Blackstone Pizza Oven Review

Creating the perfect homemade pizza is an art, and with the right tools, you can easily replicate the quality of restaurant-style pizzas at home. One such tool that has gained popularity among pizza enthusiasts is the Blackstone Pizza Oven. With its high-temperature cooking, innovative features, and versatility, this oven offers you the chance to master the art of pizza making right in your backyard.

This guide is designed to give you everything you need to know about the Blackstone Pizza Oven—its history, features, benefits, tips for use, maintenance, and a detailed comparison with other popular pizza ovens. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a beginner, by the end of this article, you’ll know whether the Blackstone Pizza Oven is the right choice for your home.

Overview of Blackstone Pizza Oven

The Blackstone Pizza Oven has become a highly sought-after outdoor cooking tool for pizza enthusiasts. Blackstone, as a brand, is known for revolutionizing outdoor cooking with its range of high-quality griddles, grills, and pizza ovens. The Blackstone Pizza Oven stands out for its ability to deliver professional-grade pizzas without the complexities of traditional wood-fired ovens.

For pizza lovers who want to go beyond frozen pizzas and bake pies from scratch, the Blackstone Pizza Oven provides the perfect solution. It’s an essential tool for those who want to create pizzas with crispy crusts, perfectly melted cheese, and evenly cooked toppings—all while enjoying the convenience of an outdoor cooking experience.

History of Blackstone and Pizza Ovens

Blackstone Products was founded in 2005 with the goal of revolutionizing outdoor cooking. Initially, the company focused on developing outdoor griddles, which quickly became popular due to their versatility and ease of use. As the company grew, so did its product line, expanding to include outdoor grills, griddles, accessories, and the Blackstone Pizza Oven.

The idea behind the Blackstone Pizza Oven was to create an outdoor pizza oven that could replicate the performance of a traditional brick oven without the high costs or complicated setup. The engineers at Blackstone realized that the key to great pizza was high heat, quick cooking times, and even heat distribution. By combining these principles with innovative features such as a rotating pizza stone, they were able to create an outdoor pizza oven that became a game changer for pizza lovers.

The inspiration for the Blackstone Pizza Oven came from the rising popularity of outdoor cooking and pizza-making at home. As people became more interested in recreating restaurant-quality pizzas in their backyards, Blackstone saw an opportunity to meet this demand by offering an affordable and easy-to-use pizza oven that delivered professional results.

Features of the Blackstone Pizza Oven

High-Temperature Cooking for Perfect Crust

One of the standout features of the Blackstone Pizza Oven is its ability to reach extremely high temperatures, which are crucial for achieving the perfect pizza crust. A great pizza crust should be crispy on the outside while still soft and chewy on the inside. To achieve this, the oven must be able to cook the dough quickly at a high temperature.

The Blackstone Pizza Oven can reach temperatures as high as 900°F (482°C), which is ideal for pizza baking. These high temperatures allow for a fast cooking time, typically between 2-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the dough and the toppings. This quick cooking time ensures that the pizza retains moisture, preventing the crust from becoming dry or overcooked.

Traditional ovens, which max out around 500°F (260°C), often struggle to deliver the same results, leaving the pizza dough soft or unevenly cooked. The Blackstone Pizza Oven, on the other hand, replicates the intense heat of a professional pizza oven, ensuring that you get a perfect, crispy crust every time.

Rotating Stone for Even Cooking

One of the most innovative features of the Blackstone Pizza Oven is its rotating pizza stone. This feature helps ensure that the pizza is evenly cooked on all sides, eliminating the need to manually rotate the pizza halfway through cooking, which is common with other pizza ovens.

The rotating stone is motorized and turns at a slow, steady pace, allowing the pizza to be exposed to consistent heat from all directions. This even cooking ensures that no part of the pizza is undercooked or burnt, resulting in a perfectly cooked pie. Whether you prefer thin crust, thick crust, or stuffed crust, the rotating stone ensures uniform results every time.

The rotating stone is made from cordierite, a material known for its heat retention and durability. Cordierite stones are preferred in pizza ovens because they can withstand the intense heat without cracking, and they distribute heat evenly across the pizza base.

Dual Heat Distribution System

The Blackstone Pizza Oven is equipped with a dual heat distribution system, which means it provides heat from both the top and the bottom of the oven. This dual heat system is essential for cooking a well-balanced pizza.

