Kitchen at the End of the Universe: Earthfire Pizza Oven

By Noble Savage

I feel the same way about people that don’t like pizza as I do with people that don’t like animals. Something has to be a bit off. Now there could be a somewhat legitimate reason: maybe you were attacked by an animal, or someone served you a kak pizza (probably with pineapple on it). But still, on both accounts, you should reconsider.

Another reason for pizza aversion might be the hit-or-miss affair of homemade pizza. While most oven-baked recipes are not bad, it still misses the crisp base and wood-fired flavour you get from a “proper” pizza oven. If you’re like me and wake up every morning craving pizza, chances are you’ve had a look at wood-fired ovens. And while really awesome, as a rule, they’re pretty expensive. But then one day I stumbled across the Earthfire oven on Yuppiechef.

A few days after ordering, my oven arrived! Included with the oven is a practical stand with an ash pan, the pizza stone with a grid, and a pizza peel.

Getting it started is an absolute cinch: just add about a quarter of a bag of charcoal (they suggest using either charcoal of wood, as briquettes create a lot of ash), and you’re set. Once the fire is going, you need to put on the lid to heat the oven (without the pizza stone). After about 30 minutes you can start heating the stone, which only takes about six minutes. Then you’re ready!

To make a decent pizza sauce isn’t complicated. Roast about 1kg tomatoes in the oven for about 20 minutes. Fry three large red onions and some garlic in a pan, add the tomatoes and a tin of chopped tomatoes, throw in a handful of fresh basil, and season. After simmering for about 20 minutes, roughly blend it together with a stick blender.

The pizza itself is up to you. As we have a Kenwood robot da cucina, I found a really simple recipe here. Once your sauce is on the base, it’s a blank canvass for you to release your inner artist. (Also, you don’t have to do the sauce. Just some good olive oil and herbs make for great focaccia.)

And in around four minutes, you have pizza! 

The Earthfire pizza is as good as the ones made in the bigger wood-fired ovens. The base is crispy (just keep an eye on the first ones – they can get a little burnt if you’re not careful), and has that smoky flavour you crave. And best of all, your oven will keep its heat for at least two hours, depending on the size of the fire you made. So you can stretch your pizza adventures for the whole afternoon!

So in conclusion, if you love pizza, the Earthfire pizza oven is an essential addition to your entertainment repertoire. Quick and easy pizzas without the schlep of leaving your home!

Neither Earthfire, not Yuppiechef sponsored this in any way. The Earthfire oven was ordered and paid for by the author.

Tip: some of the pizzas we’ve tried:

• Margarita with buffalo mozzarella

• Artichoke, prosciutto, and blue cheese

• Salami and mushrooms

• Chorizo, Onions, and crispy fennel