If you are an outdoorsy and a pizza lover, you might be hunting for an outdoor camping oven that is durable enough! We know the struggle! Camp chef brings you a moderately portable, powerful, and a durable design for the best outdoor cooking experience.
In this review, we’ll look at every single thing you need to understand regarding the Camp Chef Italian Artisan Pizza Oven and let you figure out if this oven is worth your money.
Cooking an authentic Italian artisan pizza requires high temperature which is attainted through a brick oven, famous for traditional smokey artisan pizzas. If you know how a wood fired oven works, you know how temperature plays a role in making the perfect pizza. But if you are looking for a more portable, compact, and expensive alternative for outdoors that delivers you the same result as a wood-burning brick oven, then this might be the right option for you.
The article is featuring Camp Chief Italian Artisan Pizza Oven. This oven is meant to be outdoors that is Italian inspired and made for stainless steel. Let’s see how this little thing can bring you a great pizza.
Table of Contents
What comes along with Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven
It comes with every essential thing that you would require to start baking your pizza. The box has:
- ceramic stone
- main pizza oven frame
- front panel with a rotating knob for ignition
- propane regulator
- 5-foot pipe to attach to a normal fuel tank or propane bottle
- user manual to guide you in the assembly and functionalities of the oven
- analog temperature gauge
- ventilated removable oven door with handle
A QUICK GLANCE ON SPECS: CAMP CHEF ITALIA ARTISAN PIZZA OVEN
SPECIFICATIONS
- Overall Dimensions: 30 x 19.5 x 18 inches
- Shelf Dimensions: 5 x 23 inches
- Stone Dimensions: 13.25 x 20 inches
- Material: Stainless steel
- Stone material: Cordierite Ceramic
- Total Output: 17,000 BTUS
- Temperature: 700° F
- Weight: 47 lbs.
BOTTOMLINE
Replicating the performance of a wood fired pizza oven, Camp Chef Italia Artisan pizza oven is a sturdy and propane fuelled oven capable of cooking pizzas in no time. It heats up quickly to fulfil your pizza cravings on the go.
Though a little heavy and moderately portable, this oven is good for ones that love camping and cooking outdoors. It comes in stainless steel build which ensures longevity and is definitely worth the money.
You might be eager to hear about our opinion regarding Camp Chef Italia Artisan pizza oven. So, here’s our take on it!
OUR TAKE ON: CAMP CHEF ITALIA ARTISAN PIZZA OVEN
What We Like
- Sturdy and great minimalistic design
- Easy to clean stainless steel exterior
- Easy to set-up
- Affordable cost (keeping in mind the build quality)
- 1lb disposable propane bottle compatibility
- Achieves required temperature in 10-15 minutes
- Can cook more than pizzas
What We Don’t Like
- Body gets extremely hot
- Learning curve involved
- Only propane fuelled
- Slightly heavier to be called fairly portable
Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven Features
Great Design
Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven is known for its sturdy, rectangular, open-face, and unique design optimal for outdoor cooking. The oven is made from stainless steel and has a double-layered ceiling to retain the high temperature just like a brick oven.
Built-in valve ignition helps you to regulate the temperature inside the oven. A red plastic knob is there at the right side to control the gas flame valve. You can monitor the internal temperature through a temperature meter and adjust it accordingly.
Though it does not gives as accurate reading as it should, but you can have an idea of the temperature inside. For accurate temperature readings, I recommend using infrared thermometers.
The oven comes with built-in heat deflector below the wire rack designed for even distribution throughout the cooking.
The oven has a ventilated oven door with cushioned handles which enables you to securely remove your pizza from the stove without risk of burning your hands.
Temperature
The best crust pizzas are ones baked at high temperatures usually from a brick oven. Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven has a 17,000 BTU burner that can exceed a maximum temperature of 700° F. The oven is preheated before cooking which takes less than 20 minutes, way less than any conventional oven to get preheated. The oven is pretty much capable to get the cheese bubbling quickly after a few minutes of launching pizza in the oven.
With a temperature meter, you can monitor the internal temperature and change it to cook different types of food according to their cooking temperature. It comes with valve ignition along with a micro-adjust valve to regulate the heat when needed to get the pizza cooked evenly from all sides. It further optimizes the heat dynamics and brings you crispy, crunchy, and evenly cooked golden-brown pizza crust.
Portability
The oven has a compact design which makes it moderately portable to cook outdoors. I said moderately because the oven is a bit heavier as far as the weight is concerned. The fact is that the pizza stone adds more contribution to the ight than the oven itself. Anyhow, it is still not much difficult to carry.
Thinking of camping with friends in your backyard? No need to worry about the giant-sized outdoor brick ovens. Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven is a compact-sized pizza oven, moderately easy to carry and perfect for your backyard party.
Fuel
While buying any pizza ovens, people are mostly concerned about the power source. The Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven provides you with only one option of fuel. You can use propane as a fuel source. The oven comes with a 5-foot-long hose and a regulator to attach to the 20 pounds propane tank. Interesting part is that you can also run this oven on 1lb disposable propane bottle.
