Fuel Type: Wood, Gas, Hybrid
Oven Type: Portable
??Ideal For:
- New pizza chefs
- Folks with a penchant for value-packed pizza oven
- Budget shoppers
- On-the-go cooking enthusiasts
⚖️Considerations:
- The built-in thermometer is a bit of a letdown. You’ll likely want to get yourself an infrared thermometer, except your gut is reliable.
- This oven is a slow starter in reaching the desired temperature. So, it might not be the best pick for the impatient bakers out there.
My Final Verdict with a rating (Out of 5)
Having tried numerous pizza ovens, from the most sought-after Ooni Koda 16 to the competitive Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven, I’m somewhat impressed with the Stoke Pizza Oven.
This portable backyard oven is well-built with top-grade metal for reliable durability and performance. While it might not scream luxury like most thousand-dollar ovens, its sleek, all-black design fits perfectly into my outdoor kitchen.
Performance-wise, the Stock didn’t really hit the mark for me. It took more than 30 minutes to get the stone over 700 degrees F at its highest heat setting. With a bit of patience, this portable pizza oven adds slight crunchiness to the crust.
All in all, the Stoke Pizza Oven is a blast to cook with – easy to set up, and it comes with a complete starter kit. The end results are satisfactory – gooey cheese, a chewy middle, and a lightly browned crust. If you ask me, I’d rate this pizza oven a 4.2 out of 5, perfect for those looking to dip their toes into the world of pizza making without bleeding money.
Build Quality: 4.5/5
Cooking Performance: 4 / 5.0
Flavor: 4.2/5
Temperature Control: 5/5
Installation: 5 / 5.0
Ease of Use: 4.3/5
Stoke Pizza Oven Comparison Chart
| Stoke Pizza Oven | Ooni Koda 16 | Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven | |
| Best For | Budget | Premium Choice | Cooking Versatility |
| Fuel Type | Gas | Gas Only | Wood and Gas |
| Peak Temperature | 900°F | 950°F | 900°F |
| Cooking Performance | 4.0/5.0 | 4.5/5.0 | 3.5/5.0 |
| Preheat Time | Over 30 mins | 15 mins | 20 – 30 mins |
| Pizza Size | 16 inches | 16 inches | 12 inches |
| Built-in Thermometer | Yes | No | No |
| Complimentary accessories | Peel, Dough, Cutter, and Cover | Nothing | Gas burner, wood fuel tray, cover, Infrared thermometer, and pizza peel |
| Ease of use | 4.5/5.0 | 5.0/5.0 | 4.0/5.0 |
| Pros | Excellent build quality Ease to use Low price tag Compact design for frictionless on-the-go experience | Best-in-class engineeringHigh heat performance ideal for high-volume baking | Cooks with both fuel at the same time Unbeatable value for money Lots of essential accessories |
| Cons | Heat level is not up to par with others | Quite expensive | Steep learning curve, especially when trying cooking with both fuels |
| Overall Rating | 4.2/5.0 | 4.5/5.0 | 4.0/5.0 |
The Stoke: My Two Cents on Who Should Take the Plunge
Let’s be frank: Stoke is not an excellent choice for everyone out there. From my personal experience, the Stoke Pizza Oven would be heaven-sent to:
Budget-Conscious Shoppers 一 the Stoke Pizza Oven is literally a steal. It comes with everything you need to kickstart your baking career at a lower cost.
Not a Pizza Aficionado 一 if you are new and looking to learn the craft, Stoke makes a great ally. It’s simple to use and perfect for whipping up delectable pizzas and other culinary delights.
Outdoor Cooking Aficionados 一 Thanks to its compact and sleek design, this pizza oven is easy to carry along for amazing outdoor social activity. If you are interested in al fresco cooking, the Stoke Pizza Oven is a must-have for you.
Who Should Steer Clear of the Stoke Pizza Oven
?Impatient Bakers 一 the Stoke Pizza Oven is going to try your patience. Even at full throttle, I noticed it takes up to an hour for the baking stone to hit that 700 degrees F mark.
?Large Host 一 If you enjoy throwing big parties, the Stoke isn’t for you. This backyard fixture is only perfect for intimate gatherings and not jumbo feats.
