Uuni 3 Pizza Oven Review

Who here doesn’t love a good pizza? People around the world enjoy pizza, and some of us get the pleasure of making our own homemade pizza. A great way to make a pizza would be to use a pizza oven. There are many different types of pizza ovens on the market, but if you’re on a budget, I would recommend the Uuni 3 pizza oven for all of the reasons listed below …

In the Box:

Included with the Uuni 3 pizza oven, the following will be in the box:

• Uuni 3 wood-fired oven
• Baking board made of cordierite stone
• Wood pellet burner
• Pizza Pill
• Safety instructions and an easy to read manual

Unni 3 Pizza Oven Specs

• Size: 22x36x64
• Height: 67 cm/25.2” – the height includes the chimney
• Power: 6 kWh
• Pizza Size: Max 13”
• Materials: Stainless steel rivets, 439 stainless steel, cordierite stone baking board and wood handles that are FSC certified
• Fuel: This pizza oven runs on wood pellets

 

The Design

With this pizza oven, you don’t have to worry about it going bad in the outside, because it is made from 430 stainless steel – this makes it heat and weather resistant. On the oven body, you’ll discover that it has been insulated with ceramic fiber – ceramic fire is great, because it helps hold the heat in.

On the Uuni, you will also discover wood handles and don’t forget about the baking board that is 100% cordierite stone – cordierite stone is great for cooking pizzas on. This specific baking board has been designed to be able to withstand high temperatures while it’s cooking your pizza and it is very durable.

As far as the size goes, it’s not all that big of an oven, but that is okay, because when they designed the oven, they had portability in mind, and this one is definitely portable. The chimney can be removed and the legs are hinged, so they fold up and can easily fit in the back of your vehicle (you don’t need a truck to haul this one). With these features, you can easily take it over to your friends house and entertain them at the next BBQ by making your very own pizza for everyone.

As far as the looks go, the stainless steel makes it stand out from the crowd. However, as with most cookers, this one is going to get hot and when this happens, you’ll start to notice a bronze tint on the outside, This can be disappointing, but once you taste how delicious the pizza is, you won’t be as disappointed anymore. Just be warned about the discoloration that takes place over time.

The design is straight forward. The chimney is located at the front, with the fire pit being in the back and I have found that this causes a good flow of heat, which is needed. The middle doesn’t get as hot as the sides, but that is okay because it does run on wood, so it’s to be expected. This doesn’t put a damper on cooking the pizza or anything like that.

The wood pellet burner is where you’re going to find a couple of the best design features. The tray that holds the pellets is capable of sliding out, making it easy for the user to add more pellets and as an additional benefit, since the tray slides out, it’s easier to clean.

To light the pellets, you can use one of those starter cubes, then place it in the burner. Or, if you choose, you can take a small blow torch and light the pellets while they’re in the tray – this can be done through the blow torch hole. There’s also a pellet shoot hole where you can easily add more pellets. There’s a top cap at the main chimney that is used to keep rain water out of the pizza oven – this can also be used as a pellet scoop.

Now, let me talk about the baking stone for a second. This is made of cordierite baking stone and I’m not sure if you’re familiar with this type of stone, but it is capable of withstanding high temperatures, making it great to cook your pizzas on. This particular stone will make the bottom of your pizza turn out really well. Cordierite is one of the top materials used for baking stones due to the fact that it is just so good when it comes to storing heat.

 

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Setting the Pizza Oven Up

When you get the Uuni 3 pizza oven, you’re going to want to set it up, but don’t worry because it is very simple. As I told you in the paragraphs above, the manufacturers built this oven with portability in mind. To set up, I believe this could be done in under 15 minutes – that’s from un-boxing to setting up.

Before the set-up process, just make sure you read the manual as well as the safety instructions. The safety instructions are a must-read, because these ovens get very hot and can pose a safety risk. The safety instructions will tell you where you should set the oven up and where you shouldn’t touch the oven when it’s hot.

