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Curry Chat => Talk About Anything Other Than Curry => Topic started by: JonG on May 02, 2020, 10:23 AM

Title: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: JonG on May 02, 2020, 10:23 AM
Has anyone invested in one of these wood pellet burning pizza ovens, such as the ooni?

https://uk.ooni.com/collections/shop-all/products/ooni-fyra

There seem to be various types around.  Not sure if they
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Gav Iscon on May 02, 2020, 11:09 AM
I've had an older ooni for a few years now which was pellets but now I run on gas for ease. Great bit of kit and the newer versions are even better. I've also done a pizza pop up using a roccbox (on gas) and I loved that. Plenty Facebook pages for all of them. You can knock out decent pizza in less than 90 secs once they have enough heat in them.
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on May 02, 2020, 11:17 AM
No, I have a propane-powered Tepro grill, and I have to say it is excellent for chicken tikka, etc.  This week I hope to try it for seekh kebabs for the first time.  Supposed to be "outdoor use only" but I use it in the kitchen !

** Phil.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41jg%2BjyqD9L._AC_.jpg)

Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Gav Iscon on May 02, 2020, 11:47 AM
No, I have a propane-powered Tepro grill, and I have to say it is excellent for chicken tikka, etc.  This week I hope to try it for seekh kebabs for the first time.  Supposed to be "outdoor use only" but I use it in the kitchen !

** Phil.


The ooni is much more versatile than one of those Salamander type grills imo.
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Robbo141 on May 02, 2020, 01:27 PM
My missis has been researching MY next project for me.....home made tandoor using clay plant pots.  I
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on May 02, 2020, 01:31 PM
The ooni is much more versatile than one of those Salamander type grills imo.

I'm sure you're right, Gav, but at just
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: JonG on May 02, 2020, 02:43 PM
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?
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Gav Iscon on May 02, 2020, 05:48 PM
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)

Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on May 02, 2020, 08:54 PM
Ooni pizza ovens may well be great, but given the obvious markup on the following, I would hazard a guess that the whole range might be seriously over-priced:

** Phil.
--------
Quote
Ooni Reusable Water Bottle by Klean Kanteen
5.0 star rating
2 Reviews

Regular price
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Gav Iscon on May 02, 2020, 10:24 PM
Ooni pizza ovens may well be great, but given the obvious markup on the following, I would hazard a guess that the whole range might be seriously over-priced:


You could say that about most companies branded drinking vessels. The ovens are good value though imo.
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: romain on May 03, 2020, 02:54 AM
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.





Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on May 03, 2020, 08:25 AM
You could say that about most companies branded drinking vessels. The ovens are good value though imo.

Fair enough
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Gav Iscon on May 03, 2020, 09:13 AM

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.
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: JonG on May 03, 2020, 10:41 AM
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
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Gav Iscon on May 03, 2020, 11:43 AM

So, in the ooni range I see the ooni 3 can be run on gas or pellets, and is the cheapest, so I
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: pap rika on May 03, 2020, 02:32 PM
You may find this recent comparison test helpful. https://youtu.be/WDK762aVaMI.

Regards pap rika.
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: romain on May 03, 2020, 06:02 PM
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.
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on May 03, 2020, 06:25 PM
All in all, making pizza is more fun than making curry though - IMO. And a lot more challenging as well.

Banned !
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: romain on May 03, 2020, 09:32 PM
Wouldn
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on May 03, 2020, 09:37 PM
I know, I know :  "you've been banned by better people than me, and from better forums as well !".
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: romain on May 03, 2020, 09:37 PM
Wrong on both counts...
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: JonG on May 04, 2020, 09:15 AM
The Ooni 3 does run on gas as well but you need to buy the gas adaptor which is
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: JonG on May 04, 2020, 10:57 AM
Well now I found this one on YouTube, so you know what I
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Gav Iscon on May 04, 2020, 11:34 AM

I have looked around in the online enthusiast groups and see a lot of small pizzas with burnt edges coming from these 12
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: pap rika on May 04, 2020, 12:52 PM
As an alternative to the gas or woodburning pizza ovens, has anyone considered, or used, BBQ pizza ovens. they appear to get good reviews for a reasonable price of
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Garp on May 04, 2020, 09:37 PM
Don't see why anyone with a bit of know how or common sense could not convert then to propane gas using spare burner parts of an old propane BBQ.

A bit of know how is a dangerous thing.
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: romain on May 04, 2020, 11:11 PM
Beyond the budget I know but I have seen some amazing looking Neapolitan pizzas come out of this https://pizzaunited.co.uk/products/effeuno-p134h-professional-pizza-oven-for-home

and it has the benefit from being able to run indoors (which I would love in winter in Canada). Not sold here...
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: livo on May 05, 2020, 06:07 AM
I have one of these and with a bit of practice and some fine tuning plus paying attention to the instructions you can turn out pretty good stone baked pizza in a few minutes.   Cheap but effective when you learn to use it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd7JYkyqDeU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd7JYkyqDeU)

I usually cook 5 or 6 pizza in a session so I have the kitchen oven going as well. I use the oven to partially cook the bases (just a minute or 2) to dry and puff up a little before loading up and placing in the Pizza cooker unit.  I also have loaded pizza cooking in the oven and then transfer them one at a time from the steel pizza tray to the stone to finish off. 

