Heads up for those whose love language is pizza: a pizza oven for home use isn’t something to gift lightly. Even if you have the ultimate pizza lover in mind, the operation and, frankly, expense of the majority of pizza ovens on the market necessitate that an intended recipient is serious about having one. It isn’t a casual appliance to keep on standby for a once-yearly pizza party.
Here’s how the $280 Pronto pizza oven oven performed in our test.
CNET’s list of Best Pizza Ovens for 2023 breaks down the top models for you, but even the budget pick is in the $350 range. So it begs the question: Are there any worthy pizza oven models available for less than $300? Especially if you’re not sure how much use a pizza oven will get. I tried Pizzacraft’s Pizzeria Pronto, a less expensive model with solid user reviews on Amazon to see if saving a few dollars on a pizza oven can still turn out a perfect pie.
The Pizzacraft Pizza Pronto took only 10 minutes to unbox and assemble. The most challenging part is attaching the gas hookup and heating mechanism. At first, the geometry of it seemed confounding, but the available screw holes can accommodate only one possible configuration. Even for a geometry-averse brain, (mine) it didn’t take me long to situate it properly and tighten the screws. The oven’s legs are easily attached, and the lid is simply placed on top of the bowl similar to a charcoal grill. The Pizzacraft Pizzeria Pronto comes with a plastic rain cover to place on top when not in use. (Note from user reviews: Don’t forget to take this off when operating your oven.)
A small peephole allows you to keep watch on the flame inside.
The Pizzacraft Pizzeria Pronto was easy to assemble, easy to use and produced consistent results — the most important qualities when it comes to pizza ovens. It maintained its heat throughout the cooking process, even in cold conditions. It also has a handy peephole in the side of the oven so that you can verify that the burner is lit without threat of injury. The pizza stone is removable for easy cleanup of both the stone itself and the body of the oven.
We’ve found making smaller pizzas in portable at-home ovens often nets better results.
The instructions for the Pizzeria Pronto model indicate it’s possible to hook up a 1-pound propane tank with an adaptor, but the orientation of the hose that’s built into the model makes this tricky and potentially hazardous, as it’s difficult to get the smaller gas canister to stand upright when attached. I am willing to chalk this one up to user error on my part, but I’d skip ahead and invest in the full, 20-pound propane tank for safe operation.
For those deterred by a niche appliance that costs more than $300, the Pizzacraft Pizzeria Pronto is a lower-risk model. The Pronto retails for $280, but we’ve seen it drop even lower than that including on Black Friday. With ease of setup and use and consistent results, it’s a worthy budget option to consider.
If you’ve got a few more coins to spare for an oven, we recommend the sleek $400 Ooni Koda. We also had great success with the Gozney Roccbox. The Gozney retails for $500 but can often be found on sale for around $400. It has a very sturdy build (it’s also heavier than most) and a large mouth for easy pie-making. For more, see our list of the best pizza ovens for 2023.