Top heat: This is crucial for properly melting cheese and ensuring that toppings like vegetables and meats are cooked thoroughly.
Bottom heat: This ensures the pizza dough cooks evenly, preventing the crust from being soggy or underdone.

The combination of top and bottom heat creates a balanced cooking environment, which is particularly important when baking pizzas with a lot of toppings. Without this dual heat system, the pizza might end up with overcooked toppings but an undercooked base or vice versa. The Blackstone Pizza Oven‘s dual heat system ensures that both the pizza base and toppings cook to perfection simultaneously.

Durability and Construction

The Blackstone Pizza Oven is designed to be both durable and weather-resistant, making it a reliable option for outdoor cooking. It is constructed using high-quality stainless steel, which ensures longevity and resistance to rust, even when exposed to outdoor elements. This means you can leave the oven outside on your patio or deck without worrying about corrosion or damage from the weather.

The oven is also built with durability in mind, featuring sturdy legs and a robust frame that ensures it stays stable while in use. The rotating stone mechanism is designed for long-term use and can withstand the high temperatures required for pizza baking without any wear or tear. The cordierite stone used in the oven is known for its resistance to thermal shock, meaning it won’t crack or break even after multiple uses at high heat.

Benefits of Owning a Blackstone Pizza Oven

Versatility Beyond Pizzas

While the Blackstone Pizza Oven is primarily designed for baking pizzas, it is far more versatile than that. The high temperatures and even heat distribution make it suitable for cooking a wide range of dishes, allowing you to get creative with your outdoor cooking.

Some of the dishes you can cook in the Blackstone Pizza Oven include:

Flatbreads: Create delicious flatbreads with crispy crusts and savory toppings.
Bread Loaves: The oven’s high heat is perfect for baking artisan bread with a crusty exterior and soft interior.
Roasted Vegetables: The even heat distribution makes it easy to roast vegetables, giving them a caramelized, smoky flavor.
Meats: You can cook meats like chicken, steak, or fish directly in the oven for a smoky, charred flavor.
Desserts: Experiment with baking desserts like fruit tarts, cobblers, and even cookies, taking advantage of the oven’s quick cooking times and high heat.

This versatility makes the Blackstone Pizza Oven more than just a pizza oven—it’s a powerful tool for outdoor chefs who want to expand their cooking repertoire.

Outdoor Entertainment and Convenience

One of the key benefits of owning the Blackstone Pizza Oven is its ability to enhance outdoor entertaining. If you enjoy hosting family gatherings, barbecues, or pizza nights with friends, this oven is the perfect addition to your outdoor cooking setup. Not only is it easy to use, but it also creates a fun, interactive experience for guests, as everyone can participate in making their own pizza.

The oven is designed to be compact and portable, making it easy to move around your yard or deck. It operates on propane, which means you don’t need to worry about finding an outdoor electrical outlet or setting up a wood-fired oven. This convenience makes it perfect for use during camping trips, tailgating events, or any outdoor activity where a traditional pizza oven wouldn’t be feasible.

Fast Cooking Time

One of the most attractive benefits of the Blackstone Pizza Oven is its incredibly fast cooking time. Thanks to its high-temperature capabilities and efficient design, pizzas can be cooked in just 2-4 minutes. This is significantly faster than a traditional oven, which can take up to 10-15 minutes to cook a pizza.

This rapid cooking time is not only convenient for busy weeknights or events with multiple guests, but it also improves the quality of the pizza itself. The quick cooking ensures that the pizza retains moisture, resulting in a perfectly crisp crust on the outside while staying soft and chewy on the inside. Additionally, toppings like cheese, vegetables, and meats are evenly cooked without drying out or overcooking.

Cost-Effective Compared to Other Outdoor Ovens

When it comes to outdoor pizza ovens, prices can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the brand, size, and type of fuel used. One of the significant advantages of the Blackstone Pizza Oven is its affordability compared to other high-end outdoor pizza ovens on the market.

While brick ovens and wood-fired ovens can cost upwards of $2000 or more, the Blackstone Pizza Oven offers professional-quality results for a fraction of the price, typically between $300-$500. Despite its lower cost, the oven still delivers excellent performance, making it a cost-effective choice for anyone looking to enjoy homemade pizzas without breaking the bank.

How to Use the Blackstone Pizza Oven

Setting Up Your Oven

Setting up the Blackstone Pizza Oven is a straightforward process, even for those who aren’t experienced with outdoor cooking equipment. The oven comes with clear assembly instructions, and most users find that they can have it ready to use within 30-60 minutes.

