As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve had the chance to work with a variety of pizza ovens in both professional and home kitchens. In this article, I’ll be comparing the Big Horn Pizza Oven and the Carbon Pizza Oven, both of which I’ve personally tested in my kitchen. My comparison focuses on key factors such as 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 it takes to bake the perfect Margherita pizza. For a detailed breakdown of how I test pizza ovens, feel free to check out my separate article.
The Big Horn Pizza Oven is a lightweight, budget-friendly oven designed for outdoor cooking enthusiasts, offering great value for its price.
The Carbon Pizza Oven is a sleek, high-performance oven known for its dual-fuel capabilities and fast cooking times, aimed at those seeking premium results.
In this article, I’ve provided a detailed comparison of the Big Horn Pizza Oven and the Carbon Pizza Oven based on my hands-on tests.
Disclaimer: This article includes referral links. If you decide to purchase through these links, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps keep my blog alive. You can find the Big Horn Pizza Oven here and the Carbon Pizza Oven here. Thank you for your support!
Big Horn VS Carbon: Quality and Materials
| The Big Horn Pizza Oven is made of durable stainless steel with a silicone door seal and cordierite pizza stone for even heat distribution. Sturdy and affordable. |
The Carbon Pizza Oven is crafted with stainless steel and insulated with firebricks, ensuring even heat distribution. It’s durable but comes at a significantly higher price.
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Big Horn VS Carbon: Temperature Control
| The Big Horn heats up to 500–550°F in about 15–16 minutes and performs well with consistent monitoring. External thermometers help fine-tune control. |
The Carbon heats up quickly, reaching up to 1000°F in just 10 minutes. Dual heat controls make adjustments easy, but achieving an ideal bake may require some practice.
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Big Horn VS Carbon: Shape
| The round dome of the Big Horn ensures excellent airflow and even cooking, delivering crispy crusts and evenly melted cheese. |
The Carbon’s rectangular design focuses on heat retention. It supports back-to-back cooking and fits slightly larger pizzas, but airflow may require manual adjustments.
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Big Horn VS Carbon: First-Time Usage Impressions
| Lightweight and easy to assemble, the Big Horn is user-friendly and ideal for beginners. Its compact size and straightforward operation make it an instant favorite. |
The Carbon Pizza Oven impressed with its sleek black design and visible flame. Its setup and handling require more attention, particularly for precise baking.
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Big Horn VS Carbon: Power Source
| The Big Horn uses wood pellets, providing a delightful smoky flavor. It’s also compatible with charcoal or other pellet types for versatility. |
The Carbon is propane-powered, eliminating the need for constant refueling. While efficient, it lacks the smokiness associated with wood-fired ovens.
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Big Horn VS Carbon: Size
| Compact and portable, the Big Horn fits up to a 12-inch pizza, making it perfect for outdoor cooking and smaller gatherings. |
The Carbon is slightly larger, accommodating pizzas up to 15 inches in diameter. It’s suitable for larger meals but less portable due to its weight and size.
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Big Horn VS Carbon: Ease of Cleaning
| The Big Horn is easy to clean with removable parts. Regular ash cleaning and maintenance ensure it remains in top condition for repeated use. |
The Carbon is also easy to clean, with a provided brush for firebrick cleaning. However, its design may require more effort for thorough maintenance.
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Pizza Cooking Test
The Big Horn Pizza Oven took approximately 15–16 minutes to preheat to its optimal cooking temperature of 500–550°F. Once ready, it cooked a Margherita pizza in about 1.5 minutes. The result was a perfectly crispy crust with evenly melted cheese. The wood pellets added a subtle smoky flavor that elevated the overall taste, giving it an authentic wood-fired quality. Each bite delivered a delightful balance of crispiness and gooey texture, making it an excellent choice for Neapolitan-style pizzas.
The Carbon Pizza Oven preheated faster, reaching temperatures of up to 1000°F in just 10 minutes. A Margherita pizza cooked in about 80–90 seconds, producing a nicely charred crust and bubbling cheese. The high temperature ensured even cooking, though the propane-powered heat lacked the smoky flavor of a wood-fired oven. The crust was light and crispy, with a firm base, and the toppings were perfectly cooked. While flavor was excellent, the absence of smokiness left some traditionalists wanting more.
Both ovens delivered exceptional results, with the Big Horn excelling in flavor due to its wood-fired design and the Carbon standing out for its speed and high heat performance. For those prioritizing authentic flavor, the Big Horn is a clear winner, while the Carbon is ideal for quick and efficient cooking.
How We Tested
To evaluate the performance of the Big Horn Pizza Oven and the Carbon Pizza Oven, we conducted a detailed cooking test with a focus on preparing Margherita pizzas. This process allowed us to assess their preheating times, cooking durations, and the quality of the pizzas produced.
Both ovens were set up in the same outdoor environment under similar weather conditions to ensure a fair test. We used an infrared thermometer to monitor the temperature of the pizza stones and interiors, ensuring they reached their respective optimal cooking temperatures. For the Big Horn, this was 500–550°F, while the Carbon was tested at 700°F to 1000°F, as recommended in the manual.
To maintain consistency, we used the same pizza dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil for each test. The dough was stretched to the same size—12 inches for the Big Horn and 14 inches for the Carbon—to match the ovens’ respective capacities.
Each pizza was cooked individually, and we carefully recorded the preheating times and cooking durations. During baking, we monitored how evenly the heat was distributed and rotated the pizzas as needed to achieve an even cook.
Post-cooking, we tasted the pizzas, focusing on the crust’s texture, the cheese’s melt, and the balance of flavors. The smoky flavor imparted by the Big Horn’s wood pellets and the crisp finish from the Carbon’s high-temperature gas burner were notable elements.
Lastly, we cleaned both ovens to assess ease of maintenance. The Big Horn’s removable parts and straightforward design made cleaning simple, while the Carbon required more effort due to its firebrick base and soot buildup.
This rigorous testing method ensured a comprehensive comparison, highlighting the unique strengths and challenges of each oven while providing valuable insights for potential buyers.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the choice between the Big Horn Pizza Oven and the Carbon Pizza Oven depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you’re looking for affordability, portability, and that authentic smoky wood-fired flavor, the Big Horn is a fantastic option. On the other hand, if speed, precision, and a sleek design are your priorities, the Carbon Pizza Oven is a worthy investment.
If you decide to purchase one of these ovens, 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 keep my blog running and allows me to create more content like this. You can find the Big Horn Pizza Oven here and the Carbon Pizza Oven here. Thank you for your support!