OUR RATING OF THE Mont Alpi PIZZA OVEN
The Mont Alpi pizza oven struggles to reach temperatures above 550F, making this more of a standard outdoor oven than it is a pizza oven. I recommend the Ooni Koda or Gozney Roccbox instead.
The good.
Cheap compared to other pizza ovens.
Clean stainless steel design, fits a lot of outdoor BBQ setups.
Easy ignite system.
The bad.
Struggles to get much hotter than a domestic oven.
The lack of insulation also affects the oven's ability to retain heat on cold or windy days.
Struggles with cooking multiple pizzas. The oven temperature drops when you open the door, but the pizza stone remains hot, causing the second pizza base to burn before the top cooks.
2.8
Lackluster.
We recommend the Ooni Koda or Gozney Roccbox instead.
If you’re looking for a portable pizza oven that you can use in your back garden or on a camping trip, you might be considering the Mont Alpi tabletop gas pizza oven. Created by outdoor grilling enthusiasts with over 30 years of industry experience, the Mont Alpi is designed to work like a conventional oven but gives you all the freedom and enjoyment of outdoor cooking.
Not just for pizzas, this oven can handle anything you might want to cook, from roasted veggies to flatbreads to joints of meat and even ribs. Although obviously, we’re most interested in its pizza-making abilities, and that’s what we’ll be looking at today.
This oven gets talked about a lot in pizza-making circles, it has a reasonable price point and has plenty of great reviews on Amazon. But how good is it really? What are its pros and cons, and is it worth your time and money? Let’s take a look!
Quick Look
We’re going to take a detailed look at each element of the Mont Alpi tabletop oven. However, in case you’re short on time or just want the headlines, here’s a quick summary of the good and the bad, in our opinion.
What we like
- Delivered fully assembled.
- Lightweight and portable, it can be lifted and moved by one person.
- Has a slick, aesthetically pleasing look.
- Can be used for more than just pizza – meat, fish, flatbreads, seafood, ribs, etc.
- Easy to clean with a removable door and trays that are dishwasher safe!
- Comes with a 12″ pizza stone included.
- Heats up very quickly, reaching 450˚F in around five minutes.
- Can be used with two sizes of propane gas bottles.
- Sturdy stainless steel construction.
- Easy ignite system.
- Reasonably priced compared to other portable pizza ovens.
What we don’t like
- Struggles to get much hotter than a domestic oven. Due to lack of insulation, this oven doesn’t go much over 550˚F, making this more of an outdoor oven than a dedicated pizza oven.
- The lack of insulation also affects the oven’s ability to retain heat on cold or windy days.
- Can heat the pizza stone too quickly without getting the oven up to heat, causing the base of the pizzas to burn before the top side is fully cooked.
- Struggles to cope with cooking multiple pizzas. The oven temperature drops when you open the door, but the pizza stone remains hot, causing the second pizza base to burn before the top cooks.
- Would benefit from handles to help you carry it.
- Other pizza ovens perform to a higher level, reaching higher temperatures and cooking better pizza.
Designs and Features
Fuel Source
The Mont Alpi pizza oven uses propane. It works with two different sizes of the gas bottle – 1lb or 20lb, so you can choose which size suits you best. Or switch between sizes when cooking at home or out on the road. The oven has 12,000 BTU and a tubular U-shaped burner for even heating and baking.
Gas-powered pizza ovens are more efficient and cleaner than wood or coal-fired ovens. They often heat up much faster, can easily maintain a steady temperature, and you don’t have to worry about cleaning up ash and soot. However, you do lose the smoky flavor that coal and wood-fired pizzas gain during cooking.
Size and Weight
At 30 lbs and 21 x 15 x 17 inches, the Mont Alpi tabletop gas oven is lightweight enough to be carried by one person. However, it would benefit from some carry handles to make moving it easier because, at present, it’s a little awkward.
Its tabletop style means there’s barely any height to worry about and no fiddly legs or stands. It arrives fully assembled, and you can slip it onto a permanent surface in your backyard or patio or take it on the road with you and set it up on a suitable surface or camping table.
Usability and Appearance
One thing we like about the Mont Alpi oven is its appearance. The stainless steel is sleek and durable and lends the oven a professional kitchen vibe that we enjoy. And we’re not the only ones who like the look. This oven is popular with those who want their oven to be a permanent fixture in their patio kitchens. This oven looks great when fitted into an outdoor cooking space, but it looks equally good being fired up on a campsite.
