As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve worked with various pizza ovens in both professional and home settings. In this comparison, I’ll be evaluating the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Cru Oven Model 32, both of which I have personally used in my kitchen. I assessed them based on quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and a real pizza cooking test to see how long each takes to make a great pizza. If you’re interested in the full breakdown of how I test pizza ovens, you can check out my separate article.
The Blackstone Pizza Oven is a propane-powered oven known for its high heat output and rotating stone, which ensures even cooking. Meanwhile, the Cru Oven Model 32 is a wood-fired oven built for versatility, accommodating multiple fuel types and offering a more traditional approach to outdoor pizza making.
I’ve compared the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Cru Oven Model 32 in detail in this article, using my own test results.
To keep my blog running, I use referral links in this article. If you find my insights helpful and decide to purchase through these links, it helps support my work at no extra cost to you.
Blackstone VS Cru Oven Model 32: Quality and Materials
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven is built with high-quality stainless steel and cast iron. Its rotating tray ensures even cooking, and double-wall insulation helps retain heat efficiently. |
The Cru Oven Model 32 is made from durable 304 stainless steel with ceramic fiber insulation and Cordierite pizza stones. It is well-built, but its design allows some heat loss during cooking.
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Blackstone VS Cru Oven Model 32: Temperature Control
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven reaches 900+°F in just 10 minutes. Its powerful propane burner provides consistent heat with minimal effort, ensuring reliable results. |
The Cru Oven Model 32 heats up to 900°F, but takes around 40 minutes to fully preheat. Keeping a steady temperature in the Cru Oven Model 32 requires constant monitoring and fuel adjustments.
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Blackstone VS Cru Oven Model 32: Shape
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven features a unique design with the burner placed away from the pizza stone. Its rotating tray helps eliminate direct flame contact and ensures even cooking. |
The Cru Oven Model 32 has a barrel-shaped stainless steel design with a large opening. While this design promotes good airflow and heat distribution, it can lead to heat loss during baking.
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Blackstone VS Cru Oven Model 32: First-Time Usage Impressions
| Assembling the Blackstone Pizza Oven takes some time, and two people may be needed. The ignition process might require a few tries at first, but once started, it’s easy to use. |
Setting up the Cru Oven Model 32 is quick and straightforward. However, starting and maintaining the fire requires more attention compared to the Blackstone Pizza Oven.
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Blackstone VS Cru Oven Model 32: Power Source
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven operates on propane, using a high-pressure burner that delivers 60,000 BTUs per hour. This ensures fast heating and strong, consistent performance. |
The Cru Oven Model 32 runs on wood or charcoal, providing a smoky, authentic wood-fired flavor. However, compared to the Blackstone Pizza Oven, fuel management requires more effort.
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Blackstone VS Cru Oven Model 32: Size
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven is large and heavy, making it best for patios or outdoor kitchens. It includes a wheeled cart for easy mobility. |
The Cru Oven Model 32 is more versatile than smaller models, with a larger cooking space. It has built-in handles for portability, but is not as compact as some other wood-fired ovens.
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Blackstone VS Cru Oven Model 32: Ease of Cleaning
| Cleaning the Blackstone Pizza Oven is simple. It features a removable pizza stone and wipe-down components, making maintenance quick and easy. |
The Cru Oven Model 32 is also easy to clean, thanks to its removable dome. However, the Cru Oven Model 32 requires ash and soot removal between uses.
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Pizza Cooking Test
When it came to heating up, the Blackstone Pizza Oven was significantly faster, reaching 900°F in just 10 minutes thanks to its powerful 60,000 BTU propane burner. The Cru Oven Model 32, on the other hand, took around 40 minutes to fully preheat. While the Cru Oven Model 32 is designed for wood or charcoal, maintaining a steady temperature required more monitoring and adjustments, especially between bakes.
For the actual cooking test, I made the same Margherita pizza in both ovens. The Blackstone Pizza Oven delivered a fully cooked, crispy-crust pizza in just 70 seconds. The rotating stone and steady propane heat ensured that the pizza was evenly baked, with a perfectly charred bottom, bubbly cheese, and balanced texture from edge to center. In comparison, the Cru Oven Model 32 took between 90 seconds to 2 minutes to cook the same pizza. The wood-fired heat added a nice smoky flavor, but I had to rotate the pizza manually to prevent uneven baking.
In terms of taste, both ovens produced high-quality, restaurant-level pizzas, but the results were slightly different. The Blackstone Pizza Oven excelled in even cooking and crispiness, making it a great option for those who want fast and predictable results with minimal effort. The Cru Oven Model 32, while slightly slower, delivered a more traditional wood-fired taste, but required more hands-on control to achieve the perfect balance of crust texture and topping melt.
How We Tested
To fairly compare the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Cru Oven Model 32, I conducted a side-by-side pizza cooking test using the same ingredients and conditions. I prepared a classic Margherita pizza with fresh dough, San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil to evaluate how each oven handled heat distribution, cooking speed, and overall pizza quality.
Before launching the pizzas, I preheated both ovens to their recommended cooking temperatures. The Blackstone Pizza Oven, powered by propane, took only 10 minutes to reach 900°F, while the Cru Oven Model 32, fueled by wood, took around 40 minutes to get to the same heat level. Since wood-fired ovens can experience temperature fluctuations, I kept an eye on the internal thermometer and adjusted fuel as needed.
Once both ovens were at their ideal temperature, I placed identical pizzas inside and timed how long they took to cook. In the Blackstone Pizza Oven, the rotating stone and steady propane heat cooked the pizza in just 70 seconds, producing an evenly crisp crust and well-melted cheese. The Cru Oven Model 32 took between 90 seconds and 2 minutes, requiring manual rotation to ensure the pizza baked evenly.
After cooking, I evaluated the final results based on crust crispiness, char, cheese melt, and overall texture. I also noted how easy it was to manage the cooking process—whether I needed to adjust heat, rotate the pizza, or add more fuel between bakes.
This test provided a direct comparison of how the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Cru Oven Model 32 perform in real-world pizza making, helping to determine which oven delivers the best balance of speed, consistency, and flavor.
Final Thoughts
Both the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Cru Oven Model 32 offer exceptional pizza-making experiences, each catering to different cooking preferences. The Blackstone Pizza Oven stands out for its speed, consistent heat, and ease of use, making it the best choice for those who want quick, hassle-free, high-temperature cooking. Meanwhile, the Cru Oven Model 32 provides a traditional wood-fired experience, giving pizzas an authentic smoky flavor, but it requires more effort in temperature control and fuel management.
Ultimately, the choice depends on your personal cooking style—whether you prefer the convenience of propane with the Blackstone Pizza Oven or the hands-on, wood-fired approach with the Cru Oven Model 32.
If you decide to purchase one, I’d greatly appreciate it if you use my referral links. I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps support my blog.
- Blackstone Pizza Oven Referral Link
- Cru Oven Model 32 Referral Link
Whichever oven you choose, you’re in for amazing homemade pizzas!