By all counts, this little oven is one of the most popular and most purchased pizza ovens on the internet! We’re very encouraged by the reviews we’ve studied from a number of websites, and as we dig a bit deeper into this little oven, we’ll see if there’s only good, or are there some potential issues to be aware of before opening your wallet?!
We’ve figured out a few preliminary things that stand out to us that you might like to know. For example, the Pizzeria Pronto is safe to use on any surface, and it has a quick pre-heat time of around 10 minutes. Then, as it reaches incredibly high temperatures (for a small, gas, open-faced oven) of nearly 700˚F, a pizza will be ready to eat in as little as 5 minutes. Not bad ….. if it’s all true!
The Pizzacraft Pizzeria Pronto features a heat containing visor and stainless steel reflection plate, resulting in a 20% decrease in cooking time. The rain cap (included) also holds a 1 lb. propane tank when tipped upside down.
And, just before we get started here, note that the deal on Amazon will usually include some great extras, but they keep changing. At the time of this review, Pizzacraft was offering a free cookbook, grill brush, and peel!
Contents
The Package
At only 19″ x 19″ x 12″ and just under 33lbs, the box that arrives at your door is pretty small for something that makes a very decent charred (if you like) pizza oven-style pizza!
The Good
- lightweight and portable
- easy to use
- super-short pre-heat time of 10 minutes (many users said it was closer to 15 minutes) and a short cook time of 5-7 minutes
- reaches 700˚F
- comes with peel and grill brush
- excellent price for what you get – great value
- between 50 and 75 gagillion positive reviews, not only Amazon but on several other sites
- affordable
- clean up is simple
- works for frozen pizza
- fast and easy to assemble in 10 to 15 minutes (instructions are very clear) (some had trouble assembling the stand though)
- excellent crispy crust
- hooks up to standard 15 or 20-pound propane tank
- mess stays outside and it’s easy to clean with the brush (sold in the kit with the peel) – once cool, take the top off and clean
- heat stays outside in summer – no heating your indoor oven to its max for 45 minutes
- excellent customer service – staff that care and stand behind their product
The Bad
- possibly a bit small for making extra-large pizzas (12 inch is good for a maximum size though the stone size is 14″)
- no rotating stone, so you’ll have to rotate the pizza with your metal peel (boo hoo!)
- The 15,000 BTU burner is a tad on the low side
- opening is small – not a lot of space for cooking other things like calzones
- may have a hard time heating and maintaining temperature if windy and cold
- no handles so some found transporting it around to be awkward as it weighs 20 pounds
- hard to see whole pizza while cooking unless it’s on the stand
- some had trouble with the igniter – it didn’t spark and was sometimes not reliable (this may be due to air in the propane gas line if the tank is new or newly charged)
Is it Easy to Use?
It’s not only easy to use, but it’s easy to set up. There is a step which we didn’t think would be normal (attaching the gas inlet assembly), but this is necessary in order to make shipping more efficient. It’s not hard, and there are thorough instructions included.
Price?
If you’re looking to upgrade from whatever you have now for pizza-making (including delivery from Pizza Hut), then the price of this oven will not be a problem. While the price fluctuates here and there online, it’s generally close to $300.
In our opinion, that’s a very small price to pay for what this unit delivers! (get it? “delivers” … like pizza gets deliver… okay, forget it! Sorry I brought it up.)
Check out the latest availability and comments HERE
Anything Else?
The Pizzacraft Pizzeria Pronto outdoor pizza oven is filled with a bunch of little additions that (when combined) make this a very unique and feature-filled pizza maker.
It’s unique enough that it actually has several patents (pending) on those unique additions. According to the actual designer, the temperatures in the oven are carefully designed to be very specific, which is unlike a more organic and random approach using a wood-fired oven (not really consistent temps and affected by the type of wood, the quantity of wood, stage of burning process, proximity to pizza, etc.).
The Pizzeria Pronto has an ambient temperature of between 700˚F and 900˚F (ambient is the air temperature between the base or stone, and the roof of the oven). When the air reaches that temperature, the stone should be a bit less hot at around 500˚F to 600˚F to get a great, crispy texture, while the top gets mildly charred, and the base is not overdone.
There’s a metal heat shield that sits just above the pizza stone (and the pizza) which is perforated with lots of tiny holes which are big enough to allow moisture to escape through the vent on the lid, but not so big that it loses significant heat.
We would also strongly suggest you keep the oven in as sheltered an area as possible. In direct, chilly wind, the unit may never heat up to the 700˚F mark, or it may take upwards of 30 minutes to get to the point that would only take 10 minutes in a quiet, windless, sheltered area.
You can use either a 20 lb propane tank or a 1 lb portable (green) tank. However, the smaller tank will require an adapter.
Accessories!
There are a number of additional products that would make your life easier while using the Pizzacraft oven. If you don’t have a large or strong table, we’d suggest you take a peek at the leg kit as a great addition to make things look and operate at their best potential.
One quick thing about the leg kit though; once you set it up, the oven is a bit less “portable” than it was before. It may or may not matter to you, but we thought we should mention it.
So What Do We Think?
Well, we think a lot about this one! If you are a passionate pizza lover but don’t have space or budget for a traditional wood-fired pizza oven, this oven may be worth considering.
The Pronto is no slouch when it comes to turning out great quality pizza. Nearly 90% of purchasers were happy and would recommend it to others looking for great value in an outdoor pizza oven.
This is another one of those ovens where you might say something like “well, for the price, this little guy gives you a great pie”.
So, that’s exactly what we’ll say! However, we’d take it a step further and say that the quality of pizza as well as the product itself, would make this oven a great buy all around, and not just “good value for the price”.
I’ve basically summarized the info you’ll find all over the place online, but if it makes you feel more comfortable, please indulge in reading lots of comments online (may as well start with Amazon since it’s usually the best price and best selection).
Here’s a quick video to show you the basics of what it’s all about!