Testing pizza ovens is probably one of the things I look forward to most in my job as a test editor for Popular Mechanics. It’s also one of the things my colleagues look forward to, because—well, free pizza, right? So, everyone was happy when Solo Stove’s new Pi Prime showed up at the office.
Yes, a pizza oven from Solo Stove, the maker of smokeless fire pits. But unlike most fire pits, which are fueled with wood, the Pi Prime burns propane from a tank, just like a grill. This makes it easier to fire up and maintain temperatures.
Looking at the Pi Prime, you can see that Solo Stove is maintaining a certain aesthetic, as it shares the basic proportions with its fire pits. And much like Henry Ford’s Model T, available only in black—you can choose any color you like, as long as it’s stainless steel. Also like the Model T, the Pi Prime is intended to be both affordable and simple. With an MSRP of $399, it’s definitely the former in terms of pizza ovens, and appears to be the latter.
| Body Material | 304 Stainless steel |
| Pizza Size | Up to 12-inches |
| Temperature | Up to 900 degrees F |
| Fuel | Propane |
In short, yes. The Pi Prime burns propane and has a single knob on the front that controls ignition and temperature. To ignite the burner, you turn and press the knob, then adjust temperature by turning it further.
Solo Stove has printed a narrow band of red indicating the optimal setting for making pizza. Simple enough—and, as I found, it works. I lit the burner, turned the knob to the red zone, and it took about 15 minutes to heat up.
Using an infrared thermometer to check the pizza stone temperature.
To check the oven floor temperature, I used an infrared thermometer—an essential pizza-making tool. Solo Stove claims you can get the Pi Prime up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, and you can, but the pizza will cook incredibly fast at that temp, and it’s easy to burn it with a moment’s inattention. As with any oven, the floor closest to the burner gets hotter faster than other areas of the oven, so check temperatures in this area to reach your target temp.
I started making pizza when the temp reached just under 800 degrees. The heat from above was balanced well with the floor temp, and pizza cooked evenly on the top and bottom, so the doneness—a subjective state based on your preference—matched. As I made more pizzas, I moved the knob up and down occasionally, staying in the red zone to help hold the temp between 780- and 840-ish degrees. Using a pizza oven doesn’t get easier than that.
Is it done? That question is subjective. But, the top and bottom heat was pretty even, so that if the top was crispier, so was the bottom.
Cleanup is similar to any other pizza oven. If you get any cheese on the pizza stone, you’ll need to scrape it off with a long metal spatula, if it’s still hot. Any other debris can be brushed out with a pizza oven brush. When the oven is cool to the touch, you can pull the included cover over it for outside storage, but I’d recommend bringing it inside if it won’t be used for an extended period.
Now, I can’t promise your first pizza will be perfect. If you haven’t used a pizza oven to make pizza before, there is a learning curve that you would have with any oven. But the Pi Prime will make that curve as short as possible.
If you have used a pizza oven before, then you’ll have no excuses—the Pi Prime is as easy to use as a propane-fired oven can be. And, by cutting out nonessential features that can drive up the price, Solo Stove has kept it affordable, at just under $400—about as inexpensive as you’ll find for an oven capable of reaching 900 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Pi Prime would be an ideal pizza oven for first-timers, those on a budget, or those who don’t want to dedicate a bunch of space to a pizza oven. The Pi Prime accommodates pizzas up to 12 inches, so if you want to make larger pies, you might want to consider a bigger oven like the Ooni Karu Pro 2. But the Pi Prime can turn out 12-inch pies every few minutes, so it’s also great for families that can’t agree on pizza toppings. Everyone can get their own pie.
Propane
Electric
Multi-fuel
Brad Ford has spent most of his life using tools to fix, build, or make things. Growing up he worked on a farm, where he learned to weld, repair, and paint equipment. From the farm he went to work at a classic car dealer, repairing and servicing Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Jaguars. Today, when he's not testing tools or writing for Popular Mechanics, he's busy keeping up with the projects at his old farmhouse in eastern Pennsylvania.
Rachel is the Deputy Editor of Reviews for Hearst's Enthusiast and Wellness Group where she supports Popular Mechanics, Runner's World, and Best Products. Her background is in service journalism and earlier in her career she worked as a daily newspaper reporter and book editor. She spent more than a decade as a staff editor and writer at TripAdvisor and Penguin Random House and her byline has appeared in Time Out New York, the New York Daily News, and New York Magazine. Outside of work, Rachel can be found planning her next trip, visiting museums and galleries, and walking her wirehaired dachshund in Central Park.
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