One of the perks of being the US editor-in-chief of Jugo Mobile is that I get to try out some cool things, like some of the best pizza ovens. My family and neighbors are looking forward to me baking several cakes to see how well these ovens perform. But pizza ovens aren’t cheap, so a deal like this is worth the wait.
Currently you can get the Solo Stove Pi Prime for $279 at Amazon, a savings of $70 over its regular price. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for an outdoor oven that’s easy to use and makes great pizzas.
In my review of the Solo Stove Pi Prime, I really liked how easy it was to set up and control the oven. Since it runs on propane, all you need to do is hook up a tank. A knob on the front is used to turn on the oven and control the temperature, and since the oven has an open mouth, it is very easy to see the level of the flames.
As with all pizza ovens I’ve tried, the Pi Prime needs a good 20 minutes to really heat up its lamb base, but after that, it can make pizzas in just 2 minutes. You really have to pay attention as it will burn your cake easily.
The Pi Prime can hold pizzas up to 12 inches in size, which isn’t as large as other pizza ovens, but otherwise it’s pretty standard.
Other equipment you may need
To complete your pizza-making setup, you’ll need some additional equipment. Here are four elements that I think are essential to making great pizza at home.
- Pizza peel: To put cakes in and out of the oven; This New Star Foodservice restaurant quality wooden pizza peel currently costs $24 on Amazon.
- Digital scale: To make a good pizza dough you need precise measurements. The OXO Good Grips 11-Pound Stainless Steel Food Scale with Removable Display is $55 on Amazon and it’s worth every penny.
- Laser thermometer: You don’t necessarily need one of these to measure the internal temperature of the oven, but it helps to know when the pizza stone is ready to go. Etekcity Infrared Thermometer can record temperatures up to 1130 degrees F and costs $19 on Amazon.
- Stand mixer: If you are going to make your own dough, you will need a quality mixer. I have the KitchenAid 7-Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer, which is great for large amounts of dough, and is on sale for $549 at Amazon — $50 off regular price.
