Are portable pizza ovens just HYPE? Solo Stove Pi pizza oven VS my stove

[@Diskjuke]

Pi can get over 900. So, from the get go, this was a bunk test. The other factor you're not considering is different dough (e.g. neopolitan) benefits from the high temp. The PI and Ooni are comparable except for one big difference. Pi has a lifetime warranty.

[@ryta1203]

Yes seems like a poor test.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I am testing it with the tanks I would take camping as I don’t have space to take a 20lbs tank with me. It was wide open, albeit on a cool day with ambient temps just above freezing The dough is 67% hydration which isn’t what I would normally use for my stove but then it’s not about the tool vs the dough so I used the same dough in each so the only variable was the heat source

[@hopkinshome3799]

@@SmokingDadBBQ But I think the point is still valid that you did not test it to its full capability at home. If it was about camping that should have been the test comparison; your not taking you home oven camping.

[@darrenpeel2482]

Ooni or Gozney ovens are what you need. Both get upto 900f. Both take 1 minute to make a pizza.

[@Papageorgeo88]

Yeah, need an oven that hits 900f.

[@Papageorgeo88]

Love your work usually James but not using a Ooni or Gozney as your portable oven is a miss.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

@@Papageorgeo88 I was lucky to have solo stove send this to me vs the pizza oven I bought. I agree I would have liked to have done it against others but financially I can’t swing buying every product for each video so I had hoped this would represent the small portable gas category

[@trentparks7047]

If they sent it to you they obviously think it’s adequate. Great, honest video James. Thanks for all you do!

[@billsmith8225]

Also, depending on the hydration of the dough will give you different results in a real pizza oven

[@timbrandenburg5643]

I just purchased the pi and have used it about 7 times with 20lb propane (same tank so far). It gets to 850-900 in about 15 minutes regardless of outside temps from 30-70 degrees. This makes me agree that the mini tanks are not equipped for the task, unless maybe you used a few in tandem, then you’re bringing more stuff camping. How about using the tanks from your travel trailer while camping? You can use a quick connect hose off your main, just a thought. I have a 12’ line off my camper on the front and back, makes it nice for any gas appliances. The other option is wood, but that takes more work, and is reportedly 50-100 degrees less temp in the pi than propane.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I think the tank is the culprit then. I do have trailer tanks I can connect into

[@anxiety762mm]

The advantage of a dedicated pizza oven is the high temps of 800-900 degrees. Either the solo stove can’t go that high, or it’s not a good oven. Either way, a fair comparison would be a pizza cooked in a regular oven at 500, and one cooked at 900 in a dedicated pizza oven.

[@ryta1203]

It can get that high.

[@anxiety762mm]

@@ryta1203 that would be the fair test then. What differences does the crust take on cooked at high temps vs low temps. And which is more enjoyable. The only reason a person should get a dedicated pizza oven is to cook at high temps.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Either the 1lbs tank doesn’t flow the same as a 20 or it’s the fact the outside temps were just above freezing and the cold air was holding back the temps from what I would see doing this in warmer weather

[@mhard126]

If you do want to travel with the PI I would recommend an ignik propane growler. Love ours for camping

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Thanks will check that out

[@tomgullahorn1618]

There is a reason why it is equipped for a 20 lb propane fuel container. Having said that, the portable pizza oven I chose was the Gozney Roccbox. Cooks the pizza in around 90 seconds and is tons of fun to use. The speed at which it can cook a pizza comes in handy when having a pizza party.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I wanted to try the small tank as that’s realistically all I will pack when we go camping. Either the tank or the cold weather held it back from higher temps

[@challngestradale]

I bought an ooni and it took my pizza game to the next level.. if you're ok with good pizza, stick with a steel and your home oven.. if you want the best pizza you can make buy an ooni or gozney dome

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

It’s off camera but I have a full sized wood pizza oven in the background which makes our favourite pizza and other things

[@jamesorr1200]

Ooni Fyra would be the perfect solution for road trips and camping. We have the Fyra and Koda 12. The Fyra’s extremely light weight, breaks down compactly, and you just add as many pellets as you need for desired run time-a few handfuls worth for two to three pizzas. The Koda is more like your Solo, and it’s more convenient for our weekly Friday pizza night with the family bc I can just light and let it run. Ooni has really good sales in November, so that’s when I’ve gotten them. I also have the kamado sized Baking Steel-I’d love to try it in the oven, but it’s too big. 🤨

[@bobby350z]

Got Gozney last month and the pizza from it is one giant step above the kitchen oven.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Right on. The cold weather and small tank might have held this unit back a little

[@Jr5.56]

Thanks for saving me money! Great video

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Happy to help!

