As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve had the opportunity to test and perfect many cooking tools and appliances. Today, I’m comparing the Big Horn Pizza Oven and the Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven, both of which I’ve extensively used in my kitchen. This comparison will focus on quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and a real pizza cooking test to determine how long each oven takes to deliver that perfect pizza. If you’re interested in learning more about my thorough testing process, feel free to check out my separate article on how I evaluate pizza ovens.
The Big Horn Pizza Oven is a compact, wood-pellet-fired oven known for its affordability and authentic wood-fired flavor.
The Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven, on the other hand, offers a gas-powered solution that mimics the performance of traditional brick ovens with added convenience.
I’ve put the Big Horn and the Camp Chef Italia to the test, and this article covers the detailed comparison.
Disclaimer: This article contains referral links that help keep my blog alive. I may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you.
Big Horn VS Camp Chef Italia: Quality and Materials
| The Big Horn pizza oven features a durable stainless steel build and a silicone door seal that adds to its longevity. The cordierite pizza stone is excellent for heat retention and even cooking. While minor heat maintenance adjustments are needed, the Big Horn performs well with proper care and offers exceptional value for its price. |
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven is constructed from thinner stainless steel, which may raise concerns about its long-term durability. However, it includes a solid base, double-layer ceiling for heat retention, and a cordierite ceramic stone for even baking. The metal feels less robust compared to the Big Horn, which could impact its lifespan.
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Big Horn VS Camp Chef Italia: Temperature Control
| The Big Horn pizza oven heats quickly and reaches 500–550°F in about 15–16 minutes. Although it requires a secondary thermometer for precise calibration, it offers flexibility for those willing to monitor the heat manually. Once you learn its quirks, the Big Horn delivers reliable results for various pizza styles. |
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven reaches temperatures of over 750°F in approximately 20 minutes. Its temperature control dial provides convenient heat adjustments, and its quick recovery after opening the door is a plus. However, windy conditions may affect consistency, making it less reliable in outdoor settings.
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Big Horn VS Camp Chef Italia: Shape
| The Big Horn pizza oven’s dome-shaped design ensures even heat circulation, resulting in perfectly cooked pizzas with crispy crusts and melted cheese. Its shape is ideal for both Neapolitan-style and creative pizza recipes, making it versatile for any home cook or pizza enthusiast. |
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven’s rounded top design helps distribute heat evenly, mimicking the performance of traditional brick ovens. While effective, the shape is slightly restrictive for maneuvering larger pizzas, especially during rotation for even cooking.
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Big Horn VS Camp Chef Italia: First-Time Usage Impressions
| The Big Horn pizza oven is easy to assemble and delivers excellent results for beginners. It cooks a Margherita pizza in just 1.5 minutes, imparting a smoky wood-fired flavor that rivals more expensive ovens. This makes it a fantastic choice for those new to outdoor pizza cooking. |
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven performs well for first-time use, cooking a Margherita pizza in about 7–9 minutes, depending on dough type. While it delivers consistent results, its propane power lacks the smoky flavor that many pizza enthusiasts associate with authentic wood-fired ovens.
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Big Horn VS Camp Chef Italia: Power Source
| The Big Horn pizza oven uses wood pellets, which add a delightful smoky flavor to pizzas. Its ability to accommodate other fuels like charcoal makes it versatile and ideal for traditionalists seeking that classic wood-fired taste. |
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven is powered by propane, offering clean and efficient operation. It’s compatible with both small and standard propane tanks, making it a convenient option for outdoor use, though it misses out on the authentic wood-fired flavor.
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Big Horn VS Camp Chef Italia: Size
| Despite its compact exterior, the Big Horn pizza oven has a surprisingly spacious interior that accommodates 12-inch pizzas with ease. Its lightweight design is perfect for portability, making it a standout choice for outdoor gatherings and family events. |
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven is slightly bulkier and heavier, weighing 47 pounds. Its smaller cooking space makes rotating 12-inch pizzas a challenge, and the low roof restricts the size of foods that can be cooked efficiently. It’s portable but less user-friendly for larger dishes or multiple batches.
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Big Horn VS Camp Chef Italia: Ease of Cleaning
| Cleaning the Big Horn pizza oven is simple and user-friendly. Its removable parts make maintenance easy, and regular ash removal keeps the oven functioning optimally. Just be cautious of sharp edges inside while cleaning. |
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven is easy to clean, with burnt debris scraped off the stone after use and the exterior wiped down with a damp cloth. However, the stone takes longer to cool down, making cleanup slightly more time-consuming compared to the Big Horn.
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Pizza Cooking Test
The Big Horn pizza oven reached its optimal cooking temperature of 500–550°F in about 15–16 minutes, making it relatively quick to preheat. Once ready, it cooked a Margherita pizza in an impressive 1.5 minutes, producing a beautifully crisp crust with a golden finish. The smoky flavor imparted by the wood pellets elevated the taste, giving the pizza an authentic, wood-fired charm. The toppings were evenly cooked, with perfectly melted cheese and a delightful aroma that captured the essence of traditional pizza.
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven took approximately 20 minutes to preheat, reaching temperatures of over 700°F. A Margherita pizza took between 7–9 minutes to cook, depending on the type of dough used. The crust was evenly browned, and the toppings were well-cooked, resulting in a balanced and flavorful pizza. However, the absence of a wood-fired element meant it lacked the distinctive smoky taste, leaning more towards the clean, consistent flavor of gas-powered cooking.
Both ovens delivered delicious results, but the Big Horn’s faster cooking time and added wood-fired flavor give it a unique advantage for pizza enthusiasts seeking a traditional experience.
How We Tested
To ensure a fair and thorough comparison between the Big Horn Pizza Oven and the Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven, we conducted side-by-side tests under similar conditions. Both ovens were tested outdoors to mimic real-life use cases. Each was preheated according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, with the Big Horn using wood pellets and the Camp Chef Italia powered by propane gas. We used an external infrared thermometer to monitor temperatures for accuracy.
For the pizza test, we prepared identical 12-inch Margherita pizzas using fresh dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil. The pizzas were cooked one at a time in each oven to evaluate the preheating time, cooking duration, and overall results. The focus was on achieving a crispy crust, evenly melted cheese, and well-cooked toppings.
To further assess versatility, we experimented with other foods such as roasted vegetables and garlic knots, noting each oven’s performance in maintaining consistent temperatures and handling different cooking styles. Taste and texture evaluations highlighted the differences between the wood-fired flavor of the Big Horn and the clean gas-powered taste of the Camp Chef Italia.
This controlled testing method allowed us to objectively measure the strengths and limitations of each oven while showcasing their unique capabilities. Both ovens proved impressive, but the Big Horn’s combination of speed and authentic flavor stood out during the tests.
Final Thoughts
Choosing between the Big Horn Pizza Oven and the Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven ultimately depends on your cooking preferences and priorities. If you value affordability, portability, and a smoky, wood-fired flavor, the Big Horn might be the perfect fit. On the other hand, if you prefer a gas-powered option with steady heat and convenient temperature control, the Camp Chef Italia could be your go-to.
If you decide to purchase one, I’d greatly appreciate it if you use my referral links. I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps support my blog and allows me to continue creating content like this.
Thank you for your support, and happy pizza-making!