There really is a trick to finding the sweet spot in the balance of heat in the stone base and the top grill element but once it is good you can get a pretty impressive result.  Mine is an older model that simply has one heat control while the new model also has a timer.

The big plus is that you can do a pretty good naan in it as well.

I watched this a few weeks ago.  A little weekend project (but not for the feint-hearted).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Emk06Y0X5s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Emk06Y0X5s)
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: JonG on May 05, 2020, 08:59 AM
Interesting links, thanks guys. I liked the stone mason
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on May 05, 2020, 10:43 AM
So I
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: martinvic on May 05, 2020, 11:13 AM
The electric one is cool Romain.  2800W plugged into a standard domestic 230V outlet would be a good way to form a bulk buying relationship with your local fuse merchant, or at least to upgrade your home heating to a cozy
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: pap rika on May 05, 2020, 12:13 PM
JonG, an alternative to consider should your better half ignore your birthday wishes.  :lol:

 https://youtu.be/bU7Yke-xRV0

Regards pap rika
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: livo on May 05, 2020, 12:33 PM
JonG, I hope you'll be happy with a booklet of Domino's vouchers or a home Mozzarella cheese kit.

Either that or if you are as fortunate as expected, and your wife likes pizza, you better get real good at it quite quickly.  Of course it's a slippery slope because you'll soon need a good quality (expensive) stand mixer.

In all seriousness, I do hope you receive the gift of home made pizza.  Nearly as good as home made fish 'n' chips, for which you'll require a good deep fryer.

To address efficiency though, the thermal load of heating anything to cook a pizza in 90 seconds is going to be questionable unless you cook a few at a time.  If I had the stone mason oven on my back deck I could imagine it being quite a talking point but essentially redundant.  Firewood fit for purpose is a pricey energy source these days.  We need to ask Greta how her pizza is cooked.  Maybe big glass lenses and the refractory and reflective properties of hard ice.

Yes Phil. I know. We do not tolerate the drink.
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: JonG on May 06, 2020, 07:55 AM
JonG, an alternative to consider should your better half ignore your birthday wishes.  :lol:

 https://youtu.be/bU7Yke-xRV0

I applaud the ingenuity and wonder how much else in life we overcomplicate, when some lateral thinking might solve it much more cheaply.  Unfortunately I don
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: livo on May 06, 2020, 11:56 AM
I like the recycled brickwork (with mortar) and the dual purpose inspection / rotation port is efficient design.  A little sloppy on execution (out of control angle grinder cuts) but functionally sound.

I wonder what recipe he used for the pizza dough.  That is a pretty good looking pizza.  A big score for ingenuity but I bet he had the gas burner on for a while to get the stone hot.
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: vinotinto on May 07, 2020, 08:16 PM
I have a Roccbox and its a great piece of kit.  Pretty expensive now, I got one through crowd funding.  But even the price it is now its solid and well built and plenty of people are using it commercially.
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on May 07, 2020, 08:42 PM
According to Gozney, the Roccbox comes in at just under  (https://www.gozney.com/products/roccbox)
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Gav Iscon on May 07, 2020, 09:28 PM
According to Gozney, the Roccbox comes in at just under  (https://www.gozney.com/products/roccbox)
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: romain on May 08, 2020, 01:57 PM
Kenzi-Lopez (SeriousEats) compares the two.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDK762aVaMI
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Gav Iscon on May 08, 2020, 03:46 PM
Kenzi-Lopez (SeriousEats) compares the two.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDK762aVaMI

pap rika posted it earlier in the thread. I do like Kenzi's channel.  :smile: :smile:
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on May 08, 2020, 04:48 PM
Not really into DIY pizzas ('though I love those from the mobile pizza vans with integrated wood-burning ovens) but the one thing that strikes me from watching both the video above and those from Gozney is that a fortune awaits the man who successfully integrates a motorised turntable into those things.  I know that I have to rotate my kebab seekhs by hand, but then so do the professionals, whilst a professional pizza chef just sticks in the pizza and it cooks evenly whilst the DIY home chef has to keep rotating the d@mned thing by hand ...

P.S. sub-thread :  what are your favourite toppings ?  Mine are those from the classic pizza Napolitana (which has sadly disappeared from the chain menus)
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Gav Iscon on May 08, 2020, 09:43 PM
Not really into DIY pizzas ('though I love those from the mobile pizza vans with integrated wood-burning ovens) but the one thing that strikes me from watching both the video above and those from Gozney is that a fortune awaits the man who successfully integrates a motorised turntable into those things.  I know that I have to rotate my kebab seekhs by hand, but then so do the professionals, whilst a professional pizza chef just sticks in the pizza and it cooks evenly whilst the DIY home chef has to keep rotating the d@mned thing by hand ...

