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I use a solid steel plate (1/4").. about 3/4" gap around the outside... and then a cast iron skillet on top of that (wrapped in foil for easy clean up)...
Both my builds are with a 13 inch ceramic plate in the center, supported on bolt heads coming up from the bottom of the pot. Bottom of the pot is Drilled with 1 inch holes, not cut out.
I'll probably be the only one that has done the drilled steel to replicate/replace the aluminum steamer i melted....Do highly recommend it though!
Some cooks it's taken out...I would have voted for the steamer, completely open and the drilled steel.
OBTW most UDS these days many will use a similar drilled steel or holy pizza pan to diffuse heat. There are some old school nothing at all but the holy diffusers are gaining in popularity big time in UDS builds. Hail the holy diffuser.
I originally used a terra-cotta saucer wrapped in foil NOW I use disposable aluminum pie plates with water or sand in them. Easy clean up. Just toss them when they get too dirty. The pie plate sits on the charcoal grate for the 18 Weber with the ends cut of as illustrated below.
I just use the steamer insert. If I'm doing really high heat chicken I'll put a pan on it to catch the fat. I've had a pretty nasty grease fire I'd just as soon not repeat.
For the most part I use the Steamer insert. Sometimes though when cooking roasts and tri tips, I will use an aluminum pan full of Chef JJ's Smokey Au Jus. I also use a 9"x9" chunk of 1" granite that I wrap in foil. When I use the Mini-ZA I use the Ceramic Pizza stone at the cooking level and a 12" Terracotta pot on the upper rack to divert the heat back down. When I am cold smoking I don't use a baffle at all, and I stack multiple pots on top of each other.