As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of hands-on experience at my kitchen in Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve tested more pizza ovens than I can count. In this article, I’ll compare the Solo Stove Pi Prime and the Deco Chef Outdoor Pizza Oven, both of which I’ve used extensively in my kitchen environment.
I focused on eight key areas: quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and finally, I conducted a real pizza cooking test to see how long it actually takes to make a great Margherita.
The Solo Stove Pi Prime is a propane-powered oven known for its sleek design, compact footprint, and surprisingly fast, even cooking results.
The Deco Chef Pizza Oven is a multi-fuel option (wood, charcoal, or pellets) offering versatility, rustic flavor, and value—especially for beginners exploring wood-fired pizza at home.
This article features a thorough comparison between the Solo Stove Pi Prime and the Deco Chef Outdoor Pizza Oven based on my personal tests.
Not part of the TOP-5 pizza ovens, but these pizza ovens still perform really well.
And just a quick note: this article contains referral links that help keep my blog alive. If you find the review helpful and decide to buy one of these ovens, using my link earns me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Solo Stove Pi Prime VS Deco Chef: Quality and Materials
| The Solo Stove Pi Prime is built with durable stainless steel and has excellent heat retention, making it feel solid and reliable. |
The Deco Chef Pizza Oven is made from stainless steel and insulated well for the price, but doesn’t quite match the premium feel of the Pi Prime.
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Solo Stove Pi Prime VS Deco Chef: Temperature Control
| The Solo Stove Pi Prime runs on propane and offers steady, predictable heat through its manual dial — great for consistency when baking. |
The Deco Chef Pizza Oven uses wood pellets and can reach high temperatures, but keeping the heat steady requires more effort and attention.
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Solo Stove Pi Prime VS Deco Chef: Shape
| The Solo Stove Pi Prime features a sleek cylindrical demi-dome design that evenly distributes heat and makes sliding in pizzas effortless. |
The Deco Chef Pizza Oven has a more traditional half-dome shape, which works well, though its heat zones can be inconsistent in windy conditions.
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Solo Stove Pi Prime VS Deco Chef: First-Time Usage Impressions
| From the first unboxing, the Solo Stove Pi Prime felt like a well-thought-out, polished product — setup was smooth and results came fast. |
The Deco Chef Pizza Oven looked great out of the box and came with helpful accessories, though mastering pellet feeding took a few tries.
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Solo Stove Pi Prime VS Deco Chef: Power Source
| The Solo Stove Pi Prime uses propane, which is super convenient, clean-burning, and easy to control — ideal for consistent cooking. |
The Deco Chef Pizza Oven relies on hardwood pellets. This creates a nice smoky flavor, but it requires constant monitoring and refueling.
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Solo Stove Pi Prime VS Deco Chef: Size
| Weighing 30 pounds and measuring 15.5” x 20.5”, the Solo Stove Pi Prime is compact yet capable — great for backyards or camping. |
The Deco Chef Pizza Oven is fairly lightweight and portable too, with a height of 29.1”, making it suitable for outdoor use on the go.
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Solo Stove Pi Prime VS Deco Chef: Ease of Cleaning
| Cleaning the Solo Stove Pi Prime is a breeze — just brush the stone, wipe the exterior, and you’re good to go. |
The Deco Chef Pizza Oven is also easy to maintain thanks to removable trays, though pellet residue can build up if not managed often.
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Pizza Cooking Test
To compare the performance of the Solo Stove Pi Prime and the Deco Chef Pizza Oven, I ran the same Margherita pizza test in both ovens.
Solo Stove Pi Prime heated up impressively fast. It reached optimal cooking temperature (around 750–800°F) in just 15 minutes, thanks to its propane-fueled flame and efficient demi-dome design. I placed the pizza in and rotated it once at the 45-second mark. The result? A crispy, golden crust, bubbling mozzarella, and perfectly charred edges — all in 90 seconds. The taste was clean, well-balanced, and had that nice flame-kissed finish you expect from a high-performance pizza oven.
On the other hand, the Deco Chef Pizza Oven took a bit more time to stabilize its heat. It preheated in about 20 minutes using hardwood pellets. Maintaining an even flame required more attention, especially in outdoor conditions. Once it hit the right temperature, the pizza cooked in 60–90 seconds, depending on pellet intensity. The flavor had a great smoky note, and the crust was decent — though I noticed the bottom wasn’t as evenly cooked as in the Solo Stove. It tasted great, but the cooking process demanded more hands-on adjustments.
In short, while both ovens delivered delicious pizzas, the Solo Stove Pi Prime stood out for its ease, speed, and consistent results, especially in a busy or professional setting. The Deco Chef brought nice flavor with a little more rustic charm — but it required more effort to get there.
How We Tested
To give both the Solo Stove Pi Prime and the Deco Chef Pizza Oven a fair and practical evaluation, I tested them side by side in a real working kitchen environment at my restaurant, Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston. I followed the same process with each oven: unboxed and set them up on a heat-safe outdoor cooking station, gave them time to preheat fully, and then prepared a 12-inch classic Margherita pizza for each.
I timed how long each oven took to preheat, monitored internal stone and air temperatures with an infrared thermometer, and evaluated the cooking time and final quality of the pizza — texture, char, and flavor. I also observed how easy each oven was to use for the first time, how it handled multiple pizzas in a row, and how manageable the cleaning process was afterward.
Both ovens were tested multiple times to ensure consistency and performance over several sessions, not just one cook. I also paid attention to how the ovens retained heat, how well they cooked back-to-back pizzas, and how they performed under slightly windy conditions — just like you’d experience during typical outdoor use.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, whether you go with the Solo Stove Pi Prime or the Deco Chef Pizza Oven really comes down to your cooking style and priorities. Both ovens bring something unique to the table. The Solo Stove Pi Prime stood out in my tests with its sleek design, faster heat-up time, and propane-powered convenience — a solid all-around performer. Meanwhile, the Deco Chef is a great pick for those who love the smoky charm of wood pellets and want something budget-friendly and portable.
Whichever you choose, I hope my real-life kitchen tests helped you make a more confident decision. If you do decide to buy one, I’d really appreciate it if you used my referral links below. It won’t cost you anything extra, but I may earn a small commission that helps keep this blog running and supports more hands-on reviews like this one.
Thanks for reading, and happy pizza-making!
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