Countertop pizza ovens
 

Alright, last week my microwave went out and I am now realizing just how much I used it and have begun searching for a new one. Well, while searching I ran into this bad boy:

http://www.thegreenhead.com/cool-stu...icrowave-1.jpg

Which I figured was pretty sweet because 1) I need a new microwave and that is a microwave, and 2) I am a huge fan of pizza. I eat pizza a couple of times a week. My girlfriend makes a pretty good pizza from scratch and I thought this would be worth it if it made that pizza even better. But I was wondering, how are these countertop pizza ovens different from a normal oven? What kind of results have people that have one of these countertop oven had? Does it cook frozen pizza better than a normal oven?

Any feedback I can get would help. I'm looking to get something this weekend.

Thanks.

I'd want to know how easy it is to clean. At least an oven is easy to get into. Also, how much juice does it use? How efficient is it?

That unit strikes me as a gimmic.

I don't think it's a gimmick. It was on the shelf at walmart.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...90546%3A132950

i'm not fan of frozen pizza..but if you must cook one... get a pizza stone... they deliver the heat more evenly than a regular oven, they absorb the extra moisture that the pizza gives off and they make for a much cripser crust... prolly allthe things your gadget above does... but a pizza stone also makes for outstanding bread (even the frozen loaves that you just defrost and cook)

the gadget above looks on the smallish side -- what size pizzas does it cook - and what size do you normally eat.. I would still go witht he pizza stone though... :)

For a microwave, that price seems expensive... I don't know enough about the Daewoo name, but I don't think it's the best....

(scratches head) What does that have to do with it being a gimmick? Buy it if you think it's worth your cash. But I agree with Mal. Get a regular microwave which has the functions and size you need, and a pizza stone. You'll get better results and pay less cash in total.

Have to agree with the others. That looks inefficient.

-It only allows a 12" pizza. That's unusually small.
-It's a huge cube. You have to find an 18-20" tall place to put the thing. (20" wide, 22 deep, plus room for circulation)
-The pizza half doesn't look cleaning-friendly.
-Like all-in-one anything, if one part goes bad what are you left with?

Very nice microwaves sell for less.

Get a stone for a normal oven. Normal sized pizza, saves money, space, and your girlfriend will still have control over the crust by varying oven shelf height. Something that little oven doesn't allow.

I ended up just bying a "normal" microwave. I figured why mess with something that's already good. Pizza from a normal oven seems to be working just fine. I might end up getting a pizza stone though.

Thanks for the input.

Or go the Alton Brown route and use an unglazed terra cotta dish turned upside down as a pizza stone :)

We got one of these as a gift once. It takes far too much counter /cabinet space. But it makes even frozen pizza taste pretty damn swuft.

/me now goes to research this pizza stone thingy.

http://ww1.williams-sonoma.com/cat/p...2981&cmsrc=sch

so first I do not have this one, or did I pay this much. but pizza stone is awesome, have not tried AB method, is terra cotta food safe? I have seen him cook inside, but not on the Terra Cotta. Foil on the Terra Cotta?

the one I have was about $ 12 and included a pizza peel. which I think is absolute necessity, if you are going this route.

What is a pizza peel?

http://www.armchair.com/store/gourmet/baking/peel1.jpg

It's how youremove the pizza from the stone....