Out of the Box: My First Impression
Build Quality
Let me tip my hat to the manufacturer on this one. The pizza oven was diligently packed with styrofoam, ensuring both the oven and the stone arrived at my doorstep unscathed. Alongside the oven were a couple of essential accessories in the package. Still, the real star was the oven itself— sleek, solid, and built to last.
The metal craftsmanship is applaudable, akin to the Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven, but with a smoother finish. There are no pesky sharp edges to fret over—excellent news for cleaning and setup. While the black exterior coating offers an immaculate appearance, it actually keeps the oven cool to the touch.
Size
Stoke Pizza Oven’s sleek and compact design surprises me, as most 16-inch pizzas are known to hog space. Luckily, this device looks portable after assembling it and fits snugly into any space. Despite its smaller size, this unit has enough room to work around. Even better, the included carrying bag makes it fun to take to your friend’s backyard or camping trips.
No-brainer installation
Most pizza ovens come with an installation guide. Typically, it’s the first thing you’d take out from the package. However, the Stock is one of the few products I’ve assembled without following the manual step-by-step. It took 5 minutes to use the little wrench provided. Simply attach the gas burner at the back, slide in the stone, and tighten the thermometer. It’s a straightforward and smooth process; you probably won’t even need the detailed manual.
A cornucopia of essential accessories included
The manufacturer is really going above and beyond by throwing in a starter kit worth a pretty penny for FREE. This package is loaded with vital accessories. Thus, setting you up for action right from the start. The pizza peel and cutter are top-notch in quality and functionality. The peel works excellently for placing and removing pizzas, and the cutter is also spot-on for slicing through the pie. Interestingly, the cover also serves a dual role as a convenient carrying bag. I’ve no bone to pick at all.
What Makes a Stoke Pizza Oven Special?
The simple answer is value for money. It’s impressive to see an inexpensive unit featuring most bells and whistles of a high-end oven. And, of course, it delivers a cooking quality that trumps other products in its price range.
From my experience, this Stock’s latest pizza oven is more convenient and fun to cook with. It’s like being able to create your own small pizzeria anywhere – be it in my backyard or on the road.
After Baking Dozens of Pizzas, What I Finally Adore About the Stoke Pizza Oven
Heat deflector design
I sensed a difference in Stoke’s interior chamber, but it didn’t immediately register. It was the heat deflector’s design. It’s relatively tall, which is a positive feature in my opinion. It helps safeguard the pizzas from the intense flames. However, be cautious not to toss your pizzas too far into the oven.
Cooking space is roomy
Like the Ooni Koda 16, this model offers ample space for me to work with. It’s perfect for making personal or extra-large pizzas for my weekend social gatherings.
Portability is a big plus
The Stock Pizza Oven is one of the largest (16 inches) yet lightest pizza ovens I’ve ever owned. It’s significantly lighter than the Koda 16, weighing only 40.7 lbs. I barely break a sweat carrying this oven from my backyard to my car. Besides, with its compact size and carrying cover, I don’t have to bat an eyelid to fit or stress over my trunk space.
Reliable ignition system
With other models, I’ve learned to always keep a lighter close by, just in case the oven’s ignition system fails. However, the Stoke Pizza Oven has proven to be rock-solid – firing up flawlessly in one try.
Four legs, better stability
It’s probably just my mind playing tricks on me, but this oven’s four legs offer more stability. It’s a stunning feature, considering I often use this pizza oven anywhere and on any platform. There’s less wobbling compared to the Koda 16 with three legs, no matter what’s happening inside the oven.
Where Stoke Fell a Bit Short: A Few Aspects
Average heat performance: Stock was not up to par with other expensive models in my possession. It took more than half an hour to bring the stone up to a sizzling 700 degrees F. Using this pizza oven tested my patience considerably. So, it’s best suited for occasions when you have the luxury of time to satisfy your pizza cravings.
The integrated thermometer isn’t helpful: I think everyone should get an infrared thermometer. The integrated thermometer only gauges the ambient heat in the oven, not the stone. Therefore, when the thermometer shows a blazing 800 degrees F, the pizza stone is actually lingering around a mild 500 degrees F.
