Big Horn Pizza oven is one of the most popular wood-burning pizza ovens on the market today. Pizzaiolos around the world, both professional and enthusiasts, love it for its great design, and efficient, brick-oven worthy pizza baking in a portable package. Not to mention that the price of this oven is so much lower compared to well-known wood-burning pizza ovens on the market, namely the Ooni Fyra.
What is Big Horn Outdoors?
Big Horn Outdoors is a designer and maker of outdoor leisure products, including grills, smokers, and fire pits. There is not too much information about the company online, but their products are becoming more and more recognizable.
The pizza oven is a relatively new addition to their product line, and the reviews have been overall positive so far. We have put this oven to the test to see whether it can satisfy the need of your pizza serving operation, and how it holds up when cooking multiple pizzas in a short time. But let’s start with a short overview of everything Big Horn Outdoors Pizza Oven has to offer.
Big Horn Wood Pellet Pizza Oven Review
Features Overview
- Portable design with folding legs
- Reaches temperatures up to 900°F (and beyond)
- 12″ x 12″ ceramic pizza stone
- Uses wood pellets as fuel
- 15-20 minute preheat time
- Cooks a 12″ pizza in 60-90 seconds
What comes in the box
Big Horn pizza oven comes nicely packed, and there is not much assembly required. Contents of the package include: the oven itself, with legs folded down, the ashtray that goes on the bottom, the fire tray and the grill that fits in the tray, the door and the handle for the door, the chimney, the pellet hopper, the chimney cover that doubles as a pellet scoop, the poker, a little convenient handle, and of course, the pizza stone.
Design and Build Quality
From a design perspective, the Big Horn Pellet Pizza oven is very attractive. Made of high-quality stainless steel and powder-coated steel, it feels sturdy and looks modern. It has a sleek, minimalistic look with some nice curves that make it stand out from other pizza ovens in its class.
The build quality is also very good. All the welds are clean, and there are no sharp edges anywhere. The door seal is made of silicone, which should last long and be easy to replace if necessary. The pizza stone that comes with the oven is made of cordierite, which is a material often used in professional pizza ovens because it can withstand high temperatures and transfers heat evenly.
Overall, this is a great-looking oven with top-notch build materials and the whole unit look and feel is way beyond its price range.
Ease of Use
To be honest, using Big Horn pizza oven requires some skill. You need to be comfortable lighting a fire, adding wood, and regulating the airflow to get the desired results. Also, making pizza in this oven is a process to master. You need to wait for the oven to achieve the perfect temperature before putting a pizza in, and you also need to keep turning it around while cooking to get that crispy crust everybody craves. The door is also a bit fiddly to put on and off, even more so when it’s hot.
That being said, once you get the hang of it, it’s actually not that difficult. And the good news is, there are plenty of instructional videos on the internet to help you get started, and a Facebook group for the owners of this oven.
Cleaning and Maintenance
As with any wood-fired oven, cleaning and maintenance are key. The ashtray on the bottom of the oven needs to be emptied regularly, depending on how much pizza you’re making throughout the day. In addition, you will also need to clean up the fire tray and grill if they get dirty – especially after cooking fish or seafood pizzas.
Please be aware that some of the edges on the inside of the oven are sharp, so use caution when cleaning. Overall, the cleaning process is not difficult, but it’s important to do it regularly to ensure optimal performance of the oven.
Big Horn vs. Ooni
Ooni pizza ovens are very popular among home cooks. The Big Horn oven looks very similar to the Ooni Fyra. Some are saying that this product is a knockoff of Ooni’s classic design, but there are some differences between these two models.
The most obvious difference is the price, with the Big Horn being almost half the cost of the Ooni Fyra. The Ooni Fyra is coated with heat-resistant paint, while the Big Horn is left natural. But overall, the ovens are similar and the quality of the Big Horn does not feel inferior to the more expensive Ooni Fyra. It is also just as effective in quickly cooking delicious pizzas.
Big Horn Pizza Baking Performance
Now, let’s talk about what this oven is really good at – making pizzas. The cooking process is a bit of an art to master, but once you get the hang of it, you will be able to create delicious pizzas in just a couple of minutes.
Temperature range and preheat time
Burning wood pellets, the Big Horn Pizza Oven can reach temperatures up to 900°F, which is more than enough for most pizzas. It doesn’t have built-in temperature control, but we have checked the inside temperature with an infrared thermometer, and it was consistently over 860°F.
