Forno venetzia pronto 500 in terrace
Outdoor Pizza Ovens Pizza Ovens

The Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 Wood-Powered Pizza Oven: Worth It?

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When the talk of the town is about the sturdiest outdoor pizza ovens, the Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 is one of “those” ovens. Yes, the ones that is used by professionals.

Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 front view

Front View of Forno Venetzia Pronto 500

Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 left side view

Left Side View of Forno Venetzia Pronto 500

Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 right side view

Right Side View of Forno Venetzia Pronto 500

The oven is probably one of the the best outdoor pizza ovens out there, suited well for both; domestic and commercial purposes (and I will show you why and how). Whether you like to host outdoor parties or have a commercial intent for buying this, it will serve your needs. However, with that comes a pretty fair price tag that’s in thousands of dollars. But, for such quality and experience, who cares?

The oven is certainly not for the average consumer; it’s meant to be used by professionals. Enough talk.

Build Quality

The oven is made of stainless steel, so it feels strong and sturdy. Unlike other outdoor pizza ovens, this one feels strong from the inside.

Though there are pizza ovens made from carbon, I would still give this oven the win. Although the build material is stainless steel, the quality is excellent and unparalleled.

Stainless steel tubes overlapping

Steel of the highest quality has been used, and that is easily reflected in the oven. 430-grade steel allows the oven to survive such extreme temperatures.

Portability

This is the only aspect where the Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 gets beaten. Pizza ovens like the Ooni Koda 12, the Ooni Karu 12, the Ooni Fyra 12 and even the Ooni Pro 16 are just simply more portable than this one is.

The assembling and carrying is one thing and the weight is another as compared to other portable ovens out there. And the Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 lacks in both areas.

For transportation purposes, this will not be the best option to consider. Not only is the oven heavy, but it is also quite large as well (which is a good thing, too). I will get into the size and weights in the later section.

The oven has a four-wheeled base which allows for sliding the oven easily. Thanks to Forno Venetzia for this that makes the task to move this thing a little easier. The oven is quite heavy, and it would be impossible to move it from one place to another without the help of wheels.

Durability

This oven costs thousands of dollars, and this is the reason why. Yes, I agree that the oven is not cheap, but it can be somehow justified by its durability.

Usually, pizza ovens will last for only a few years before they need to be replaced. However, the Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 can last for around a decade. That, too, is if the use is quite heavy and on a regular basis.

If the oven isn’t used very frequently, it can (probably) last for as long as you will – provided you take care of it.

Pizza Size

Because the oven door width is 18”, you can cook up to 18” pizzas in this. You can also cook pizzas greater than 18” pizzas if you split the pizza into different parts.

Other outdoor pizza ovens (especially non-commercial ones) are usually only for around 13” or 16” pizzas.

Moreover, you can easily cook two pizzas at a time in this majestic oven.

Thermometer

With the built-in thermometer, you can easily measure temperatures. You don’t have to worry about the thermometer “bursting” because of the extreme heat.

closeup image of a thermometer in Forno Venetzia Pronto 500

The placement and the material of the thermometer is such that the thermometer is safe. This is quite a convenient feature to have.

Dimensions

The pizza oven is a big one measuring 77 x 58.5 x 30.25 inches. The cooking area is 13 x 24 x 20 “. If we compare the cooking area to the total area, the total area is not as much as it should’ve been.

Labelled dimensions(b) diagram(b) of forno venetzia pronto 500
Labelled dimensions diagram(a) of forno venetzia pronto 500
Dimensions diagram forno venetzia pronto 500
Labelled dimensions(c) of Forno Venetzia Pronto 500

The total cooking surface area is 480 square inches, and the oven weighs 369 lbs (165 kg). Compared to Ooni’s lineup of portable pizza ovens (like the Ooni Karu 12, to be specific), the Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 is almost 9-10 times heavier.

Temperatures and Efficiency

The Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 can reach temperatures up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit (427 degrees Celsius). Compared to its competitors, the temperature is ok. You might mistake the huge price tag to be associated with extremely high temperatures.

However, that is not the case. Beyond a certain temperature, increasing the temperature is useless. In fact, doing so will do more harm than good.

That is why the company hasn’t kept the maximum temperature to a very high one.

Modes of Conduction of Heat

Like most outdoor pizza ovens, the Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 heats and cooks pizzas in three ways: convection, conduction and radiation. If you want to know more about how wood fired pizza ovens work, click here.

Fuel Source

The oven doesn’t use gas; the Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 is a wood-powered outdoor pizza oven. As far as the wood is concerned, you can use any type of wood.

Stacked wood logs

However, I would recommend you to use clean and dry woods – especially if you’re going to be using the oven for commercial purposes.

Woods that are meant to be used for burning don’t leave behind a lot of residue and smoke. On top of that, they are much more efficient than normal wood is.

If you compare the upfront price of these woods to the price of normal wood, the special wood will be more expensive. However, normal woods doesn’t last for as long as this special wood does. Over the period of time, the price reduces because of their efficiency.

Assembly and Ease of Use

The Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 is, by no means, a very portable oven to consider. The weight and the dimensions don’t let it be a portable oven.

Assembly itself is a headache. The oven requires full assembly, and let me tell you, it is not an easy task – especially when assembling the oven for the first time.

If you’re looking for an oven that you can carry here and there with you, this is not a good option. The large size of the oven, combined with the extremely hard assembling make the experience quite unpleasant.

Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 Oven Tool Kit

There are special holders on the side of the oven to place the Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 tool kit in.  A large peel, a small one, a cleaning brush, fire poker and an ash shovel is included in the five-piece set.

Since this oven is for professionals, the tool kit accessories are continuously going to be used by the cook. To prevent inconvenience, the oven has a dedicated slot on the side so the cook doesn’t have to reach for the tools again and again.

Everything is in one spot. You can get the Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 Oven Took Kit from here.

Pricing and Price to Performance Ratio

$2,799 is no small amount. Let me be blunt with this. You’re not only paying for the value; you’re paying for the brand and the quality.

The oven is built to last, and it does. This makes it one of the best outdoor pizza ovens for commercial use.

When it comes to the price to performance ratio, this isn’t a great oven. That’s primarily because the oven is meant for professionals.

I would say it’s a 6/10 when it comes to your bang for the buck. In short, don’t get this oven if you’re just looking for an outdoor pizza oven. If you know what you need, only then buy it.

Worth It?

I’ll cut to the point. For domestic purposes, a big no. Getting this would be overkill. In fact, it’s going to be problematic. The oven is too large for domestic purposes. On top of that, it isn’t portable. Getting it for personal use would be pointless.

 

For commercial purposes, I would say this is a good oven – not the best one, though. The price is a problematic thing. However, commercial products are usually more expensive than they are supposed to be. So, I would say that can be justified.

Bottom Line

The Forno Venetzia Pronto 500 is a commercial outdoor pizza oven meant for heavy and consistent use. For light and occasional use, the oven is a bit heavy on the pocket until and unless you are too ambitious cooking outdoors and love to host outdoor parties. People who spend more of their holidays chilling and cooking outdoors (in their lawns and backyards) absolutely love this oven.

For professionals, I would recommend getting this oven. The oven lasts for a very long period of time, and will definitely pay off in the long run.

The oven runs on wood, and though you can use any sort of wood, I would recommend you use special wood. This wood is made specifically for burning. Spending a few extra bucks to get the better wood is worth it.

Assembling and disassembling can be a huge pain.

Overall, the oven is a pretty solid one. If you’re looking to buy this for professional use, I’d say go for it.

K16 - US

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