With the gas, it is very easy to cook, though you miss the woody and smokey flavor that comes with the wood.
Related: Ooni’s Propane Fuelled Ovens: Ooni Koda 12 Review, Ooni Koda 16 Review
Ceramic Pizza Stone
Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven comes with a ceramic pizza stone of 13.25 x 20 inches made of ceramic. This works great in retaining and dispersing heat. Ceramic absorbs heat much faster, absorbs excess moisture from the dough, and retains the temperature to a maximum of 750° F in the burning oven. Since ceramic tends to break with sudden temperature fluctuation, you need to handle the stone carefully to make the most out of it.
Easy to Clean and Maintain
Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven is made from stainless steel which is easy to clean and maintain. The whole oven can easily be cleaned within a few minutes.
Durability
The oven is made from high-quality stainless steel which makes it durable. The finish of this oven is quite attractive and appealing to buyers. Stainless steel is easy to clean and safe to use for a long time without the risk of bacterial growth.
Is it easy to Assemble Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven?
The assembling process of this oven is just a breeze. The oven comes with a user manual that is recommended to read carefully before assembling. The manual has all the comprehensive information regarding how to use, assemble, clean, and maintain the pizza oven. It takes around 20 minutes to set up this oven if you have some technical knowledge.
The burner and heat deflector are already inside the oven body. You just need to place pizza stone, attach the door, fix the handle, shelf, temperature meter, and connect the hose with a propane tank or bottle. After assembling in the right way, your oven is ready to kick start the cooking.
How to Setup and Cook with Italia Artisan Pizza Oven?
Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Ovens are very easy to work with. You can start cooking by just reading the instruction manual carefully. Here are the basic steps by which you can start cooking on this oven. First, you need to bring your oven outdoor. Since the oven is portable, it is convenient to carry the oven to your backyard.
Place the oven onto the desired spot and turn on the knob to medium-low setting to preheat the oven. It is recommended to avoid high heat as it can turn the pizza stone really hot and take a while to get back down to cooking temperature. Using an infrared thermometer, check for the temperature of the surface to be about 600° F. The thermometer on the top can also give you a good reference to the internal temperature.
When the desired temperature is reached, take the pizza that you assembled, slide that right off and launch it on the pizza stone surface right in the middle. Let it cook for a few minutes then rotate the pizza with a pizza spatula for even cooking. Finish it off by sliding the spatula underneath the pizza, lift and holding it for a couple of seconds to get a golden-brown top from the heat at the top.
Place the pizza on the countertop and go head with a pizza cutter to slice it out. Making artisan-style pizza with Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven is just as easy and delivers you just the perfect crispy, golden-brown delicious pizza.
Enjoy the video of how Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven cooks a delicious pizza on the go!
Maintenance Guidelines
Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven is easy to clean and maintain as it is made from stainless steel. However, there are certain precautions which you should take to for the long life of your oven.
- Use some flour or oil when launching your pizza on the pizza stone. This will avoid your pizza from sticking on the pizza stone.
- Use a scraper to scrape out any residue instead of rubbing it with wire or a rough surface.
- Be careful in handling the pizza stone as it is not resistant to thermal shocks and might break with temperature fluctuations.
These maintenance guidelines will make your oven serve longer. One thing to be noticed is that the color of the pizzas stone might get brown after some use, but it is normal and completely safe to work with.
Safety Precautions
Making Pizza is an easy task with Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven, but you can easily get caught in an unfortunate incident if you don’t follow these safety precautions.
- Power source for this oven is propane, any leakage will cause an explosion. It is recommended to keep checking the gas regulator to prevent any chances of explosion.
- This red plastic knob tends to get hot after a long cooking time that it may burn your hand. Always wear baking gloves while dealing with a rotating knob.
- Don’t clean the pizza stones right after the cooking or get the stone out in open air. It might break due to temperature fluctuation.
What we Affirm about Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven
Sturdy Design
You will get a sleek and sturdy oven with a high-quality stainless-steel finish making it attractive and appealing to buyers. This little oven has a really good design when it comes to radiating heat from cooking stones. The whole body of the oven is of stainless steel and cleaning the whole oven is a matter of a few minutes.
Simplicity
Making pizza in the oven for the first time is so easy and you will become an expert at it within a few uses. The assembling requires putting together many parts, but it is so easy to assemble by following the instruction manual provided with the oven.
High Temperature
Some of the best pizzas are made from brick ovens at intense heat. This oven replicates the cooking technique of a brick oven, giving you an intense hot internal area to cook the pizza to perfection. The temperature goes a maximum of 750° F due to the high-quality burner and heat plates furthermore, the double-layered ceiling retains the high temperature for even and controlled heat distribution. Also, the oven gets pre-heated in less time than conventional ovens.