Assembly: Start by attaching the oven’s legs and stand, ensuring that all bolts are securely tightened. This provides a stable base for the oven.
Propane Tank Attachment: The oven runs on propane, so you’ll need to connect a standard propane tank. Make sure the connection is tight and secure to prevent any gas leaks.
Inserting the Pizza Stone: Place the cordierite pizza stone on the rotating turntable inside the oven. Make sure it’s seated correctly and can rotate smoothly.
Ignition: The Blackstone Pizza Oven features an easy ignition system. Once the propane tank is connected, simply turn on the gas and press the ignition button to light the burner.

Preheating and Temperature Control

Preheating the oven is an essential step to ensure your pizza cooks evenly and achieves the desired crispy crust. The Blackstone Pizza Oven typically takes around 10-15 minutes to reach its maximum temperature, depending on the weather and the size of the pizza you plan to bake.

Preheating the Oven: Turn the temperature dial to your desired setting and let the oven preheat for at least 10 minutes. For thin-crust pizzas, a temperature between 500°F and 700°F is ideal. For thicker crusts, you may want to lower the temperature slightly to avoid burning the dough before the toppings are fully cooked.
Monitoring the Temperature: The oven has a built-in thermometer that helps you keep track of the internal temperature. Make sure to monitor this closely, as different pizza types may require slightly different cooking temperatures.

Cooking Your First Pizza

Once your oven is preheated and the pizza stone is hot, it’s time to cook your pizza. Whether you’re making your dough from scratch or using pre-made dough, the cooking process is quick and easy with the Blackstone Pizza Oven.

Preparing the Pizza: Roll out your pizza dough to your desired thickness and add your favorite toppings. Keep in mind that since the oven cooks at high temperatures, it’s best not to overload the pizza with toppings, as they might not cook evenly.
Placing the Pizza in the Oven: Using a pizza peel, carefully slide your pizza onto the rotating stone. Make sure the pizza is centered on the stone to ensure even cooking.
Cooking Time: Most pizzas will cook in 2-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the crust and the amount of toppings. Keep an eye on the pizza through the oven window, and rotate the pizza peel occasionally to ensure that the entire pizza is exposed to the heat evenly.
Removing the Pizza: Once the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, use the pizza peel to carefully remove the pizza from the oven. Let it cool for a few minutes before slicing.

Maintenance and Cleaning of Blackstone Pizza Oven

Cleaning After Each Use

Proper cleaning and maintenance of the Blackstone Pizza Oven will extend its lifespan and ensure that it continues to function efficiently. After each use, it’s essential to clean the oven to remove any food debris or grease that may have accumulated.

Let the Oven Cool: Before cleaning, make sure the oven has completely cooled down to avoid burns or damage to the components.
Cleaning the Stone: The cordierite stone will accumulate burnt flour, cheese, or toppings after repeated use. Use a pizza stone brush or scraper to gently remove any debris. Avoid using water on the stone, as it can absorb moisture and crack when exposed to high heat.
Wiping Down the Interior: Use a damp cloth to wipe down the interior walls and ceiling of the oven. This will remove any grease or food particles that may have splattered during cooking.
Cleaning the Exterior: The stainless-steel exterior can be cleaned with a soft cloth and a mild detergent. Be sure to dry it thoroughly to prevent water spots or rust.

Long-Term Maintenance

In addition to routine cleaning, it’s important to perform long-term maintenance to ensure your Blackstone Pizza Oven remains in top condition for years to come.

Inspect the Rotating Mechanism: Periodically check the rotating stone mechanism to ensure it’s functioning properly. If you notice any issues with the rotation, consult the user manual for troubleshooting tips or consider contacting Blackstone customer service for assistance.
Protecting the Oven: If you’re not using the oven for an extended period, it’s a good idea to cover it with a protective cover. This will shield the oven from rain, dust, and debris, especially if it’s stored outdoors.

Customer Reviews and Feedback

User Experiences

The Blackstone Pizza Oven has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from users, many of whom praise its ease of use, fast cooking times, and ability to consistently produce high-quality pizzas. Some common themes that emerge from customer reviews include:

Quick Learning Curve: Even users who are new to pizza baking find the Blackstone Pizza Oven easy to master. The oven’s simple controls and efficient design make it accessible for beginners, while more experienced cooks appreciate its advanced features like the rotating stone.
Restaurant-Quality Pizzas at Home: Many customers report that the Blackstone Pizza Oven allows them to replicate the taste and texture of restaurant pizzas at home. The high heat, rotating stone, and even heat distribution are often highlighted as key factors that contribute to the oven’s superior performance.
Great for Entertaining: The oven is a hit at parties and family gatherings, with users noting that it creates a fun, interactive experience for guests. Being able to cook pizzas in just a few minutes means that everyone can customize their own pizza without waiting long.