[@BryanCarroll]

If the stone in the pizza oven was only 600, basically the same as the conventional oven, something was wrong. Either in the design of the oven itself or not enough gas flow from the adapter/can used. A Gozney or Ooni will have the stone up to 800 or 900, and then you will definitely see a difference in the outcome compared to a conventional ovem

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Maybe will try with a 20lbs tank. I have seen a video of this stove hitting those temps but it was in warm weather. Not sure if the cold air or the tank was to blame

[@BryanCarroll]

@@SmokingDadBBQ One time after swapping an empty tank for a new one I noticed that my oven and gas bbq were not getting hot enough, tried a different tank and they were fine. Turned out the valve on the replacement tank was faulty so the flow wasn't high enough. So that could definitely be what happened here!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

@@BryanCarroll good point

[@smokingtarheel3003]

I wonder if an Ooni would work better for you for portability and temps. That would be a cool head to head.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Will see if I can borrow one

[@tricepilot]

Blackstone has come out with a stand alone pizza oven I see. The outdoor pizza space is heating up! Pun intended!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Hahaha nailed it

[@danielwilliamson1577]

Where do you get that giant stone for your indoor stove?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

its the KJ stone from my DoJoe accessory

[@emmgeevideo]

Soft and crunchy in the same time... Vito has some magic for sure. Nearly a million subs based on doing the same recipe time after time. I like the poolish method but I'm going to try some others. I think the fact that the home oven and the Solo are so similar is that the temperature for both is lower than the 750-850 that is ideal. I think the best comparison will be between the Solo with wood vs. the Piccolo. Also, there are other mini pizza ovens like the Gozney Roccbox that use gas and can get to the higher range. Get one of those and compare to the Piccolo. As cute as the Solo is, I'm guessing that the 600 degree limit is the deal breaker.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I might redo it with a 20lb tank and see if it can reach higher temps but I can’t see the flavour being similar to wood so my next plan is to try the wood head to head

[@CoolJay77]

@@SmokingDadBBQ The one 1 lb tank and 20 lb will have similar pressures, and the burners operate at a fraction of the tank pressure, being reduced at the regulator. The only difference is that the larger tank will last longer. Your scheme of using smaller tank is not the cause of the problem. Assuming nothing is wrong with the unit, and the flame was set to maximum, the cold weather must have been the reason why the oven did not reach high temperature levels.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

@@CoolJay77 I can try again in summer. I got slightly higher temps with charcoal and wood splits. Approaching 700

[@CoolJay77]

​@@SmokingDadBBQ There is a video, Roccbox has the same issue when freezing cold. called: Gozney Roccbox - Cooking when it's below freezing out in MAINE It too, does not have a door, but Ooni does. BTW, on a slightly unrelated topic, at 700 ° F, I think you can brown the bottom of the crust and create a desirable leopard color, however the middle will not be as soggy as authentic Neapolitan pizza. Many call that Neo-Neapolitan style, which is getting somewhat popular at some American pizzerias, cause most of the public does not seem to understand the authentic style. I have tested the authentic vs Neo style side by side with a small group of people, the authentic version baked over 800 °F was the unanimous winner. However they all taste fine in IMHO, such as was your experience in the video. Also one other point, most pizzas in Naples, as well as in most other videos by Vito, the dough gets fermented for at least 24 hours. That will be easier to digest, you can eat a whole 12" pie without getting blotted, such as when eating an American pizza which is usually fermented for just around 6 hours or so.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

@@CoolJay77 thanks for sharing your wisdom

[@brian2359]

Good to know!

[@dres-bbq3569]

Nice vid again, looking to by a Burnhard nero pizza stove next. This burns pellets and also has a gas addition.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Congrats. Haven’t seen that one around here

[@dres-bbq3569]

@@SmokingDadBBQ I also have a Flint love the Brand Burnhard. Verry nice/ price variation.