Putting the Stock to the Test: Here’s How It Truly Performs
How hot does it get? Is 900 degrees F achievable with Stoke?
Having been using the Stock Oven for pizzas, calzones, and bread for weeks now, this oven never came close to the advertised “900°F (500°C)”.
Patience is the key here; you’ll have to wait, conduct temperature checks, and wait to achieve that 750°F mark. But hey, impatience got the best of me. I decided to switch up the regulator with a new PSI regulator, and fire it up at 1.5 setting.
After my little twerk, the Stoke has been able to deliver a roaring flame for rapid heat up. Now, it takes about 20 mins or so for the stone’s temperature to be around 850°F. That’s exactly the temperature I need to craft stunning pizzas with char base and beautiful leopard spotting.
A small knock on this oven is its thermal insulation. The metal heat shelf and small vent around the built-in thermometer seem to leak heat. It’s a tad annoying to have to sit back for 10 minutes to get the oven back to temperature. On the bright side, I put that time to good use, engaging in a friendly chat with my guests.
With this upgrade, Stoke has a fiercer burning spirit. Now, the oven whips up Neapolitan-style pizza in under 3 minutes, delivering that perfect stone-baked delight with a crisp crust, gooey cheese, and a chewy middle. It’s pizza perfection.
Crafting large restaurant-size pizzas with ease
Portable yet spacious, the Stoke favorite go-to for whipping up tasty 16-inch pizzas. I got plenty of room to maneuver those extra-large pizzas without tearing the crust. I don’t feel cramped, which is an issue I faced with the Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven.
Pro Tip: How to Get Some Color/Crispness on Your Pizza Crust
One of the biggest complaints about the Stoke Pizza Oven is its inability to add crunchiness to the crust. Here’s how I get a better and more satisfactory result
- Change the regulator. To add that desired crunchiness to the crust, I tinkered with the regulator. The default one wasn’t cutting it. I made a small investment in a regulator with a PSI gauge, and boy, did it make a difference! This tweak amped up the heat, getting the stone to those wild temperatures needed for a perfectly browned base, a crunchy crisp crust, and beautifully caramelized cheese.
- Spin to perfection. The baking stone in Stoke Pizza Oven doesn’t distribute heat as uniformly as the Koda 16, but no worries. The trick here is to keep spinning the pizza. The complimentary pizza peel does a great shuffling job to avoid burnt edges. For the charred base, I spin the pizza 90 degrees every 20 seconds. This little move worked wonders.
- Seal the Heat. A crafty hack I pulled off was creating a metal door. It also turned out to be a game-changer, effectively trapping the heat within the oven. It’s optional, except if you want a short recovery time like I do.
What Most Customers Think Of The Stoke 16-inch Gas Pizza Oven
?Most users agree with me that this pizza oven has excellent craftsmanship. One customer claimed the oven still looks pristine despite exposure to harsh outdoor conditions for months.
?Also, they can’t stop talking about the FREE essential tools included. A few mentioned how helpful the cover that also serves as a carrying bag is during transportation. However, I also agree that the pizza peel is perfect for launching, rotating, and retrieving pizzas, but not as a pizza cutting board.
?Portability was a standout feature, drawing a sheer number of cheers. A user mentioned how the oven didn’t take up excessive backyard space, bringing relief. Another user, a father, praised how compactly it fit into the trunk during family camping trips, ensuring a hassle-free setup.
?For some, including myself, I wished the heat performance could be better. The exhausting waiting game and the final doughy crust were disappointing. Luckily, it was a simple fix. Most users use an inexpensive gas regulator with a PSI gauge instead. Others fashioned a metal door for better heat preservation. Other ingenious solutions include filling the hollow heat shelf with metal to increase the thermal mass, which translates to amazing brown pizza crusts.
Coupons, Trials, Warranties, Shipping, and Stoke Pizza Oven Support
?30% OFF Flash Sales- I love getting a good deal and took advantage of the Labor coupon code. However, you can still get a whopping 30% discount if you seize this opportunity now with the Fall Flash Sale.
