’Heas have established themselves as highly rated chefs through The Inn’s restaurant, Academe (consistently named an OpenTable “neighborhood gem”) and appearances on television, as guest chefs on Holland America cruises, at culinary events, and in national magazines. They love using their KettlePizza Oven and often cater events for hundreds of guests centered around wood-fired cooking in their KettlePizza.
As a self described pizza connoisseur and grill master, I immediately fell in love with the KettlePizza Oven Kit when I was first introduced to it almost five years ago. There is nothing more satisfying then making your own pizza creations then grilling them to perfection on the KettlePizza! Perfectly smokey and crispy, each one could go head-to-head against the very best brick oven pizzeria.
ABOUT CLINT CANTWELL
With a passion for all things barbecue and grilling, grillmaster Clint Cantwell is the Editor of Grillocracy.com and Kingsford.com, video content director of AmazingRibs.com, pitmaster of Smoke in da Eye competition barbecue and grilling team, and winner of Travel Channel’s “American Grilled.”
Described as a “backyard griller on steroids” and the “mad scientist of grilling,” Clint was named one of the “10 Faces of Memphis Barbecue” by Memphis Magazine (May 2015), is a special contributor to TheDailyMeal.com, and has recurring grilling segments on both CNN’s HLN and WREG-TV.
Philia Kelnhofer (aka ‘Phi’) loves sharing recipes and product recommendations on her food blog, www.sweetphi.com. One product she absolutely loves is the KettlePizza grill attachment. After gifting her father-in-law a KettlePizza for his charcoal grill, the whole family was amazed by the delicious wood-fire taste and quality of pizzas made with a KettlePizza.
Since then, Phi has tried the KettlePizza on a gas grill and is happy to report that it works just as great! So whether you have a charcoal or gas grill, with a KettlePizza, wood-fire pizza is only a few minutes away. Phi shares many of her family’s pizza party recipes on www.sweetphi.com
Brad Rocco is from Bexley, Ohio, where he lives with his wife, Linda, and his daughter, Elizabeth. He also owns a local pizzeria called Bexley Pizza Plus and has been working in the pizza industry for over 35 years. His pizzeria offers over 40 pizza toppings and 24 signature specialty pizzas.
Over the past 15 years Rocco has won many awards in local, national and international competitions. In 2014, he became World Champion by winning the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas. In 2015, he won Best Traditional Pizza at the North American Pizza and Ice Cream Show, held in Columbus, Ohio. Today, although retired from the competitive pizza circuit, he runs his pizzeria and judges in local pizza competitions.
“I discovered KettlePizza when it was being discussed in a BBQ Facebook group. I contacted George Peters, and he offered to send me one to try out. I baked some incredible pizzas with it.”
“From winning several first-place pizza contests to tailgating at the New England Patriots games, KettlePizza is a part of our everyday life when we cook outdoors ~ charcoal, and now, on gas grills.” You can read more about Kim and Mic Stanfield at http://www.BooBooQued.com.
“I am an avid sports fan and a self-described pizza addict, having founded Omaha’s only annual KettlePizza contest, happening each Labor Day. I have a wonderful wife and two children who support my fire-cooking hobbies more than I could ever have dreamed.”
“I am one of the Pitmasters of Omaha’s own Hot Grill on Grill Action BBQ Team, an author of ‘The Book on Competition BBQ’ and the website www.BBQRevolution.com. We have won countless awards over a dozen years of competing, and live by the fire!”
“Several years ago, I discovered KettlePizza online while looking for wood-fired pizza cookers. It was back in the days when the unit simply said ‘HOT’ on the front. I received one for Christmas that year and made pizzas on New Year’s Eve for my family and friends who came over. I was instantly hooked on what wood-fired pizzas do for a crowd.”
“Since that time, I estimate I’ve cooked nearly 2,000 pizzas on the KettlePizza Oven. I’ve spent hundreds of hours working on and perfecting what I think is the perfect dough. I’ve visited and spoken with pizza restaurant owners all over the country about the kinds of ingredients and methods they use. I’ve made every kind of pizza you can think of, from traditional styles to fusion styles and everything in between.”
I have always loved grilling, but I became a Pitmaster after receiving a Weber Kettle on my first Father’s Day. Since then, I have produced at least one instructional cooking video on YouTube every week. These include a variety of barbecue and grilling techniques showcasing pizza, sandwiches, appetizers, hot sauces, brisket, ribs, chicken and even some desserts. I will grill just about anything!
When I am not grilling or bbqing, I am spending time with my 3 children – 2 daughters and 1 son. My children love to help when I am filming. You may even briefly see them or their hands in some of my videos.
The KP has allowed me to make brick-oven-style pizza at home in less than 3 minutes. I also love to cook calzones on the KP. Some have said I am the ‘Pizza King.’