The oven is as simple as anything to use and has instructions printed right on the front in case you need a refresher! The easy ignite button removes the need for lighters or matches, the temperature control is easy, and the heat gauge is accurate.
When you’re finished cooking, cleaning up is an easy job. Simply remove the door, fat tray, and floor pan and chuck them all in the dishwasher! Alternatively, they can be cleaned with warm water and dish soap when you’re out and about.
Max Heat and Preheat Time
This oven might not reach super high temperatures, but it does heat up fast. The stainless steel oven with its u-shaped burner heats up to 450˚F in five minutes. If you wait a little longer, it’ll reach 500 or 550˚F, but this oven will not go above that due to the lack of insulation.
This is substantially lower than a traditional pizza oven, so your pizza will resemble a home oven bake rather than one made by a conventional pizza oven. Some reviews and tutorials suggest fixing this by ‘modifying’ the Mont Alpi oven’s chimney to increase the heat capacity to 750˚F. We don’t recommend this. There can be serious consequences to an improperly ventilated gas oven, so forget the modifications. If you want a pizza oven that cooks to a higher temperature, it’s best to look for one designed to produce and handle such temperatures.Take a look here at our list of top rated pizza ovens.
The Mont Alpi, as it is, cooks a 12″ pizza in under five minutes and – in theory – three pizzas in under 15 minutes. We say ‘in theory’ because while it’s technically possible to make three pizzas one after the other in this oven, our experience is that the quality of the pizzas slips between the first and third.
It’s necessary to open the door to remove one pizza and add another. The oven drops below optimal temperature when you do this, but the pizza stone retains its high heat. If you add a second pizza immediately, the base will cook on the stone much faster than the rest of the pizza, and you risk a burnt base and an undercooked topside. To avoid this, you need to wait between pizzas for the oven to come back up to temperature.
Set Up and Use
The Mont Alpi is delivered to you ready to use, so no assembly is necessary. All you need to do for set up is to find an appropriate surface to place to oven on and attach the gas.
Using the Mont Alpi
The Mont Alpi is straightforward to use. You just follow the instructions handily inscribed on the front of the oven:
- Turn on the gas bottle
- Twist the control knob too high to ignite the gas
- Control the temperature by turning the knob between high to low
- Watch the temperature gauge on the oven door to see when the oven reaches your desired temperature
- Slide the pizza into the oven using a pizza peel for ease
- Close the door and bake
Cleaning The Mont Alpi Table Top Stove
This is a nice-looking pizza oven, so it stands to reason you’ll want to keep it looking good. Luckily, the Mont Alpi is straightforward to clean.
The pizza stone is removable and can be cleaned separately. Then the front door, fat tray, and floor pan are all removable and dishwasher safe. Although if you’re using this oven on the road, you can use warm water and dish soap instead. Use soap and water on the rest of the oven too, once the door and trays have been removed.
Extra Tips
After testing the Mont Alpi Table Top Gas Oven, we have a few tips to share that will help you get the most out of your stove.
- Always allow the pizza oven to heat up to optimal temperature before placing the pizza inside.
- If making multiple pizzas, remove the first, close the door, and allow the oven to heat back up to temperature before placing the second one inside.
- If your oven is heating the stone up too quickly, causing the base to cook before the top, consider cooking at a lower heat for a slower but more even bake.
- When cleaning your oven, never submerge the pizza stone in water. It will absorb the water, and this can cause it to crack later on. Instead, scrape off burnt food and crumbs and wipe the stone surface with a damp cloth.
What We Think
To summarize, although we love the look of the Mont Alpi pizza oven, we’re disappointed that it barely gets above the temperature of home kitchen ovens, 550˚F. We’re also not impressed that it doesn’t retain heat well enough to cook multiple pizzas quickly.
Ultimately this is a good outdoor version of a domestic oven. It works for cooking various meals in the backyard or on camping and road trips. But because of the low temperatures, we can’t say it’s great as a pizza oven.
And, if you’re looking for a pizza oven that you can also cook more things in, there are other better ovens out there – such as Ooni or Gozney ovens. Those ovens function as outdoor ovens and cook a range of meals, but more importantly, they also make excellent pizza at high temperatures.
FAQs
Are OONI pizza ovens hard to use? ›
Using the Ooni pizza oven is easier than you might think! It was definitely easier than I expected it to be. Once you connect the propane tank, you just turn it up to high and let it heat up for 20 minutes. Then lower the heat, toss your pizza in, and let it cook for a couple minutes.
