GADGET GURU
BRIAN GREENE, MILTON KEYNES
Q Guru, my pizza is awful!
A Perhaps the problem isn’t so much your pizza but your oven? You could try switching out your dough recipe for the excellent River Cottage one that you can find online, but it’s more likely it’s that pathetic excuse for a hot box that’s doing you dirty. You need a hot thing that goes really hot, and if yours can only reach a nominal 200 or 220 degrees (which is likely to be a bit less than that in practice) you’re not going to get the best out of your pizza, fancy stone or not.
Permanent outdoor ovens are impractical, expensive and they’ll annoy your neighbours no end, which makes them an exceptional option in Guru’s eyes. If you don’t share his selfish sensibilities, something like the Ooni Karu 16 (£699) is ideal: it does wood, charcoal or (with the £80 Gas Burner add-on) gas fuel, can reach
