Solo Stove introduces a $349 gas-only version of its Pi pizza oven | Engadget

Solo Stove may have made its name with fire pits, but the company also sells pizza ovens. Today, it’s adding a second model: the Pi Prime. This version offers the same overall design and features from the original dual-fuel Pi, a total package that earned a spot on best pizza ovens list. But the Prime is gas-only and it’s more affordable at $349. 

Like the Pi, the Pi Prime has a “demi-dome” construction and a round shape akin to Solo Stove’s fire pits. The panoramic opening remains in the front, giving you plenty of room to maneuver 12-inch pizzas and other foods in the cooking chamber. Inside, there’s a two-piece stone that can be easily removed for transport or cleaning. The key difference on the Pi Prime is the built-in gas burner that makes this oven a self-contained unit — aside from a propane tank. There’s a flame control knob up front that you push and turn to ignite the fire, in addition to using the dial to adjust the temperature. Lastly, the Pi Prime has a black base where the Pi has an all-stainless-steel construction. 

Solo Stove has designated “a workable baseline” for baking pizzas with two orange indicators on the front-mounted knob. According to the Pi Prime startup guide, this is around 700 degrees Fahrenheit and enough to cook a pizza in under 90 seconds. However, the company says the oven is capable of temperatures over 950 degrees and you’re able to go lower than 700 should you need to. Solo Stove didn’t specify the full temperature range, but those orange marks are just beyond halfway on the dial. 

The company also has a slate of accessories for the Pi and Pi Prime that are due to arrive at the end of the month. Those include a cover for the newer model, cast iron grill pan, a regular cast iron pan, dough docker, wire cleaning brush, rocker pizza cutter and a prep board with built-in toppings containers. Solo Stove already sells a cart for its pizza ovens, the Pi Stand, that has side shelves, a place to rest your peel under the oven and a spot for a propane tank. Best of all, it has four casters so it’s easily movable. 

At $349, the Pi Prime is $50 cheaper than Ooni’s most affordable gas-only oven, the Koda 12. Solo Stove has significantly reduced the price of the multi-fuel Pi since its launch as that model is now $400. Should you go the wood-burning route, the addition of a propane burner will cost you another $100 if you buy it with the oven ($130 if you wait until later). Ooni’s cheapest multi-fuel option is the Karu 12G at $429 and the optional gas burner is another $99. Gozney’s Roccbox is another popular gas-only model at $499 and you can add a wood burner for $100.

The Pi Prime will be available Friday, August 18th on Solo Stove’s website.

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