How to cook on a Mont Alpi pizza oven? ›Preheat your oven getting it to the desired temperature using the control knob and temperature gauge (Suggest 400f and above). Place the pizza on the stone and close the door. Leave to cook checking from time to until cooked to your desire.
How hot does Mont Alpi pizza oven get? ›The oven can reach up to 620 degrees Fahrenheit and bake pizzas in 5 minutes. The removable front door gives you more convenient access to your food, and the removable floor pan and grease tray are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
Is it worth buying a wood-fired pizza oven? ›The answer to this question depends on your needs and budget. If you're looking for an oven that can produce high-quality pizzas, then a wood-fired or brick oven may be the best option for you. However, if you're on a tight budget, a smaller oven may be more affordable.
Why is my Ooni pizza soggy? ›Adding the sauce and then leaving the pizza to sit around before adding the toppings is going to cause the moisture from the sauce to seep into the dough and this will create a soggy base. This also applies if you add the sauce and toppings and then leave the pizza for some time before cooking it.
What is the most practical Ooni pizza oven? ›Best Day-to-Day Oven: Ooni Koda
Portable – The Ooni Koda 12 weighs just over 20 pounds, making it the most lightweight of all Ooni pizza ovens. It is also the smallest Ooni pizza oven available. It's easy to transport and can easily fit into smaller outdoor spaces.
Heat the oven.
The best oven temperature for pizza is between 450 and 500 degrees F (250 to 260 degrees C).
Where is Mont Alpi made? The Mont Alpi Grills corporate office is located in Lake Forest, California. Their barbeque grill islands, built-in grills, outdoor pizza oven table top ovens, pizza accessories, and grill accessories are manufactured in China.
What temperature do you set the oven for pizza? ›When you're cooking home pizzas in a regular oven, it's important to preheat the oven to 400 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This will ensure the pizza gets cooked the best.
How do I know if my pizza oven is hot enough? ›Checking the Heat in the Oven
Try to throw a bit of flour inside the oven. Observe how quickly it starts to burn. The oven should be ready if you see the flour burning in just a few seconds.
How hot does it get underneath OONI pizza oven? ›
Hotter is not always better.
We know we just told you that your baking stone needs to be hot, and yes, Ooni ovens can get up to 950°F (500°C), but that's not always the temperature you want to cook at. We find 750-850°F (400-450°C) to be ideal temperatures for cooking a neo-Neapolitan pizza.
To explain, Neapolitan pizza oven temperature needs to be screaming hot - so hot, that most kitchen ovens can't compete. You need to hit temps of 800-1000 degrees Fahrenheit to get that masterful Neapolitan crust, whereas a conventional kitchen oven won't get much higher than 550.
What wood should you not use in a pizza oven? ›Woods to Avoid When Cooking in Wood Fired Oven Cooking in a wood fired oven is a healthy choice so don't negate that by using firewood that is dangerous to your health. Laminated woods, pressure treated and painted woods, or any wood that has chemicals are never to be used in a wood fired oven.
Why does wood fired pizza taste better? ›It Retains Freshness – The high heat in a wood-burning oven doesn't just cook pizza quickly, it also helps the toppings hold onto their freshness and flavor, unlike other slower-cooking ovens that can dry out or even burn toppings.
What do I need to know before buying a pizza oven? ›- Space Available at Home. ...
- The Amount of Food You Plan to Cook. ...
- Design and Materials. ...
- Fuel Options. ...
- Final Thoughts.
- Tip 1. Use the 'low and slow' technique.
- Tip 2. Add oil to your dough.
- Tip 3. Avoid using toppings with too much moisture.
- Tip 4. Make your dough thinner.
- Tip 5. Add sugar to your dough.
The reason the bottom doesn't crisp is because the water content is too high. As many have said, try a low and slow cook. The longer time reduces the water content. Only problem is that you have to time it just right.
Is Bertello or Ooni better? ›If you have a specific fuel source in mind (for example, you're sure you're going to use only gas), Ooni would be the better option. If you want to use multiple fuel sources (separately or at the same time), Bertello would be the better option.
Can you use Pillsbury pizza dough in an Ooni pizza oven? ›Ooni Fyra Pepperoni Pizza Using Pillsbury Pizza Dough! YES I used a CAN of Pillsbury Pizza Dough and it actually came out good!
How often do you need to turn your pizza inside an Ooni pizza oven? ›Slide the pizza off the peel and into Ooni Koda. Make sure to rotate the pizza every 20-30 seconds for an even bake. Once cooked, remove the pizza from the oven.