?Free Trial – Test it out for 365 days; if it doesn’t impress you, the manufacturer will repurchase it. Now that’s a risk-free guarantee offer I couldn’t resist!
?A Lifetime Warranty – I love how the manufacturer stands by their products with a lifetime warranty. This offers peace of mind with my purchase. Knowing the manufacturer will run to your aid when needed is also comforting.
?5-star Customer Service – this is probably one of the reasons the Stoke brand is going global. They are not only known for speedy and safe delivery but also for 24/7 customer service. Response time is fast, and unlike other popular brands, they help resolve your issues. This is particularly helpful when you need to get a replacement part.
Stock Pizza Ovens – Know The Options
This budget-friendly pizza oven comes in different stellar options to suit your baking needs and preferences.
Going by Fuel Type
There’s a trio of options to pick from – wood, gas, and the coveted hybrid. The hybrid variant gives you unparalleled fuel versatility, letting you whip up your culinary creations with either wood or gas. It’s the top dog, favored by many. Moreover, it sports a well-insulated door, a feature notably absent in its gas-powered counterparts, granting you superior heat performance.
Based on Size
Another fork in the road you’ll encounter is the size you fancy for your pizza oven. You have just two paths here – 13 and 16 inches. If you don’t typically host grand gatherings, the ultra-portable 13-inch Stoke Pizza Oven should more than do the job.
Quick Things You Know About The About Stoke Stove
Ease of use
The Stoke Pizza Oven is among the easiest products I’ve used, from assembling to baking. I love the idea that the manufacturer threw in the essential starter kit. There’s everything I need to get started right out of the box.
Firing it up is a breeze, thanks to its reliable ignition dial that works at every attempt. Oh, and its roomy space makes it easier to spin my baked goods for even doneness.
There was no learning curve with the gas-only Stoke Pizza Oven I opted for, but you’d have to go through some learning process with its hybrid or wood-fired variants.
Cleaning and maintenance
For the propane model, post-cooking cleanup is a breeze. Flip the pizza stone to burn off any residue, and a quick brush removes any leftovers on or under the heat shelf. The wood-burning version might involve more cleanup due to its different components.
Upgrades, Accessories, and Attachments
The Stoke Pizza Oven has almost everything you need in the package for no extra cost. However, I decided to purchase the following accessories:
Infrared thermometer – the built-in thermometer reads the wrong temperature. For a nice crispy crust, the pizza stone needs to be around 700 degrees F and not the heat inside the oven. Sadly, the integrated temperature gauge measures the ambient heat instead of the stone.
Stoke Pizza Cart – if you don’t have a sturdy platform for your pizza oven, this is a must-buy. I bought this cart because the idea of hauling this pizza oven in and out of the house seems like a lot of work. Besides, it provides convenience and storage, including a spot for your propane tank. Keep everything in one organized place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if my oven isn’t reaching the desired temperature?
For wood-fired models, ensure the door is shut correctly to avoid heat loss. However, changing the gas regulator worked for me and other customers. Just keep the PSI gauge below 1.5 settings to ensure safety.
Do I need to season or pre-treat the oven before the first use?
This is a crucial step; prudently preheating the oven for at least an hour removes any chemicals lingering in the oven. If you skip this step, it is not a big deal, as you have to preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes before using it anyway. I preferred an hour to ensure no chemicals were leaching into my food.
Can I use the Stoke Stove Pizza Oven indoors?
While it might sound tempting to whip up pizza indoors, it’s a no-go. Stoke Stove Pizza Oven is an outdoor marvel. Indoor use can lead to unintentional smoke signals and health hazards, especially for sensitive lungs.
Where can I buy replacement parts?
If something needs a swap, Stoke’s got your back. Reach out to their stellar customer service for replacements. Remember, this unit boasts a lifetime warranty — a deal sweetener.
Can I use the oven in rainy or snowy conditions?
Stoke Pizza Oven is a tough cookie. However, it’s important that the oven is used outdoors and under a roof to avoid damaging the pizza stone.
Can I cook frozen pizzas in the Stoke Stove Pizza Oven?
Fresh or frozen, Stoke Pizza Oven’s got the heat for both. Just give the frozen pizza a thaw before placing it on the pizza stone.