You mean like this Phil ?

And as for rotating. If its in a Wood Fired Oven, even a professional pizza chef turns it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C11VOwmeAUI


Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on May 09, 2020, 10:22 AM
So sorry, Gav, I inadvertently modified your post rather than quoting and replying to it.  I have tried to put it back as it was, but please correct any errors I have made in so doing.

What I intended to add in my reply is (1), yes, that is exactly the sort of thing I had in mind (how much, though ?!), and (2) I don't think I ever saw the mobile pizzeria van man in Horsmonden rotate the pizzas (he definitely used a wood-burning oven) but perhaps I just wasn't paying attention.

** Phil.
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Gav Iscon on May 09, 2020, 11:21 AM
So sorry, Gav, I inadvertently modified your post rather than quoting and replying to it.  I have tried to put it back as it was, but please correct any errors I have made in so doing.

What I intended to add in my reply is (1), yes, that is exactly the sort of thing I had in mind (how much, though ?!), and (2) I don't think I ever saw the mobile pizzeria van man in Horsmonden rotate the pizzas (he definitely used a wood-burning oven) but perhaps I just wasn't paying attention.

** Phil.

No problem. If its a oven with a fuel at one side, they have to be rotated otherwise they just burn. Added a better video that explains it better.


The Blackstone Pizza oven was discontinued for some reason. Getting the pizza to be roughly central from the peel launch would be a bit of a skill imo. I've seen someone adapt one of the original ooni's with a microwave turntable motor underneath onto a circular pizza stone. TBH the rotating  of them is easy and adds to the fun of cooking them..
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: romain on May 10, 2020, 08:09 PM
So sorry, Gav, I inadvertently modified your post rather than quoting and replying to it.  I have tried to put it back as it was, but please correct any errors I have made in so doing.

What I intended to add in my reply is (1), yes, that is exactly the sort of thing I had in mind (how much, though ?!), and (2) I don't think I ever saw the mobile pizzeria van man in Horsmonden rotate the pizzas (he definitely used a wood-burning oven) but perhaps I just wasn't paying attention.

** Phil.

No problem. If its a oven with a fuel at one side, they have to be rotated otherwise they just burn. Added a better video that explains it better.


The Blackstone Pizza oven was discontinued for some reason. Getting the pizza to be roughly central from the peel launch would be a bit of a skill imo. I've seen someone adapt one of the original ooni's with a microwave turntable motor underneath onto a circular pizza stone. TBH the rotating  of them is easy and adds to the fun of cooking them..

Everybody rotates pizzas in a wood burning oven with an asymmetric heat source.

I started on the Blackstone. Back then, there really wan't much out there to choose from. It is not an easy launch for sure but the trick is to let the pizza just firm up enough that you can get a small peel under it to move it to the centre. And even then, if your pizza isn't perfectly round you need to move it around a bit. There was a guy from Australia who started this approach - it became known as the Dylan shuffle.

Out of the box it wasn't a great oven but there were a few mods worked out quickly that made it much more manageable.


Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: romain on May 10, 2020, 08:13 PM
Kenzi-Lopez (SeriousEats) compares the two.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDK762aVaMI

pap rika posted it earlier in the thread. I do like Kenzi's channel.  :smile: :smile:

Sorry about that. It just popped up in my feed and I thought of you guys. SeriousEats is a treasure of a website. My go to, in fact, for food science...
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: JonG on June 22, 2020, 01:26 PM
Well I got my ooni - so pizzas have been the dish of the day for a while now. Marvellous bit of kit the ooni 3 and so far I have been able to get good results with pellets, so no need to have gone with gas.

I believe they
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: George on July 07, 2020, 01:55 PM
Aldi are selling an upmarket style pizza oven for
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on July 07, 2020, 02:18 PM
Crikey
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: George on July 07, 2020, 03:34 PM
The hardwood ones I used to use used to chuck out loads of soot as well. At the end of the day, they both churn out products of combustion..

Interesting point. Does anyone know if it's risky to eat pizzas which have been sprinkled with quite a lot of ash and soot?
Title: Re: Backyard pizza ovens
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on July 07, 2020, 04:03 PM
Soot was once used for cleaning one's teeth, so unlikely to be a risk there; as to ash, whilst I have a morbid fear of cigarette ash in my food, I don't think I'd   worry about the odd hardwood flake sticking to the cheese, although if it were so thick that I couldn't see the cheese I would probably prefer not to eat the pizza unless I were starving.  Ash was traditionally added to cheese to help preserve it, grow the proper mould, and make a rind. You can still find cheeses with ash in them (even in Waitrose !), tho' I personally don't like them.