Most wood pizza ovens burn their fire beside or behind the stone. Flame licks the roof of the dome, and toppings blister from above. The Pizzello Grande does something else. Its fire lives in a separate drawer underneath the stone.
This review covers the 16 inch Grande, sold on Amazon as model X50017-EU. Pizzello’s own store calls the same oven SKU X50017BK. It costs around $159.99, with a stone, peel, grate and cover in the box.
A bottom fire changes what a pizza oven is good at. Heat climbs from the floor here. Can it brown the top of a pie before the base burns?
752 °FTop heat Pizzello claims
16 x 16 inCordierite stone, edge to edge
3 levelsFire drawer, stone shelf, grill grate
42.76 lbsOven weight, no fuel loaded
First Impressions of the Pizzello Grande 16-Inch Oven
Out of the box, the Grande looks more like a small wood stove. It is a black, upright cabinet with a round chimney on top. Two stainless doors stack on its face, one above the other.
The bottom door is the firebox. It drops down on a hinge and carries a row of slotted vents. Round vents dot the sides.
The upper door opens onto the cooking chamber. The stone sits on the lower shelf, and a grill grate rides above.
Assembly is mostly unfolding the legs and fitting the chimney. The legs offer two heights. The whole thing stands 35.8 in tall. On a low patio table, the stone sits at a comfortable reach.
The first pizzas told the story of the layout quickly. Bases browned fast and crisped well. Tops lagged. Cheese melted, but blistering came slowly, and the crust rim stayed paler than the underside.
The fix was simple once we found it. Smaller pies, a hotter fire, and a door left off helped the top catch up.
Key Features of the Pizzello Grande 16-Inch Oven
The Grande is less a single oven than a stack of three spaces. Pizzello’s own title says two layers. Its Amazon gallery says three, because it counts the fire drawer as well.
- Separate fire drawer: wood, charcoal or pellets burn in their own chamber under the cooking floor. You can stoke the fire through the lower door while the upper door stays shut.
- Two cooking levels: the stone sits low, the grate sits high. The listing advises keeping the stone on the lower level, where the heat is stronger.
- Removable middle rack: take it out and the upper chamber opens up for a whole chicken. Pizzello’s Amazon copy goes further and says a turkey.
- 16 x 16 in cordierite stone: square and 0.4 in thick. A 16 inch pie spans it edge to edge, so turning one takes care.
- Stainless steel: both door fronts, the two side carry handles and the folding legs are bare stainless. The box and chimney are steel with a black coating.
- Multiple Vents or Dampers: slotted vents in the fuel door and round vents on the sides. A damper knob sits on the chimney.
- Cover: a fitted waterproof cover comes in the box.
- Charcoal mesh: a second grate holds the fuel off the drawer floor. Air reaches the fire from beneath.
Pizzello also says plainly what the Grande cannot do. Its gas burner attachment does not fit this oven. And charcoal alone will not bake pizza here, according to the maker. It wants a flame, so start with a few briquettes and build on wood or pellets.
Pizzello claims a top of 752 °F (400 °C). Its own advice is to bake pizza at about 700 to 800 °F. Pizzello fits no thermometer and packs none. Without an infrared gun, reaching that number is guesswork.
Heat-up time arrives in two versions on one maker page. The spec table says 20 minutes. The description says 20 to 25 minutes. A wood start sits nearer the longer end.
The bottom-fired design shapes every bake. The stone is fed first, directly from the fire drawer. The top of the pie gets only what rises past the stone. Browning cheese from underneath is slow work.
A gallery panel promises a 60 second pizza. That is not how this oven cooks. Nobody should plan a party around it.
Pizzello suggests baking with the upper door off for speed. It does help the top. It also lets heat pour out of an 8.8 in tall opening.
Recovery between pies is its weakest moment. Ovens that roll flame over the ceiling bounce back faster.
Away from pizza, the layout earns its keep. Roasts, skewers and vegetables like the steady, rising heat. The headroom is generous too.
The grate up top is the surprise. Steak and peppers char there nicely while a pie bakes below. It turns one small fire into a whole dinner, which few pizza ovens manage.
Build, handling and durability
The Grande is honest steel at a budget price. Pizzello calls the body premium steel with a black coating. That coating carries the whole box. It also sits a few inches above a live wood fire.
Neither the maker nor the listing names a steel gauge or any insulation. Expect the outer skin to get very hot and to discolour with use. Chips at the corners will rust if the oven lives outdoors uncovered.
The stainless parts are well chosen. Doors, handles and legs take the handling and the knocks. At 42.76 lbs, though, the handles are for crossing a patio. A campsite is a stretch.
The tall stance needs a solid table. Measured with its handles, it spans 24.8 in, while the body itself is 18.5 in wide. The legs are just 8.7 in, which keeps the centre of gravity low.
Running costs, upkeep and value
At around $159.99, the Grande sits near the bottom of the wood oven market. Pizzello lists it at $249.99 on its own site, currently on sale at the same $159.99.
What the box holds is the stronger argument. The maker sells the 16 inch stone alone for $79.99. The peel lists at $29.90, the grate at $19.90 and the cover at $29.99. Add them up and the accessories nearly cost what the oven does.
Whatever you burn is the ongoing bill. Hardwood gives the best flame. Pellets light easily and burn cleanly. Charcoal holds heat but needs wood or pellets on top to bake well.
Upkeep is easy by wood oven standards. Ash falls into a baffle tray that slides out the back. The middle rack lifts free for scrubbing. The stone takes the usual dry scrape and should never meet soap.
Support is the weak spot. The warranty runs one year. Pizzello sells a three-year extension for $25, but only on pizzello.com.
The Amazon listing ships from a third-party seller, HarmonyLifestyle, with 30-day returns. Buying direct earns the longer cover. It also brings Pizzello’s 60-day return window for product issues.
Possible Pizzello Grande 16-Inch Oven Complaints
- Tops that trail the base. Logs burn in a drawer under the stone. Dough feels them long before mozzarella does. A smaller pie, a bigger flame and the door off narrow the gap.
- Cooking blind. There is no gauge, and the maker’s own target sits at 700 to 800 °F. Pair the oven with an infrared thermometer. Otherwise expect a few scorched bases while you learn the fire.
