As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of pizza ovens in both professional and home settings. In this article, I’ll be comparing the Big Horn Pizza Oven and the Stoke Pizza Oven, both of which I’ve tested extensively 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 achieve the perfect Margherita pizza. For a deeper dive into how I test pizza ovens, feel free to check out my separate article.
The Big Horn Pizza Oven is a compact, budget-friendly option that offers impressive performance for its price, perfect for home cooks looking to enjoy wood-fired pizzas.
The Stoke Pizza Oven, on the other hand, is a modern, multi-fuel oven designed for versatility and quick results, ideal for those seeking premium performance.
I’ve compared the Big Horn Pizza Oven and the Stoke Pizza Oven in detail in this article, using my own test results.
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 Stoke Pizza Oven here. Thank you for your support!
Big Horn VS Stoke: Quality and Materials
| The Big Horn Pizza Oven features stainless steel construction and a cordierite pizza stone, ensuring durability and even heat distribution. The build feels sturdy, capable of handling regular outdoor use, and is praised for its reliability among home cooks. |
The Stoke Wood-Fired Pizza Oven combines a fiberglass exterior with a clay-lined interior for heat retention. While robust, it lacks the premium sturdiness seen in higher-end brands like the Big Horn Pizza Oven.
|
Big Horn VS Stoke: Temperature Control
| The Big Horn Pizza Oven heats up to 500–550°F in just 15–16 minutes. With an external thermometer, users can achieve precise temperature management for consistent results. |
Despite claims of reaching 900°F, the Stoke Pizza Oven maxed out at 700°F in tests and required 45 minutes to preheat. Temperature control is more challenging compared to the Big Horn Pizza Oven.
|
Big Horn VS Stoke: Shape
| The Big Horn Pizza Oven’s dome shape promotes excellent heat circulation, leading to evenly cooked pizzas with a crisp crust and bubbly cheese. Its traditional design supports air circulation efficiently. |
The Stoke Wood-Fired Pizza Oven has a more complex internal design with a flame buffer wall that can hinder optimal heat transfer, affecting cooking consistency compared to the Big Horn Pizza Oven.
|
Big Horn VS Stoke: First-Time Usage Impressions
| Setting up the Big Horn Pizza Oven was straightforward, and the first use produced excellent results. Its beginner-friendly operation is ideal for home cooks and outdoor enthusiasts. |
The Stoke Wood-Fired Pizza Oven was functional during its first use but required a learning curve to achieve evenly cooked pizzas. The bottom crust, in particular, didn’t meet expectations compared to the Big Horn Pizza Oven.
|
Big Horn VS Stoke: Power Source
| The Big Horn Pizza Oven is wood pellet or charcoal-powered, providing flexibility and delivering a delightful smoky flavor. This versatility enhances the authentic wood-fired pizza experience. |
The Stoke Pizza Oven offers both wood and gas-fueled models. The wood-fired model imparts great flavor, but managing heat can be more labor-intensive than with the Big Horn Pizza Oven.
|
Big Horn VS Stoke: Size
| Compact and lightweight, the Big Horn Pizza Oven accommodates 12-inch pizzas while being portable and perfect for outdoor gatherings or camping. |
The Stoke Wood-Fired Pizza Oven measures 13 x 18.22 x 11.15 inches and weighs 40 pounds. While compact, it has limited capacity for larger pizzas compared to the Big Horn Pizza Oven.
|
Big Horn VS Stoke: Ease of Cleaning
| Cleaning the Big Horn Pizza Oven is hassle-free with its user-friendly disassembly. Regular ash removal ensures smooth performance and durability. |
The Stoke Pizza Oven is easy to clean with removable components, but its larger weight makes moving and cleaning slightly more cumbersome than the Big Horn Pizza Oven.
|
Pizza Cooking Test
The Big Horn Pizza Oven excelled in our cooking test. It took just 15–16 minutes to preheat to 500–550°F, making it one of the faster ovens to reach optimal cooking temperature. Once preheated, the oven cooked a Margherita pizza in only 1.5 minutes, producing an outstanding result. The crust was perfectly crisp and golden, with just the right amount of char for that authentic wood-fired taste. The cheese bubbled and melted beautifully, and the overall flavor had a subtle smokiness, thanks to the wood pellet fuel. The texture and flavor of the pizza were on par with restaurant-quality standards.
The Stoke Wood-Fired Pizza Oven took significantly longer to heat up, requiring around 45 minutes to reach its peak temperature of approximately 700°F (despite claims of achieving 900°F). Cooking the Margherita pizza took a little over 2 minutes, and the results were mixed. While the top crust and cheese were well-cooked, the bottom crust lacked the golden, crispy finish expected from a wood-fired pizza. The flavor was good, with a mild wood-fired essence, but it didn’t quite match the depth and crispness of the pizza from the Big Horn Pizza Oven.
In the pizza cooking test, the Big Horn Pizza Oven outperformed the Stoke Wood-Fired Pizza Oven in both speed and overall pizza quality. If you’re looking for faster cooking times and a perfectly crispy, smoky pizza, the Big Horn is the clear winner.
How We Tested
To compare the Big Horn Pizza Oven and the Stoke Wood-Fired Pizza Oven, we conducted thorough tests designed to replicate real-world cooking scenarios. Both ovens were used outdoors under similar weather conditions to ensure fairness. We began by lighting each oven according to the manufacturer’s instructions, monitoring the time it took to reach optimal cooking temperatures using an infrared thermometer. The Big Horn was tested at its target range of 500–550°F, while the Stoke was evaluated at its peak achievable temperature, which reached around 700°F during our trials.
A classic Margherita pizza was used as the benchmark for quality and performance. We kept the dough and ingredients consistent for both ovens, focusing on the time it took to cook and the final result. The pizzas were assessed for their crust texture, cheese melting and bubbling, and overall flavor profile. After the first pizza, we cooked additional pizzas back-to-back to see how well each oven maintained its temperature and whether there was any performance drop during continuous use. This aspect was crucial for understanding heat retention and recovery capabilities.
We also evaluated the overall ease of use for each oven, taking into account how simple it was to operate, manage fuel, and control temperature. Additional factors such as handling the pizzas during cooking and ensuring even baking were considered. The final pizzas were judged based on their taste, texture, and the presence of any smoky or wood-fired flavors.
This structured testing approach provided clear insights into the strengths and weaknesses of both ovens, allowing us to make a fair and detailed comparison.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the choice between the Big Horn Pizza Oven and the Stoke Wood-Fired Pizza Oven comes down to your personal preferences and needs. Both ovens offer unique features that cater to different cooking styles and budgets. The Big Horn excels in speed, crisp results, and affordability, making it ideal for those seeking high-quality performance without a hefty price tag. On the other hand, the Stoke provides versatility and a compact design, appealing to users who value portability and flexibility.
If you decide to purchase either of these ovens, I would greatly appreciate it if you use my referral links. These links help support my work and allow me to continue creating detailed comparisons like this at no additional cost to you. Here is the link for the Big Horn Pizza Oven, and for the Stoke Wood-Fired Pizza Oven. Thank you for your support!