[@brentsabourin4607]

Nice job James.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Thanks

[@seanmackel4925]

Yayyyy Vito yayyyyy James great video

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Thanks

[@abrahamo8934]

I mean to be fair you cooked them with the same fuel source nearly at the same temperature with the same dough.. .I hate to be the skeptic but why is the result surprising. It does look significantly different too what a professional using the pizza oven too. The purpose of the pizza oven is to reach much higher temps than what you reached than a conventional oven and almost sear the dough outside while keeping it fluffy on the inside while being portable.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I agree that’s the purpose … maybe it’s the tank or maybe it’s the cold weather but after an hour and two tanks that’s what I got. Ambient temps were near freezing so that could have held it back

[@sjamesy]

I have a gas ooni koda and I'm 99% sure that it would take 1/4 of the time to warm up. This seems like it is a bad advert for solo stove rather than the type of oven. I think to say portable pizza ovens are the same as a home oven is a bit short sighted. There is no way I could achieve the same results using a home oven.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

They tasted the same to me and neither is remotely close to my wood oven for taste

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I should mention despite the plaid shirt it was actually cool this day. Just above freezing so this might be a factor too

[@sjamesy]

@@SmokingDadBBQ I don't doubt that they tasted the same, my argument is that it feels like you have reviewed an entire genre of pizza ovens in this video based on one product. It would be nice to try a few different ovens before coming to a conclusion. I have never used a solo stove but was really shocked at the colour of the base you were able to achieve. Seems like the solo stove is unable to get the temperature into the stone which is bound to effect the final result.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

@@sjamesy oh I got you, fair point. If I can find a way to test more without having to buy them all lol I can definitely see a broader test pool to represent team gas being better

[@sjamesy]

@@SmokingDadBBQ not sure what colour your tent is but Roccbox used to be available in red 😂

[@danabarr4568]

Please do a head to head dough Joe vs pi wood burning!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4XSaJykf7Gija8si=uapg8hPC1YV3n2Iq

[@danabarr4568]

@@SmokingDadBBQ thank you so much! I own the dough Joe and was just gifted the solo oven. Can’t wait to watch this. I still haven’t mastered the dough Joe, and am now scared to try it again. I love your channel!

[@Nick-jh6vl]

The novelty of a dedicated pizza oven is that you can get the stone up to 800 - 900º, which your home oven cannot do. Depending on the hydration of your dough and what not, you can create a neopolitan style pizza. This is what I would think most people are going after with their pizza ovens. You'll get the stone as hot as it can go, turn the heat down, launch the pizza, and cook it for about 90 seconds total, with turning. Then turn the heat back up to keep the stone hot for the next pizza. Keeping your stone around 600º, you're going to be creating more of a NY Style pizza, which your home oven can absolutely do. You mention you pre-heated your oven for about 1 hour. Did you have it set on high heat the entire time? I would think the Solo Stove would be similar to my Ooni, which can hit about 850º on the stone.

[@tomroeder7348]

That Solo Pizza Oven is thirsty on the gas, around 1lb an hour is no joke! Nice feature though to be able to use wood as well.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

It sure is! And wood isn’t much better cost to run wise as it needs small dehydrated chunks

[@startjamming]

You didn't warm the oven enough. Of course there is no difference in the final results. To see, feel and taste the difference, you should reach almost 500C and cook one pizza in around 90 sec. I like your channel, but if you accept a positive feedback: this comparison wasn't done right.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

The oven ran for an hour wide open and wouldn’t get hotter. I had to change tanks as it started to die down when cooking. Is it the small tank instead of a 20lbs tank? Maybe. Is it the ambient air temp was just above freezing? Maybe. In either case it couldn’t get hotter on this day using the tanks I would have camping as I don’t have space to pack a 20lbs tank

[@startjamming]

@@SmokingDadBBQ the problem is with the pressure of the tank. The small one you used it might be good for a camping stove, but for the burner of a pizza oven you need a big propane canister. If you reach the same temperature of the kitchen oven, of course the results will be the same 😉

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

@@startjamming I don’t disagree but the reason I originally looked at this was for camping where I would be using these tanks

[@bjorne46]

Soft and Crounchy :P (in Vito's words) - So 1 of those small canisters per pizza seems like an expensive pizza to me. I'd rather use wood then. Also I think wood gives more flavour to the pizza. But thanks for the comparison video :)

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I agree. And I have already recorded the wood one so I know the answer 😂

[@RumandCook]

Good stuff. I was actually shocked you got 1 hour out of a 1 pound tank. I didn't think it would last that long. "Fire it up!" with some wood and see what happens 😆🍻

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Thanks 👍 for sure

[@testtube7404]

Oven did a good job too......nice shirt.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Thank you 😋

[@FOGOcharcoal]

I only know that I totally want pizza right now

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Haha cheers and thanks Ron

[@CptnRon302]

That's a great video James. I need to try that dough recipe too.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

It's so good!