Starting the Oven

Okay, so you have your pizza ready to cook and now it is time to start the oven! This can be a tad bit of a challenge, so I recommend getting a blow torch and flammable material like cotton balls. You can take cotton balls and put them on the wood pellets, then start torching them. Remember, once you have the fire going, it is important that you keep feeding the fire in order to maintain the temperature while the pizza cooks.

The Performance

Take it from me, this pizza oven gets extremely hot. Within 20 minutes or so, it can reach a temperature of up to 920 degrees …you see, that is VERY hot. Cooking at that particular temperature isn’t that good of an idea, so you really need to practice with this oven. Ideally, this oven is meant for cooking Neapolitan style pizza that doesn’t include toppings or sauce. When you try to cook a pizza complete with the sauce and toppings at a super high temperature, the crust is going to get done, but the toppings are going to be under cooked. If you were to wait for the toppings to be done, then your crust will more than likely be burns. So, you have to get the temperature between 650-700 degrees in order to perfect your pizza. It’s going to take some practice to get used to this cooker, but once you master it, the pizzas are going to turn out great each and every time.

Features

Stainless Steel Body

This pizza oven has a full stainless steel body, which is something that many people prefer. The stainless steel body is insulated in order to make it so that it maintains the heat.

New Wood Pellet Burner

The Uuni 3 features a new wood pellet burner that helps control the temperatures. This, combined with the stainless steel body makes it so that temperatures reach 932 degrees F, but remember what I told you above, you should cook your pizzas at temperatures between 650-700 degrees. At this temperature, your pizza can be cooked in as little as 60 seconds. The insulation and wood burner puts the temperature up there at a rapid rate. Within 10 minutes, the pizza oven can reach its max temperature.

Fuel Source

As a fuel source, this pizza oven requires wood pellets. Basically, these are the same type of wood pellets that are used in those pellet smokers. They are affordable and energy-dense. They’re made out of normal wood that has been cut into small pieces, and from there, compressed into dense pellets. You don’t have to worry about any glues or additives – all it is is wood, so you’re safe. The pellets are eco-friendly and great to use for cooking.

Transport

There’s a clip on the chimney, which makes it easy to remove. The Uuni 3 is also light in weight, which makes it even easier to transport. You can easily take this pizza oven anywhere you please.

3 Legs

This pizza oven only has 3 legs, which is interesting because the model under this ne had 4 legs. With it having 3 legs as opposed to 4, this has reduced the weight even more and believe it or not, it has also improved stability issues, even if you were to use the pizza oven on a surface that was uneven. Since it is capable of resting flat, this makes cooking even better. The legs can also be folded up in order to make transportation and storage even easier.

Ease of Use

Obviously, as I said before, when the Uuni 3 was made, portability was obviously at the top of the list. The oven can be broken down into small components so that you can transport it and when it’s all said and done, store it away. This also means that setting it up is super easy – it will take between 10-15 minutes to get the oven set up.

I really like how easy the Uuni 3 is to use. However, this doesn’t mean you can sit there and get epic results on your pizza – you still have to practice. When it comes to cooking with fire, you should know that there is always going to be a learning curve and with this pizza oven, there’s no difference. However, this particular oven just so happens to be one of the best out there for beginners that have never used something like this to cook a pizza.

Lighting this oven is very easy. All you have to do is add pellets and use the blow torch hole, or the cotton ball trick that I told you about earlier.

There is a pizza peel that has been included with this oven. This makes moving your pizza super easy.

Overall, I really don’t think you’re going to find a pizza oven that is easier to use than this one right here. When it comes to cooking your pizza, there’s not a whole lot you have to worry about. When you begin using this oven and start to learn how it cooks and where the cold and hot spots are, you’ll be able to make adjustments in order to cook the perfect pizza every single time.

What Really Stands Out about the Uuni 3 Pizza Oven

The Amazing pizzas! That’s right, the amazing pizzas that the Uuni 3 pizza oven is capable of cooking is at the top of my list of what stands out with this oven. I have used other pizza ovens and must say, this one right here is on my list of favorites. The cordierite baking stone helps make the crust of the pizza crispy.