Durable
Buying a Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven is a one-time investment, and I can guarantee that you will be enjoying the delicious pizzas for many years. The oven is made from high-quality material that is resistant to stain or rust. You might get tired of making pizza, but this little thing keeps on serving you for many more decades to come.
Price Point
The oven has a retail price of around $399. For some buyers, to get an oven at this price might be a little daunting at first. But as you look at the specifications and benefits that this oven can bring, you might make your mind to do a one-time investment.
Secondly, considering the prices of other similar ovens in the market by various brands, the price is justified keeping in view the build quality of the oven.
What we don’t Affirm about Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven
Size of Oven
The oven has a pretty decent size to cook different types of food such as pizza, fish, cinnamon rolls, roast, etc. But if you are planning to make 12-inch large pizzas it would be difficult to rotate the pizza for even cooking. Also, the roof of the oven is quite low which makes it impractical to accommodate large-sized items inside this oven. However, you can make serval batches of food as it takes less time to cook than normal conventional ovens.
No Wooden Flavor
Well, a traditional brick oven can only promise you the smokey wooden flavor of an Italian pizza. This oven being propane fuelled only can’t give you that little extra thrill to the taste buds which you get with cooking the pizza with wood fire.
If you want the blend of both the fuels (wood and gas) and that too at the same time, look for Bertello pizza oven. You will also not regret Gozney Roccbox pizza oven as an option.
Not to forget, cooking with wood requires expertise and time. Many pizza enthusiasts are happy to settle with the gas-only ovens.
Temperature Fluctuation
This oven is an outdoor oven and might not work as well on a windy day. The breeze can fluctuate temperature inside and makes the pizza un-evenly baked. However, this issue can be tackled by adjusting the temperature from time to time or you can simply shut the door of the oven and let the pizza cook. This restrains you from capturing the sizzles and bubbliness of cheese but the end product will be worth the wait.
Our Verdict About Camp Chef Italian Artisan Pizza Oven
The Camp Chef Italian Artisan Pizza Oven is a reliable option to consider whether you want to bake pizza in your backyard or you are planning to camp outside. It is moderately portable to carry with you at any place you are travelling. The high temperature will give you possibly the best pizza that you can get from a brick oven.
The oven is suitable for pizza newbies (though a slight learning curve is involved) as it is easy to assemble and work with. You will become an expert at it within a few uses. The oven is sturdy and serves the purpose well, so investing on this legendry oven is completely a great option that will pay you back in form of crispy, tasty, and golden-brown delicious pizza.
How Can You Get Most Out of Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven?
If you come along to this part of the article, you will probably get the idea that this purchase is a good investment. But here are some extra bonus points that will make your cooking experience with Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven even more efficient and practical.
Accessories to Improve Your Cooking Experience with Camp Chef Italian Artisan Pizza Oven
IR Thermometer
The infrared thermometer is a digital device used to measure the surface temperature of pizza stones, grills, baking tray, etc., run on a 9V battery. The device is easy to use, all you have to do is point it towards the surface and press the button to get the actual figure on the small screen.
The device has a built-in laser that gives you an accurate measurement of temperature within seconds of every surface that you aim at. I think this product is a must-have for any type of cooking. Getting to know the accurate temperature will guide you to adjust the temperature accordingly to cook your food to perfection.
Pizza Peel
A pizza peel is a culinary utensil also known as pizza shovel or pizza slider is used by professional pizza bakers to transfer the pizza from the countertop into the pre-heated pizza oven. Pizza peel has two parts; a long handle usually made of rubber or wood and a large flat carrying surface made of wood or metal. Pizza to be transferred is placed on the carrying surface and the handle is used to grip and hold the pizza peel and transfer the assembled pizza to the baking tray of the pizza oven.
Since the pizza stone surface of Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven is really hot, pizza peel will make the process of launching and getting the pizza out of the oven very smooth.
Turning Peel
For an even cook, you will be needing a turning peel to rotate the pizza. Camp chef do not have the turning peel in their accessories. Instead, they have a pizza spatula to do this job. Honestly, I did not like it. Therefore, I will recommend you to get a turning peel. Ooni pizza turning peel will do great!
Pizza Cutter
A pizza cutter can easily slice up your artisan-style pizza into perfect sections with rocked motion. The blade goes through cheese toppings and dough leaving a crispy edged even slice. It is a 14-inch curved blade to get even straight slices than any normal pizza wheel or knife. It is easy to use and clean as it is a stainless-steel material.
Heat Resistant Gloves
Heat Resistant Gloves are an essential accessory to have while of any sort of cooking that involves high temperature. This will prevent your hands from burning by accidentally touching any hot surface. The red plastic knob of Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven tends to get hot after long hours of cooking that it may burn your hand. It is recommended to always wear heat-resistant gloves to deal with a rotating knob or any hot surface.
Here is all for the review. Do tell us about your experiences with the Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven in the comments below!
I like this web site very much, Its a really nice office to read and find information.