Topic: Backyard pizza ovens

[romain]

My pizza oven is gas fired. The company is out of business so I can't post a link but it's called a 2stone - if anyone is interested you can google images. It's a stainless upright looking thing.

I've used an Ooni - wood fired. It's a nice little oven but keeping a fire going is quite finicky. It's fine if you are doing one or two pizzas but if you are firing a bunch it gets very busy.  If I was going to get an Ooni I think I'd go gas. They are quite reasonably priced despite what their water bottles cost.

If I were going to buy a pizza oven again I would definitely go for one of these https://www.pizzapartyshop.com/en/portable-gas-fired-pizza-ovens-ardore-spacesaving/outdoor-gas-pizza-oven-pizza-party-ardore.html

This guy knows small pizza ovens. Some of the pizzas I have seen cooked in his oven on the Neapolitan sub-forum at pizzamaking.com are incredible. I would have to beg him to ship one to me but in Europe most of you are all set. Ships from Italy.

[Peripatetic Phil]

You could say that about most companies branded drinking vessels. The ovens are good value though imo.

Fair enough

[Gav Iscon]

If I were going to buy a pizza oven again I would definitely go for one of these https://www.pizzapartyshop.com/en/portable-gas-fired-pizza-ovens-ardore-spacesaving/outdoor-gas-pizza-oven-pizza-party-ardore.html

That was one that used to be on my replacement list but the price increase that seemed to happen last year scratched it off. Now it would be a roccbox all day. Great bit of kit, solid and consistent.

[JonG]

I think you need an expensive accessory to run the ooni oven on gas?

Talking of expense, do you have to buy the hardwood pellets they recommend, or is chopping firewood into small chunks an option?

Ooni sell a few different ovens that run on different fuels. https://uk.ooni.com/collections/shop-all 

If its one to run on pellets then you use pellets. Lots of people say to use the hardwood pellets which are quite expensive but many including myself have run them on the Balcas ones from the plumb centre and I can't determine a difference from the expensive ones.

If you like pizzas and want to cook them regularly, I'd go for the Koda. The pellets are fun but need constant attention where as the gas, you just switch it on and leave it. (obviously)

Thanks for your info folks. The roccbox and the one Romain linked to are no doubt nice ovens, but seem to be in an entirely different price category from the ooni.  I

[Gav Iscon]

So, in the ooni range I see the ooni 3 can be run on gas or pellets, and is the cheapest, so I

[pap rika]

You may find this recent comparison test helpful. https://youtu.be/WDK762aVaMI.

Regards pap rika.

[romain]

Again, by what has been discussed at length on the pizzamaking forum Neapolitan sub-forum the source of heat has largely nothing to do with the output (pizza). The taste is generated from cooking the high temperatures (750F+). The smoke is all above the pizza in the oven if the oven is convecting properly.

Gas is more convenient and I believe there have been some people who have had issues with the chimney design of the Ooni 3 (you would need to google - I am not sure of my facts here - just a vague recollection).

Any pizza oven is better than no pizza oven and the Ooni is a nice little oven for sure. Just make sure you pick one that gives you a little extra room to work with. Trying to fire a 13 inch pie in a 13.5 inch oven is really hard.

The launch from your peel is trickier than you might imagine. You can't just jiggle the pizza off the peel. It will contract a lot and you will have a pretty small, thick pizza so it's nice to have a little room to give you a margin of error.

All in all, making pizza is more fun than making curry though - IMO. And a lot more challenging as well.

[Peripatetic Phil]

All in all, making pizza is more fun than making curry though - IMO. And a lot more challenging as well.

Banned !

[romain]

Wouldn

[Peripatetic Phil]

I know, I know :  "you've been banned by better people than me, and from better forums as well !".