The Price! I cannot forget about the price. If you’re on a small budget, then this one might just be suitable for you.

You can cook other food with the Uuni 3. That’s right, you heard me correct. Uuni actually offers a list of other recipes you can try on their oven.

The Peel. The peel that is included with the oven is also nice. The peel fits amazingly well and does a good job.

Portable. This pizza oven is portable, which is definitely something that makes it stand out from the crowd. You can take it to your friends and cook a pizza and when it’s all said and done, you can store it away. This pizza oven is designed to be portable and it even comes with a carry bag/cover for storage.

What Doesn’t Really Stand Out from the Crowd

The uneven cooking area may be a bit disappointing, but it’s not all that bad and is something that you can get used to. The back of the oven gets hotter than the front and the sides appear to cook at a faster rate. However, with some practice, this isn’t going to be a problem for you.

There are times where the inside of this oven can get a tad bit on the sooty side and if you do not clean it, that soot can fall into the foot. This is something that will only happen if you use it for a long period of time without cleaning the oven or if you are burning a large amount of pellets.

I noticed that one of the top selling points for this oven is the high temperatures that the oven is capable of reaching. This can sometimes have a negative impact on the oven and it is important that you regulate the oven while it’s cooking. Regulating the temperatures can be complicated and the best way to do it is by paying attention to the amount of fuel you’re using.

Additional Tips for Using the Uuni 3 Pizza Oven

When it comes to cooking your pizza in the Uuni 3 pizza oven, follow the same tips you would follow with other ovens. I recommend keeping the base of the pizza thin and don’t pack the pizza with too much toppings. By keeping the base of the pizza thin, your pizza is going to turn out a lot better and with less toppings on there, the pizza will easily slide off of the peel.

Before you put the pizza in the oven, it’s a good idea to wait for the pellets to burn down a tad bit. If you put the pizza in the oven when the flames are burning full-fledge, the pizza isn’t going to turn out all that good.

The back of the Uuni 3 pizza cooker is known for reaching the highest temperatures. For this reason, I recommend spinning the pizza around while it’s cooking. If you’re cooking at temperatures that are around 900 degrees Fahrenheit, then you definitely need to pay attention to what you’re doing. It is easy for the pizza to burn, even if you turn your back for a couple of seconds.

Between uses, scrape the pizza stone. The next pizza you cook on the stone could easily stick to the base even if you left just a little bit of tomato sauce on it.

Between uses, make sure you wipe the pizza peel down. This way, you will be removing leftover food and this will make sliding the next pizza easier.

The Value

I believe the Uuni 3 pizza oven has amazing value. If you look on the market, you’ll find that pizza ovens can reach thousands of dollars. While I am focused mainly on making pizzas, this particular pizza oven has been designed to cook vegetable dishes, meat and even fish within seconds. This oven is definitely versatile, so you’re getting even more out of this oven. Of course, the Uuni 3 cannot be labeled “perfect.” I can’t think of any item out there that is perfect. However, for the price it is listed as, it’s something that cannot be beat. If you practice cooking on this oven and take time to learn to control the temperature, it can cook some very good pizza.

Conclusion

The Uuni 3 will make a great addition to your backyard, and since it’s portable, your friends as well. You can take this oven to your next backyard BBQ with your friends and impress them with the delicious pizza you cook. One thing I really want to make sure you understand is safety. This oven gets extremely hot, so please don’t touch the outside of the wooden handle or grab the pellet cap. Also make sure you’re careful as to where you place the unit and the surface you place it on. Flames are going to pop out of the pellet box when in use, especially when you have a good fire. Make sure you keep this cooker away from your home or other structures and objects that could catch on fire. All in all, with the Uuni 3 pizza oven, you can count on having a really good oven for many years to come. If you love pizza, and you want to start cooking your own, but  you’re on a budget, then the Uuni 3 pizza oven might just be suitable for you.