As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience at my kitchen at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve had the chance to test and compare a wide range of outdoor pizza ovens under real cooking conditions. In this comparison, I’ll break down the Cru Oven Model 32 and the Deco Chef Outdoor Pizza Oven, both of which I’ve used personally in my kitchen. I’ll walk you through their quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and finish with a real pizza cooking test to see how fast and how well they perform.
You can also check out a separate article where I explain in detail how I test pizza ovens in my restaurant environment.
The Cru Oven Model 32 is a handcrafted wood-fired oven made in Portugal, known for its elegant stainless-steel design, removable dome, and spacious interior that supports serious outdoor cooking versatility.
The Deco Chef Pizza Oven, on the other hand, is a more budget-friendly, portable option that uses wood pellets and is aimed at home cooks who want a simple way to enjoy wood-fired pizza without a steep learning curve.
This article offers a comprehensive comparison of the Cru Oven Model 32 and the Deco Chef Outdoor Pizza Oven, based on my own testing experience.
Lastly, please note that I use referral links in this article — if you decide to buy either oven through my links, it won’t cost you anything extra, but it will help me keep this blog alive with more hands-on reviews and real testing from a working chef.
Cru Oven Model 32 VS Deco Chef: Quality and Materials
| The Cru Oven Model 32 is crafted in Portugal using 304 stainless steel, ceramic fiber insulation, and Cordierite stones. Its build quality feels premium and durable. |
The Deco Chef pizza oven uses thinner stainless steel, making it feel more lightweight and entry-level. It’s good for beginners, but doesn’t match the sturdiness of the Cru Oven Model 32.
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Cru Oven Model 32 VS Deco Chef: Temperature Control
| The Cru Oven Model 32 reaches around 900°F in 40 minutes. It holds heat well, especially when the dome is used properly. It’s ideal for consistent high-heat cooking. |
The Deco Chef wood-pellet oven claims up to 950°F but typically reaches about 700–750°F in testing. Temperature control is less reliable compared to the Cru Oven Model 32.
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Cru Oven Model 32 VS Deco Chef: Shape
| The Cru Oven Model 32 features a rounded barrel shape that promotes airflow and even heat. Its tall and wide opening fits larger dishes and pizzas easily. |
The Deco Chef oven has a more compact, rectangular design. While functional, it doesn’t circulate heat as evenly as the Cru Oven Model 32 due to its lower dome.
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Cru Oven Model 32 VS Deco Chef: First-Time Usage Impressions
| The Cru Oven Model 32 is quick to assemble in under 2 minutes. First-time cooking was smooth, and the learning curve was minimal. |
The Deco Chef pizza oven also offers a simple setup, but first-time usage required some adjustment to maintain a steady flame and even cooking, unlike the more intuitive Cru Oven Model 32.
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Cru Oven Model 32 VS Deco Chef: Power Source
| The Cru Oven Model 32 is wood-fired but can also use charcoal. That gives more control and a traditional smoky flavor in every bake. |
The Deco Chef is powered by wood pellets only. It’s beginner-friendly, but lacks the flexibility and flavor complexity of the Cru Oven Model 32.
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Cru Oven Model 32 VS Deco Chef: Size
| With dimensions of 22”L x 20”W x 17”H and weighing 56 lbs, the Cru Oven Model 32 offers a generous 20” x 16” cooking surface. Its large 11.8” opening supports multitasking. |
The Deco Chef is smaller, better for portability and tight spaces, but its 12” pizza limit restricts versatility compared to the Cru Oven Model 32.
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Cru Oven Model 32 VS Deco Chef: Ease of Cleaning
| The Cru Oven Model 32 has a detachable dome, which makes it one of the easiest ovens I’ve cleaned. Quick ash removal and full access inside. |
The Deco Chef pizza oven doesn’t have a removable top, so cleaning takes longer and requires reaching into tight corners—less convenient than the Cru Oven Model 32.
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Pizza Cooking Test: Cru Oven Model 32 vs Deco Chef
When it came time to put the Cru Oven Model 32 and the Deco Chef pizza oven to the real test—cooking pizza—I focused on how quickly each oven heated up, how long it took to bake a classic Margherita pizza, and most importantly, how it tasted.
The Cru Oven Model 32 heated up to about 900°F in roughly 40 minutes. That’s a bit longer than advertised, but once it reached that high temp, it maintained it well with minimal fluctuations. I slid in a Margherita pizza and, in under two minutes, it came out with a crisp, blistered crust, evenly melted cheese, and a wonderfully smoky aroma that only wood-fired cooking can deliver. The balance between a chewy base and crackling edges was impressive—definitely restaurant-quality.
The Deco Chef pizza oven took about 50 minutes to get close to its peak temperature, which topped out around 725°F in my tests. The Margherita pizza cooked in about three minutes. While the taste was satisfying, the crust lacked the deep browning and texture I got with the Cru Oven Model 32. The flavor was decent, but the pie didn’t have that same wood-kissed depth or even heat distribution.
In the end, both ovens delivered a solid pizza experience, but the Cru Oven Model 32 clearly edged ahead in cooking speed, crust quality, and flavor.
How We Tested the Pizza Ovens
As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of hands-on experience at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I approached this test with the same standards I apply in my kitchen. I tested both the Cru Oven Model 32 and the Deco Chef pizza oven side by side in real-world conditions using the same dough, same ingredients, and similar weather to ensure consistency.
Each oven was evaluated across several key criteria: build quality and materials, temperature control, shape and airflow design, ease of first-time setup and use, power source flexibility, overall size and cooking space, and how easy it was to clean after use.
The most important part was the real pizza cooking test. I prepared classic Margherita pizzas using fresh dough and monitored how long each oven took to preheat, how evenly the pizza cooked, and the final taste and texture. This allowed me to fairly judge their performance under the pressure of actual cooking—just like I do every day in a professional kitchen.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, whether you choose the Cru Oven Model 32 or the Deco Chef pizza oven depends on your cooking style, preferences, and how involved you want to be in the process. Both ovens have their strengths, but if you’re looking for a slightly more refined experience with greater versatility and build quality, I personally lean toward the Cru Oven Model 32.
If this comparison helped you make a decision, I’d really appreciate it if you used my referral links when purchasing. It won’t cost you anything extra, but it helps keep this blog alive and supports the time I put into real-world testing like this.
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And here’s the Deco Chef referral link
Thank you for your support!