Make wood-fired pizza at camp with the Solo Stove Pi Fire

Those who follow my posts know I am a big fan of the Solo Stove Ranger because of its grilling capabilities (learn more here). But with the Solo Stove Pi Fire accessory, the company has elevated the cooking you can do at your campsite (or backyard patio) to include authentic wood-fired pizza. Wow!

The Pi Fire accessory is a portable pizza oven that sits atop the Solo Stove. I travel with the Solo Stove Ranger, but they make this accessory for whatever size Solo Stove you have.

What I especially like about the Solo Stove Pi Fire accessory

• Delicious authentic wood-fired pizza, of course!
• Makes up to a 20” pizza
• The included pizza stone heats up to max. 650°F and helps absorb moisture to make a crispier pizza that cooks FAST!
• At lower temperatures, the Pi Fire oven works great as a general camp oven
• Easy to use
• As with all Solo Stove accessories, this accessory is quick and easy to take on and off the stove with the integrated handles. (I believe in using all my fire, so after making pizza, I usually put the grill on to make food for the next day’s lunch or dinner.)
• The attachable long legs allow you to bake pizza while still making it easy to fuel your fire, or enjoy the beauty of the flame
• Comes with a zippered carrying bag
• The pizza-making accessories Solo Stove sells (see below) are super high quality

First-rate pizza accessories too

Whether you use the Solo Stove or any other method to bake your pizza, know that Solo Stove offers some first-rate pizza-making accessories that I highly recommend.

The small bamboo pizza peel makes it easy to slide the prepared pizza into the oven. The long-handled stainless steel peel is perfect for rotating pizzas in the hot oven for even browning. A heat gun-type thermometer makes monitoring the temperature in the oven and on the hot baking stone simple. For the ultimate pizza cutter, the large mezzaluna-style cutter can’t be beaten (you’ll find other uses besides just pizza for this, too). And lastly, I use their super heavy-duty thermal gloves for all kinds of hot cooking tasks, not just making pizza.

Are there any downsides?

The brochure states: “Optimized for heat distribution and minimal heat loss to allow to bake longer with less fuel and better results.”

I concur with that statement except the less fuel part. Less than what?

It is the nature of the beast with Solo Stoves. They are so efficient at burning that you do tend to go through a substantial amount of firewood. That’s especially true with the Pi Fire, as you need a big fire to get the pizza oven hot enough and keep it there. How much wood you will need will depend on how many pizzas you intend to make. However, the good news is that, like a wood-burning oven in an Italian restaurant, each pizza only takes about 5 minutes to bake as you are cooking at temperatures between 500 – 650 degrees F. Therefore, you won’t have to maintain that high temperature for long.

The other thing to understand is that the Pi Fire can be a little fussy regarding weather and outdoor conditions. When I first tested my Pi Fire oven, it was at an altitude of 7,000 feet, and while it was not steadily windy, we were getting frequent large gusts. Those conditions prevented the oven from getting anywhere near hot enough. We barely got a pizza to bake in 30 minutes, and I feared this gadget would be a bust. I am happy to report that was not the case. Minus wind and high altitude, the Pi Fire pizza oven works great. Be aware of these restrictions and plan your RVing pizza parties accordingly.

Also, if space is at a premium, this is not the gadget for you. While it’s not overly heavy, there is no way of getting around its bulk and the fact that you can’t stack things on top when stored. As I have plenty of space in my truck, it’s not an issue, and the space it takes up is well worth the oohs and ahhs I get when I surprise my camping buddies with homemade wood-fired pizzas. But if you are in a van or tiny RV, this might take up too much of your RV real estate to make sense.

What’s included? Solo Stove Pi Fire specs

• Pi Fire oven with long legs
• Carry case
• High-heat gloves
• Cordierite 12” diameter pizza stone
• Oven diameter: 15.0”
• Height: 15.7”
• Weight: 13.4 lbs.

You can order it from Amazon here.

Solo Stove Pi Fire Travel Tip: For travel, I have a piece of foam (salvaged from another item’s packaging) that I wedge into the oven before putting it in the carrying bag. This keeps the pizza stone stable and safely in place despite any jostling that might occur during travel.

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• Cheri’s super easy, no-knead Neapolitan pizza dough recipe
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• Cheri’s incredible and versatile fire-grilled salsa recipe 

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