[@fiftyf1]

Thanks James for your great videos. I bought an Ooni 16 for my patio, but I use it more as a broiler than a pizza oven. It is great for steaks, chops, salsa ingredients, melting cheese, and anything we sous vide. I've only cooked a few pizzas, but they are thicker, lower temp pies. Thanks again.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Thanks for sharing

[@praetorxyn]

It's all about the fuel. Wood / charcoal make the best pizza.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I agree

[@tomd3744]

I’m a simple man - I see a new Smoking Dad BBQ video, I click. Thanks for all you do James, quality content each and every time.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Thanks Tom

[@WKHC]

Very informative. I see the gas attachment discounted often for my 12” wood pizza oven but this just confirms I should stick with wood. I don’t think I am as committed as you in attempting to cook fresh pizza whilst camping so it’s unlikely to leave my patio!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Thanks Phil.

[@robertash3953]

Great video! Funny and informative. Having to buy the right size peel sounds like an issue I would have. Love these comparison videos!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

Thanks for watching!

[@Keith80027]

Glad to hear my oven is still good for pizza!. I would be interested in seeing how much wood fired flavor the Pi gets using wood. I have a 1 gal LP tank that I use camping for my stove and grill. You can refill the 1 gal tank and replaces 4 or 5 green tanks.

[@stevenl2092]

Great comparison video. Glad to see a head to head vs a traditional oven. Knowing how long a a small propane tank would last and how it would perform was a great detail. Looking forward to seeing the wood fired head to head comparison!

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

thanks!

[@anthonyplana8140]

James you forgot to make the poolish, the poolish is the secret

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I followed his original method where you are making it all as part of one process which is what the first hour has. 2/3 flour, yeast, honey and water before adding the remaining flour salt and oil

[@anthonyplana8140]

@@SmokingDadBBQ I haven’t done a head to head myself, but my most sophisticated way of making pizza is on my Akorn Jr and soon maybe a Joe Jr, but you should definitely try using poolish vs same day dough on your wood fired oven. That’s as close to real Neapolitan as you can get (Using San Marzano tomatoes too)

[@CoolJay77]

Great work, from pitmaster to pizzaiolo.The pizzas look great. It seems like the cold weather worked against the Pi. According to the specs, the Pi is supposed to be able to reach 900 °F which would have resulted in cooking under 90 second resulting in soft and soggy pizza in the middle, Neapolitan style. Your demo proved that in cold weather, the Pi loses its advantage over the kitchen oven. I would give it another chance when it can go up to over 800 °F in temperature. Also, smaller pizza ovens such as the Pi will rise easier in temperature using gas rather than wood. Just curious, how cold was it outside?

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

I had the heaters on which helped me not be too cold but I would say from memory it was just above freezing

[@CoolJay77]

@@SmokingDadBBQ Too bad, they don't seem to make a door for it to help out in cold weather.

[@SmokingDadBBQ]

@@CoolJay77 good point. That would help

[@boonchang8297]

Thanks for putting the work into the testing and video. As others have mentioned, this is NOT a fair competition. It's not a fair comparison to take the Solo Stove Pi which is meant to run on a 20 lb Propane tank, swap it to a 1 lb tank, and rate its performance. The Pi is meant to reach max temperature within 15 mins, and you had it go for an hour to get up to that temp. Then you ran out of fuel while cooking and had to swap tanks. Also, the Solo Stove Pi instructional video states it should be at 650F minimum before launching the pizza, and it seems like you are below 500F when you inserted the pizza. Cooking the pizza while at proper temps should take only 2-4 minutes, according to Solo Stove. A fair competition should be based on the manufacturer's intended operation, then try to swap parts and techniques around to suit your personal needs. For taste testing, best to use blinded judges instead of just yourself. At the very least, have someone blind YOU to which pizza you are tasting, so that you aren't affected by bias. 😀Thanks for making this entertaining video!

[@mechmat12345]

Lol at everything about this video. Obviously when you do everything wrong when making a pizza, it's not going to turn out as good as it could.