The preheat time is 15-20 minutes, which is pretty good considering the high temperatures this oven can achieve. You’ll know the oven is ready when the flames start coming out of the top of the chimney.
How much time does it take to cook a pizza?
The manufacturer states that it takes only 60 seconds to cook a pizza, but we found the time needed to perfectly crisp a pie is about two minutes. So make sure that you start preparing the second pie right after the first one starts cooking.
Consistency
With practice and experience, you will be able to get a perfectly cooked pizza every time. The key is to keep a steady flame and figure out the process that fits your cooking style. Some people like to cook the pizza for a shorter time at a higher temperature, while others prefer a longer cook time at a lower temperature.
The good news is that this oven is very consistent, so once you find your sweet spot, you’ll be able to replicate it every time.
Taste
There’s no denying that wood-fired pizzas taste better. The smoky flavor of the wood infuses into the dough and creates a unique taste that you can’t get from any other type of pizza oven.
The pizzas we’ve baked were all delicious, with a crispy and chewy crust. We didn’t have any issue with the taste, but of course, it may vary depending on the type of wood you use.
Big Horn Oven Pro Tips
- Always make sure the pizza stone is cleaned of anything left from previous use. A grill brush and a paper towel are enough, don’t try to make it look as new.
- The key to this oven is always having everything ready ahead of time. Have your wood pellets at hand to prevent the fire from dying down and the oven from getting cold.
- Ignite the firebox with a blow torch and don’t forget to take the cover off of the chimney. Get the top layer of pellets as evenly light as you can, this is going to make your firebox burn a lot more efficiently.
- Don’t add too much pellet at once, because they will end up smoking for too long and not properly igniting.
- Once it’s time to add the pellets, take the oven doors off before dumping the pellets in. This will create a draft that will allow pellets to ignite quickly and evenly.
- Add one scoop of pellet every time you take a pizza out to get the temperature ready for the next one.
For more tips on how to start and operate the Big Horn pizza oven, take a look at this video:
Where can Big Horn Pizza Oven be Used?
Big Horn Outdoors oven is a popular addition to many backyard kitchens, but is it efficient enough for a foodservice operation? Well, it depends on the size of the operation and what type of pizza you are baking. Compared to some other commercial pizza oven brands like Baker’s Pride, Big Horn is more suited to smaller commercial settings or home kitchens with limited space.
Some key features that make Big Horn an excellent option for small-scale foodservice operations include its compact size, fast cooking time, and the quality of pizza it is able to produce.
What can you cook in a Big Horn oven besides pizza?
The answer is, quite a lot! This versatile oven can be used to cook bread, chicken, steak, vegetables – you name it. The only limit is your imagination.
Baking bread in a wood-fired oven imparts a lovely smoky flavor that you just can’t get from baking in a regular oven. And, since the Big Horn pizza oven can reach temperatures up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s perfect for quickly cooking chicken, steak, and vegetables.
Can wood chunks be used instead of wood pellets?
Yes, they can! Typically, the chunks are going to produce more ash and soot but from what I understand they burn longer. This type of oven is a pellet hog, so it is perfectly understandable that you would want to ‘feed’ it for less. We’ve seen people use wood chunks and charcoal with this unit with solid results. This being said, we would still recommend pellets.
Final verdict
The Big Horn Outdoors Wood Fired Pizza Oven is a great addition to any kitchen, commercial or home. It’s well-built, easy to operate once you get the hang of it, and produces delicious pizzas consistently. It’s also very affordable, making it a great option for those on a budget. However, it may not the best choice for large-scale foodservice operations, and it also lacks some of the features that make commercial pizza ovens stand out.
What we liked about the Big Horn Pizza Oven
- Compact size and easy to move around.
- High temperature and fast cooking time.
- Brick oven-worthy wood-fired pizza taste in a portable unit.
- Affordable.
What we didn’t like about the Big Horn Outdoors
- It doesn’t come with a pizza peel and cover.
- No built-in thermometer.
- Not efficient or powerful enough for large-scale foodservice operations.
Should you buy the Big Horn Outdoors Wood Pellet Pizza Oven?
If you want to offer your customers delicious wood-fired pizza, but you don’t have space for a big brick oven, the Big Horn pizza oven is a great and economical option. It is compact, efficient, and produces consistently great-tasting pizza. However, it may not be the right choice for larger foodservice operations or those that require a wide variety of cooking options.
