As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve had the opportunity to cook with a wide range of pizza ovens. In this article, I’ll be comparing two models I’ve personally tested in my kitchen: the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Bakebros 14 Pizza Oven. I evaluated both ovens based on key factors like quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and of course, how long it takes to cook a real pizza in each.
If you’re curious about the full process I use to test pizza ovens—including photos and timing details—you can check out my separate article that dives deeper into my testing methods.
The Blackstone Pizza Oven is known for its high-powered propane system and rotating stone that delivers even bakes with minimal effort.
The Bakebros 14, on the other hand, offers a compact, sleek design and dual-fuel capability for those who enjoy wood-fired flavor or propane convenience.
This article offers a comprehensive comparison of the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Bakebros 14 Pizza Oven, based on my own testing experience.
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Winner
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Loser
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Our Rating:
4.5
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Our Rating:
2.8
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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- Durable construction with a stainless-steel cooking chamber and a heavy-Duty cast iron rotating tray
- Capable of reaching 900°F
- Unique design
- Heavier and bulkier
- Took longer to assemble
- Powered by a single, high-pressure propane burner
- Requires more effort to clean
- Constructed from stainless steel
- Practical design
- Smaller and lighter (39.5 pounds), making it highly portable
- Struggles with consistent heat retention
- Requires a bit more practice to get used to
- Runs exclusively on LPG (propane gas)
- Requires more frequent maintenance due to less effective soot control
Finally, just a quick heads up: I use referral links in this article. If you decide to buy either oven through those links, it won’t cost you anything extra, but it does help keep this blog alive and support future reviews. Thanks for your support!
Blackstone VS Bakebros 14: Quality and Materials
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven impresses with its robust stainless-steel chamber, cast iron rotating tray, and double-wall insulation. It feels like a professional-grade oven built to last. |
The Bakebros 14″ is made from stainless steel but lacks the heft and thickness of higher-end ovens. It’s decent, but not quite premium.
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Blackstone VS Bakebros 14: Temperature Control
| With its powerful propane burner delivering 60,000 BTUs, the Blackstone reaches over 900°F quickly and maintains high temps easily. |
The Bakebros 14″ also claims 900°F, but it takes longer to get there and the heat feels slightly less intense. Still, it cooks well once hot.
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Blackstone VS Bakebros 14: Shape
| The Blackstone‘s design stands out with a burner placed away from the stone, eliminating live flame contact and enhancing evenness. |
The Bakebros has a standard compact shape. It distributes heat fairly evenly, but the interior feels more limiting for bigger pizzas.
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Blackstone VS Bakebros 14: First-Time Usage Impressions
| There’s a learning curve with lighting the Blackstone, but once figured out, it’s smooth sailing. The rotating tray helps cook evenly without fuss. |
Bakebros was easier to set up and use out of the box, but I had to monitor and rotate the pizza more to avoid uneven results.
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Blackstone VS Bakebros 14: Power Source
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven runs on high-pressure propane with remarkable power output—ideal for frequent use. |
The Bakebros also uses propane (LPG), which makes it convenient, though not as powerful as the Blackstone’s burner.
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Blackstone VS Bakebros 14: Size
| The Blackstone is large and heavy, making it better suited for patios or restaurant use. Not very portable, but great for serious cooking. |
Bakebros 14” is compact and portable (39.5 lbs), which is great for small spaces and travel—but it limits the pizza size.
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Blackstone VS Bakebros 14: Ease of Cleaning
| The Blackstone is easy to clean with removable components and solid materials that wipe down easily. |
Cleaning the Bakebros is also straightforward, with a removable stone and a wipeable stainless steel surface.
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Pizza Cooking Test
To test the performance of both ovens, I prepared a classic Margherita pizza using the same dough, sauce, and toppings for consistency. I paid attention to how quickly each oven heated up, how long it took to cook the pizza, and—most importantly—how it tasted.
The Blackstone Pizza Oven was ready to go in just 10 minutes. Its powerful burner brought the temperature up to over 900°F with ease. I placed the pizza on the rotating tray, and within 70 seconds, it was done. The result? A beautifully puffed crust, crispy on the outside with a chewy center, and perfectly melted mozzarella. The rotating tray helped achieve an even bake without needing to turn the pizza manually. It tasted just like something you’d get from a professional pizzeria.
The Bakebros 14″ Pizza Oven needed a bit more time—around 25 minutes to reach peak heat. Once hot, it baked the Margherita pizza in about 60 seconds. The cheese was nicely melted and the toppings cooked well, but I noticed I had to rotate the pizza manually to avoid uneven browning on the bottom. The flavor was great, especially with the slight smokiness from the high heat, but the crust was slightly less crisp compared to the Blackstone.
In the end, both ovens produced solid results—but Blackstone’s faster heat-up time, rotating tray, and consistently crispy base gave it the edge in this pizza showdown.
How We Tested
To fairly compare the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Bakebros 14″ Outdoor Pizza Oven, I used both ovens in my restaurant’s test area under similar weather conditions. I used the exact same Margherita pizza recipe for both ovens—same dough batch, same sauce, same mozzarella, same thickness. The goal was to evaluate how each oven handled preheating, heat retention, cooking time, and final pizza quality.
I preheated each oven to its maximum suggested temperature and monitored internal heat with an infrared thermometer to ensure consistency. I also timed how long it took to reach those temperatures. Once hot, I cooked a pizza in each oven, observing the crust’s rise, cheese melt, and charring. I made sure to run multiple rounds to test performance over back-to-back bakes.
The final test was taste: I sliced each pizza immediately after cooking and checked for texture, flavor, and doneness from edge to center. While both ovens performed well, this method helped clearly identify their strengths and limitations in a real-world cooking scenario.
Final Thoughts
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Winner
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Loser
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Our Rating:
4.5
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Our Rating:
2.8
|
|
Pros:
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Pros:
|
|
Cons:
|
Cons:
|
- Durable construction with a stainless-steel cooking chamber and a heavy-Duty cast iron rotating tray
- Capable of reaching 900°F
- Unique design
- Heavier and bulkier
- Took longer to assemble
- Powered by a single, high-pressure propane burner
- Requires more effort to clean
- Constructed from stainless steel
- Practical design
- Smaller and lighter (39.5 pounds), making it highly portable
- Struggles with consistent heat retention
- Requires a bit more practice to get used to
- Runs exclusively on LPG (propane gas)
- Requires more frequent maintenance due to less effective soot control
At the end of the day, choosing between the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Bakebros 14 comes down to your personal needs and cooking style. Both ovens have their strengths and are capable of delivering great pizzas—but in my kitchen, the Blackstone stood out just a bit more with its power, build, and speed.
If you decide to purchase either oven, I’d really appreciate it if you use my referral links below. It won’t cost you anything extra, but it helps support my blog and allows me to continue testing and sharing honest reviews.
Thank you for supporting my work!