Common Complaints and Solutions

While the Blackstone Pizza Oven is highly rated by most users, a few common complaints arise. Fortunately, many of these issues can be easily addressed with proper use and maintenance.

Burnt Crusts: Some users have reported that their pizzas burned before the toppings were fully cooked. This issue is often due to the oven’s high heat and quick cooking times. To avoid burnt crusts, it’s essential to monitor the pizza closely and experiment with different cooking temperatures.
Stone Cracking: A few users have experienced cracking of the cordierite stone after repeated use. This is typically caused by exposure to moisture, so it’s important to avoid cleaning the stone with water and to allow it to cool naturally after cooking.

Comparison with Other Pizza Ovens

Blackstone vs. Ooni Pizza Ovens

One of the most popular competitors to the Blackstone Pizza Oven is the Ooni Pizza Oven, which has gained a loyal following for its portability and versatility. While both ovens offer excellent performance, there are some key differences between the two.

Heat Source: The Blackstone Pizza Oven runs on propane, while Ooni ovens are available in both gas and wood-fired models. If you’re looking for a more authentic wood-fired pizza experience, Ooni may be the better option. However, if convenience and ease of use are your top priorities, the propane-powered Blackstone oven is a great choice.
Price: The Blackstone Pizza Oven is generally more affordable than Ooni’s higher-end models, making it a better option for budget-conscious buyers.
Cooking Mechanism: The Blackstone Pizza Oven has a rotating stone, which ensures even cooking without the need to manually turn the pizza. Ooni ovens require users to rotate the pizza halfway through cooking to ensure even results.

Blackstone vs. Traditional Brick Ovens

For those looking to replicate the experience of a traditional Italian pizzeria, a brick oven may seem like the ultimate choice. However, traditional brick ovens come with their own set of challenges and costs.

Cost: Brick ovens can be extremely expensive, often costing several thousand dollars to build and install. In comparison, the Blackstone Pizza Oven offers a much more affordable solution without sacrificing quality.
Heat-Up Time: Brick ovens take significantly longer to heat up, often requiring 1-2 hours of preheating. The Blackstone Pizza Oven, on the other hand, reaches its ideal cooking temperature in just 10-15 minutes.
Portability: Unlike a brick oven, which is a permanent installation, the Blackstone Pizza Oven is portable and can be easily moved around your yard or taken to outdoor events.

Where to Buy Blackstone Pizza Oven

Online Retailers

The Blackstone Pizza Oven is available from a variety of online retailers, making it easy to compare prices and find the best deal. Some of the most popular platforms for purchasing the oven include:

Amazon: Known for its competitive pricing and fast shipping, Amazon is a popular choice for buying the Blackstone Pizza Oven. Plus, the site offers a wide range of customer reviews to help you make an informed decision.
Blackstone’s Official Website: Buying directly from the manufacturer can give you access to exclusive promotions, warranty options, and customer support.
Walmart and Home Depot: Both of these big-box retailers carry the Blackstone Pizza Oven online and in select stores. Their return policies and in-store pickup options can be convenient for many buyers.

In-Store Options

For those who prefer to see the product in person before purchasing, several brick-and-mortar retailers carry the Blackstone Pizza Oven in select locations. Home improvement stores like Home Depot and outdoor living specialty stores often have the oven on display.

When purchasing in-store, it’s a good idea to call ahead to check availability, as not all locations may carry the product.

Conclusion

The Blackstone Pizza Oven offers a perfect balance of affordability, performance, and ease of use, making it an excellent investment for pizza lovers and outdoor cooking enthusiasts. Its propane-powered design and rotating stone ensure that your pizzas cook evenly and quickly, delivering restaurant-quality results every time.

Whether you’re hosting a backyard pizza party or simply want to enjoy homemade pizza with family, the Blackstone Pizza Oven is sure to impress. With proper care and maintenance, this durable, cost-effective oven can provide years of pizza-making enjoyment. If you’re in the market for a high-performance outdoor pizza oven that won’t break the bank, the Blackstone Pizza Oven is certainly worth considering.