What temperature does Dominos cook their pizza? ›
At Domino's, we bake our pizzas at 465°F so that they come out hot, fresh & safe from our oven to your doorstep. Every bite is delicious, cheesy and safest ever!
How long to cook pizza at 450 degrees? ›Set oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Place pizza on middle rack. Do not use a pan or cookie sheet to bake pizza. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until pizza is golden brown.
Is 700 degrees hot enough for a pizza oven? ›A pizza oven needs to be hot to create the perfect pizza
Most commercial pizza ovens cook at temperatures ranging from 700 to 800 degrees. When you make this food product at home, you need to cook at temperatures ranging between 450 to 500 degrees.
In 1990, founder Ty Measom found himself both frustrated and inspired with the size and quality of the outdoor cooking equipment available. He set out to create a product that was both portable and powerful.
Where is Napoleon made? ›Where is my grill manufactured? The Napoleon group of companies manufactures products in North America (Ontario, Canada & Kentucky, USA) and we also have products that are made in our Napoleon manufacturing plant overseas.
Is Camp Chef Made in USA? ›Camp Chef is located in Cache Valley, Utah, where all of the product design and testing takes place. The grills themselves are made in China, while the majority of the parts and materials are sourced internationally.
Is higher the temp better for pizza? ›2.1. Pizza Baking Temperature In general, the hotter the oven, the better the pizza will taste. The best oven temperature for pizza is between 250 and 260 degrees Celsius. To bake pizza on ice: Place the pizza stone on a rack under the oven.
Is 350 degrees good for pizza? ›A 350°F oven might work for a lot of recipes, but it does not work for homemade pizza. Make a pie at a too-low temp, and you'll end up with a pizza that has a limp, soggy crust and overcooked toppings. Good pizza needs a hot oven, so whatever you do, do not stop that temperature dial at 350°F. Don't even stop at 400°F.
Do you put the door on the pizza oven when heating? ›When you're cooking pizzas or roasting fish say, at very high temperatures you'll want to keep a bright fire burning which requires plenty of air circulation. Leave the door off.
How do you keep the temperature constant on a pizza oven? ›If the stones aren't hot enough, the top of the pizza will burn before the dough underneath can fully cook. Use the chimney damper to help regulate the temperature. An open damper will make the interior temperature drop.
Why is my pizza oven burning the bottom? ›
You need a balance between the baking temperature of the top and bottom of the pizza. If the baking surface is too hot, the bottom of the pizza burn before the top is done. Likewise, if the heat from above the pizza is too hot compared to the baking surface, the toppings may burn while the bottom is still raw.
Do you cook OONI pizza with door open? ›Our new pizza door means you can cook without opening and closing the door, so you preserve that all-important convection cell.
How do I make OONI pizza hot enough? ›Prepping and Preheating your Oven
If you have used the Ooni before, be sure to scrape any remaining ash off of the baking stone. Open the gas valve and turn on your oven to the highest temperature setting. Leave it on high for at least 15 – 20 minutes to allow the stone to get sufficiently hot.
Ooni Ovens are built to last and you can leave your oven outdoors all year long. Use our specially designed Ooni Pizza Oven Covers to keep your oven safe from the elements when not in use. We recommend that you store your Ooni Oven indoors for extended periods without use to protect it from harsh weather conditions.
What cheese is best for Neapolitan pizza? ›Only two types of mozzarella are used for Neapolitan pizza: fior di latte made from cow's milk; or mozzarella di bufala, made from the milk of the water buffalo that live in the country's Campania and Lazio regions.
What flour to use for Neapolitan pizza? ›00 Flour. Tipo “00” Flour is the shining star of Neapolitan pizza. A good, quality “00” flour typically has around 12% protein; but more importantly, it's the incredibly fine milling that sets it apart from other flours.
How much dough for a 12 inch Neapolitan pizza? ›If you're planning on making a pizza for yourself or others, it's important to know how much dough you need. A 12-inch pizza requires about 255 grams or 285 grams of dough.
What wood do Italians use in pizza ovens? ›Authentic Italian pizzerias use only kiln-dried oak firewood for their pizza ovens.
What is the best fuel for pizza oven? ›If you want to treat your pizza oven to the fuel it craves, dry, seasoned hardwoods such as beech, birch, maple, ash and oak will do the trick. To break down the lingo for you, seasoned wood is simply wood that has been dried out naturally in open-air conditions.
