Should I Buy A Woody Pizza Oven? Real Life Review
By Holly Thomson
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February 29th, 2024
Pizza is a big topic in my household. And pizza-making is the source of many a hot 'debate' over the dinner table...
Do you need 00 flour to make pizza dough? Can you use a rolling pin to shape your dough? How hot does a pizza oven need to be? Do you really need a pizza oven? Which oven is best for making pizza?
I've long been a fan of small outdoor pizza ovens - so when the Sous Chef buying team introduced me to the Woody pizza oven I couldn't wait to give it a proper test. Here's what I found.
Spoiler: all three generations of my family got involved, to give their verdict too. Thanks dad!
Is it easy to assemble the Woody pizza oven?
Yes! Everything arrives in a large box - which is surprisingly compact and light. It's a large box, of course. But easy to carry from the front door where it arrives, to the garden.
While the rest of the family are busy preparing dough and toppings, I set to work putting the oven together outside.
How to build a pizza oven, in 4 simple steps:
1. Fold out the oven's legs. And choose a stable, heat-proof surface for your oven. I popped mine on a classic DIY stand, so that it could be near enough to the dining table for everyone to admire. But still at a safe distance from toddlers.
Key Features of the Woody Pizza Oven
These are my favourite parts of the Woody pizza oven
- The tall, wide front 'door'. This is wider than other pizza ovens I've used. And taller. Which is GREAT! It means that it's far easier to get pizzas in and out. And slightly tip the peel as you drop your fresh dough onto the stone.
- The little viewing hole in the front. Absolutely magic. And essential for keeping all the heat in the oven while you check on your pizza during those crucial 60 seconds of cooking!
- The super-tall chimney. This means smoke rises well above diners' heads. Far less likely to smoke out friends and family while everyone sits around the oven.
- The double fuel tray is really cool. So you get the consistency of pellets burning, with the added flavour of wood.
- It's so easy to put together! And feels really sturdy.
How to use the Woody pizza oven
- To run the Woody pizza oven through its paces, we first made a large batch of dough. I use this Sous Chef recipe for pizza dough, with a little dash of malt extract for extra flavour.
- Once the dough is ready and shaped - with the help of a rolling pin for some members of the family - we start topping. My daughters love a classic Neapoloan margherita. So we use great quality San Marzano tomatoes reduced into a thicker sauce. With torn mozzarella. And we'll top the finished pizza with a little fresh basil from the garden. And on some, we add some torn Italian ham.
- We shape each dough base on the (well-floured) pizza peel. The slide the pizza into the oven. Watch my dad in action below!
Which fuel should I use with a Woody pizza oven?
- Use Woody Wood Pellets for a consistent, reliable burn. Pellets can be easily re-filled using the rear hopper. And they're simply made with replenished wood. No chemicals or nasties.
- Woody Wood Kindling gives a truly authentic wood-fired burn. You get the inimitable flavour of wood-smoke. The kindling is cut down to convenient sizes and is easily laid out in the fuel tray.
- But, I'm excited about blending both of the above. It means you get the reliable heat from pellets. With the lovely authentic wood smoke flavour.
- Also, Woody Natural Firelighters are powerful and effective. And, as they're simply wood shavings dipped in wax, no unappetising chemical smells when they're lit.
Should I buy a Woody pizza oven? The verdict.
- From a family of obsessive pizza-makers, this is a resounding yes. The design has several elements that set it apart from other models. The wonderful wide door. The duel fuel element. The perforated pizza peel - all make a significant difference to using the oven.
- Making pizza in a proper oven a home is something we really love doing together. But if I'm completely frank, it's not always the most 'relaxing' format! We might often have some temperature anxieties or a delay between the rate that bases are shaped, topped and cooked. But in all honesty, using the Woody pizza oven was a DREAM. The temperature stays high consistently, which means far less worrying over the heat. And because of that, we established a very effective production line of pizzas.
- And everyone was able to eat a freshly cooked pizza at the same time!
The best pizza oven fuels
Woody pizza oven fuels are brilliant. As well as a great selection - I really love the fact that every bag of fuel sold by Woody equals a new tree planted.
These wood pellets are clean burning, and very easy to light. They keep their heat consistently for a long time. A great choice for the pizza oven!
Woody recommends combining the fuels in their pizza oven. Find your perfect balance of kindling and pellets, to combine reliable heat source with smoky wood flavour.
A simple lighter of wood shavings dipped in wax - these light quickly and powerfully. Which means you get up to speed super-quickly.
