In case it’s not super clear, please know that the idea for all my reviews is to either try the product myself and give you my thoughts or compile the experiences of hundreds who have used the product (or own it). Our goal is to combine all the information available online (and some only offline!) and bring it together in a great little summary that will absolutely help you! Here we go!
The Thor Pizza Oven is one of our favorites right off the top because of its looks and functionality combined with its price point. If you’d done your research, you’ll know this oven looks like it’s somewhere in the $2000 or more range, but in fact, it’s only half that price. Is it worth it? Why so cheap? Or for that matter, why so expensive? Well, let’s see!
Contents
THE GOOD
- Great Looks
- Easy to move around
- Assembly is fairly easy
- Heats up Fairly Quickly
- Durable Construction
- Relatively low price point compared to others in its class
THE BAD
- Assembly Instructions could be clearer
- Helps to have 2 people to assemble, but 1 can do it with some ingenuity
- Burns a bit less hot than other models
- Does not include any accessories like peel or cutter, etc.
- Takes a bit longer to heat up than advertised
Quality, Durability, and Reliability
Did we mention this was stainless steel? That means it not only looks great, but it’s built to last. Based on owner feedback, the durability is great, so I’ll go on record as saying it’s reliable as well, though I haven’t personally tested it over the course of 20 years!
Is it Easy to Use?
Like owning any wood oven, you’ll have to learn how to set a fire from kindling and then add larger wood pieces as the fire grows. Otherwise, the temperature control and display is straightforward and intuitive.
What About Cleaning?
This one’s a breeze! A shot of stainless steel appliance cleaner deals with the outside and a damp cloth on a cool interior deals with the inside cooking surface. Because it’s not a massive, dome-style permanent backyard fixture, you can easily shove your arm inside to shovel out the ashes and wipe down the firebrick to avoid baking soot and ashes into the bottom of your next pie.
Price?
While the Thor Kitchen Stainless Steel Pizza Oven slides in at around $1K –ish and is more expensive than some other outdoor models, it’s also VERY competitively priced when compared to other models that are about the same size, and offer the same functionality, quality, and portability.
You can check the latest price and see even more information HERE.
What Else?
While the advertised heat up time is 5 minutes, that was a bit tough for us to imagine given that any other oven of this size and category heats up in 30-60 minutes.
After researching further, we found out that in fact, it does take upwards of a half-hour to bring the temperature to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. We would also recommend a good infrared temperature meter gun for a more accurate assessment of the current temperature (this goes for any outdoor oven make and model).
The other issue to consider is that you’ll want to run any oven just about as hot as it can get (for a whole pile of reasons), and that means 700 – 1000 degrees in most cases.
This oven can reach 700 with some coaxing, but often sits closer to 550, which will do the job nicely, but it’s not ideal. I have lots of experience baking pizzas on stones at 550 degrees, and it makes a great pizza, but doesn’t give you the leopard spots or the 2-minute pizza!
So, What Say We?
I’m a sucker for good looks, so this one has my vote. We love the fact that when other owners criticized some item (ie. Assembly instruction deficiencies), they went on to say the good far outweighed the bad, and gave it a very high ranking. They especially noted that the oven was a VERY good deal given the price point!
It’s true that more expensive models may have a few features the Thor does not, but it really depends on your priorities and budget as to whether the higher price is worth the addition of certain features.
To find out more and to check out the price and do more research on the Thor Pizza oven, click HERE!