Can you cook other things in a wood fired pizza oven? ›The amazing thing about wood fired pizza ovens is just how versatile they are. Just like with your regular oven in your kitchen, you can pretty much cook anything you like – all you need is the right tools and to find the right temperature.
Why did my pizza come out tough? ›
Sometimes when too much flour is added, dough will come out hard and stiff. This can be caused by overworking the dough either by hand or with a roller. Overworking dough will pop all the tiny bubbles that make pizza crust so airy and fluffy once cooked. The hard crust can also be caused by the type of flour you use.
Why does New York pizza taste better? ›New York pizza uses deck ovens that cook at extremely high temperatures and are often decades old. The idea is that like a good cast-iron skillet, the oven absorbs the decades' worth of cheese and sauce vapor into its walls and then imparts it onto new pizzas that are cooked.
What is the best floor for wood fired pizza oven? ›Naturally, the formula is a tightly held but with over 100 years of brick manufacturing behind them, it's no secret the Valoriani firebrick floor is the best choice for wood fired pizza ovens!
Are pizza ovens worth the investment? ›Investing in a pizza oven will require some upfront costs, but they're extremely cheap to run. In fact, many people use them as a way to cut their energy bills as cooking outdoors with a pizza oven means you're using less gas and electricity inside your home, which will inevitably save you some pennies over time.
Is it worth buying a wood fired pizza oven? ›The answer to this question depends on your needs and budget. If you're looking for an oven that can produce high-quality pizzas, then a wood-fired or brick oven may be the best option for you. However, if you're on a tight budget, a smaller oven may be more affordable.
Is it worth buying an Ooni? ›Well, everything, really. The results from the Ooni are quick, crispy, tasty and presumably healthier than a standard takeaway – and experimenting with cooking times, dough types and toppings is a lot of fun. Plus, really, even the less successful attempts have still been pretty good – it is pizza, after all.
Does Ooni use a lot of gas? ›The fuel consumption, as stated earlier, is low with the Ooni Koda 16. 1.3 pounds of propane can be used to make up to 10 pizzas. The large L-shaped burner helps the Ooni Koda 16 distribute the heat throughout the cooking surface very quickly. On top of its fuel consumption being very low, it's also uniform.
How do you keep pizza from sticking to Ooni? ›Before you do, it's important to flour your hands and the surface you're working on. Use a generous sprinkling on the peel to prevent the dough from sticking.
How do you use OONI pizza for the first time? ›Before you cook Before you cook for the first time, run Ooni Karu at top temperatures for at least 30 minutes. Allow the oven to cool and wipe the inside with dry paper towels. This process is called seasoning and it will burn off any oils or coatings that are remnants from the manufacturing process.
Why does my Ooni pizza taste burnt? ›Burnt on top, undercooked base
Your baking stone wasn't hot enough. Your dough was too thick. There were too many toppings on your pizza. Your toppings were too wet.
Is it OK to leave Ooni outside? ›
Ooni Ovens are built to last and you can leave your oven outdoors all year long. Use our specially designed Ooni Pizza Oven Covers to keep your oven safe from the elements when not in use. We recommend that you store your Ooni Oven indoors for extended periods without use to protect it from harsh weather conditions.
Can you cook things other than pizza in an Ooni? ›The oven can be used to cook steak, vegetables, fish, wings, and more. The high heat of the oven is perfect for searing a steak, roasting veggies, and even cooking fish.
Which is better OONI gas or wood? ›Wood makes for a more hands-on cooking experience. To control the temperature, you need to adjust the vents and fuel levels. Cooking with gas makes for super quick and convenient cooking. No ash leftover afterwards.
Is 12 inch Ooni big enough? ›In terms of portability, the Ooni Koda 12 is a truly portable oven. At only 9.25kg, it is large enough to cook a 12 inch pizza, but small enough to easily store or fit into the boot of a small car.
Why is my Ooni pizza raw in the middle? ›If the pizza looks undercooked, move it closer to the flames or increase the heat slightly. Continue turning the pizza every 10-15 seconds until your pizza is evenly cooked. Just FYI, it's never taken more than 90 seconds to cook a pizza in our Ooni!
Why is my Ooni not hot enough? ›Make sure your chimney cap is removed and your chimney vent is open. Make sure your oven door is closed. Make sure your infrared thermometer gun is set to the correct emissivity level to ensure the correct temperature is recorded. Ooni infrared thermometers are pre-set, so these will be accurate and cannot be adjusted.