As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience at my restaurant, Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve had the opportunity to test and use various pizza ovens in a professional kitchen environment. In this article, I’ll compare the Bertello Pizza Oven and the Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven, two popular outdoor ovens I’ve thoroughly tested. To help you make the best choice, I evaluated these ovens based on quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and conducted a real pizza cooking test to see how long each takes to deliver a delicious, crispy pizza. For a detailed breakdown of my testing process, feel free to check out my separate article on how I test pizza ovens.
The Bertello Pizza Oven is a multi-fuel, compact option ideal for creating authentic wood-fired pizzas with excellent portability. On the other hand, the Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven is a propane-powered oven designed for ease of use and consistent results, with a traditional brick oven-inspired design.
This article features a thorough comparison between the Bertello Pizza Oven and the Camp Chef Italia based on my personal tests.
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Winner
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Loser
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Our Rating:
4.7
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Our Rating:
4.4
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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- Robust construction with a stainless steel exterior and a durable refractory stone
- Heats up efficiently, reaching over 900°F in about 10-15 minutes
- Dome-shaped design
- Multi-fuel versatility, allowing the use of gas, wood, and charcoal
- Lighter
- Cleaning the Bertello can be a bit more involved
- Made with stainless steel and has a double-layer ceiling
- Can reach 750°F
- Smooth dome shape
- Thinner metal frame may impact its durability over time
- Requires careful management, especially on windy days
- Took a bit longer to set up
- Propane-only
- Portable but slightly bulkier
Disclaimer: This article contains referral links, which help keep my blog alive and allow me to continue sharing insights like this with you.
Bertello VS Camp Chef Italia: Quality and Materials
| The Bertello Pizza Oven features durable stainless steel and a refractory stone cooking surface, designed for high-temperature performance and longevity. |
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven is made of thinner stainless steel, which may impact durability, but it includes a cordierite ceramic stone for consistent baking.
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Bertello VS Camp Chef Italia: Temperature Control
| Dome-shaped design in the Bertello Pizza Oven promotes excellent heat circulation, ensuring even cooking and a perfectly charred crust. |
The Camp Chef Italia‘s curved dome top helps evenly distribute heat for consistent cooking but has a lower roof that can limit larger food items.
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Bertello VS Camp Chef Italia: Shape
| Reaches over 900°F and offers multi-fuel flexibility, but users may need to monitor and adjust fire when using wood due to the shallow wood tray. |
Can reach over 750°F with a propane-powered burner. Features a temperature gauge and gas knob for control, but external thermometers improve accuracy.
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Bertello VS Camp Chef Italia: First-Time Usage Impressions
| The Bertello Pizza Oven is easy to assemble, preheats quickly, and provides an authentic wood-fired taste, making it user-friendly for beginners and experienced cooks alike. |
The Camp Chef Italia is easy to set up, but its smaller cooking space makes maneuvering 12-inch pizzas more challenging. It lacks the wood-fired flavor.
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Bertello VS Camp Chef Italia: Power Source
| Multi-fuel capability (wood, charcoal, propane) makes the Bertello Pizza Oven versatile for outdoor cooking enthusiasts. |
The Camp Chef Italia uses propane gas, offering convenience and cleanliness but missing the smoky wood-fired flavor.
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Bertello VS Camp Chef Italia: Size
| Compact and portable, with a 12.5″ x 13.5″ cooking surface and weighing 34.6 lbs, the Bertello is suitable for outdoor use and easy to transport. |
Larger and heavier at 47 lbs, the Camp Chef Italia has limited maneuverability but offers a stable base for outdoor cooking.
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Bertello VS Camp Chef Italia: Ease of Cleaning
| Cleaning the Bertello Pizza Oven requires effort due to its pellet tray design, but regular maintenance keeps it in excellent condition. |
Cleaning the Camp Chef Italia is straightforward with a burn-off process and a bench scraper for leftover debris.
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Pizza Cooking Test
The Bertello Pizza Oven impressed with its quick preheating time of 10–15 minutes, achieving a temperature of over 900°F. It cooked a classic Margherita pizza in just 90 seconds, delivering a beautifully charred crust and authentic wood-fired flavor. Its even heat distribution ensured consistent results, even in multiple cooking sessions.
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven preheated in 20 minutes and reached temperatures of over 750°F. It cooked a Margherita pizza in 7–9 minutes, producing an evenly baked crust and melted cheese. While the flavor was satisfying, the lack of a wood option meant it missed the smoky essence of traditional Italian pizzas.
How We Tested
To compare the Bertello Pizza Oven and the Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven, we tested both in my professional kitchen under identical conditions.
- Both ovens were preheated to their optimal temperatures—over 900°F for the Bertello and 750°F for the Camp Chef Italia. Preheating times were tracked to assess efficiency.
- We cooked identical Margherita pizzas in each oven, monitoring cooking times, heat distribution, and the quality of the crust and toppings.
- The pizzas were evaluated for flavor, texture, and evenness. We also tested the ovens’ ability to cook other foods like vegetables and chicken.
- We observed how easy each oven was to operate, load pizzas, and adjust temperatures. Cleaning was evaluated based on residue removal and maintenance.
This streamlined process ensured a fair and accurate comparison of the two ovens.
Final Thoughts
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Winner
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Loser
|
|
Our Rating:
4.7
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Our Rating:
4.4
|
|
Pros:
|
Pros:
|
|
Cons:
|
Cons:
|
- Robust construction with a stainless steel exterior and a durable refractory stone
- Heats up efficiently, reaching over 900°F in about 10-15 minutes
- Dome-shaped design
- Multi-fuel versatility, allowing the use of gas, wood, and charcoal
- Lighter
- Cleaning the Bertello can be a bit more involved
- Made with stainless steel and has a double-layer ceiling
- Can reach 750°F
- Smooth dome shape
- Thinner metal frame may impact its durability over time
- Requires careful management, especially on windy days
- Took a bit longer to set up
- Propane-only
- Portable but slightly bulkier
Both the Bertello Pizza Oven and the Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven have their strengths, catering to different preferences. The Bertello Pizza Oven is ideal for those seeking portability, multi-fuel versatility, and authentic wood-fired flavor. The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven, on the other hand, excels in propane-powered convenience and offers consistent, even baking, though it lacks the depth of flavor provided by wood fire.
Ultimately, the choice depends on what you value most—versatility and authentic flavor with the Bertello, or ease of use and steady performance with the Camp Chef Italia.
If you decide to purchase one, I’d greatly appreciate it if you used my referral links. I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps keep my blog alive and allows me to continue sharing insights like this:
Thank you for your support, and happy pizza-making!