Frigidaire’s Gallery range has added a stone-baked pizza setting that can cook a pizza in around two minutes, bringing brick-oven heat into the home kitchen.
The full-size oven reaches temperatures of up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit, nearly 200 degrees higher than a standard home oven. A pizza stone sits under the broiler to mimic the conditions of a brick oven, and the range keeps more than 15 other cooking options beyond pizza. It comes with two oven racks, a pizza shield, a stone and a 14-inch bamboo peel, along with steam and bread proofing settings.
Executive culinary director Sarah Farmer tested the oven for Taste of Home, making Neapolitan-style pizzas with fresh dough, dough made from scratch and packaged mixes. She found the interiors consistently cooked through, with no undercooked or gummy spots, and praised the crisp, deeply browned bottom crust produced by the preheated stone. An audible alarm sounds 20 seconds before the end of the cooking cycle, which she said was a helpful reminder to reach for the peel.
Farmer admitted there is a learning curve, but said it was more about technique than the oven. Her first pizza burned because the dough was too thick for the setting and the rack sat one position too high.
Buying advice in the report, from executive chef Matt Abdoo of Pig Beach BBQ, suggests checking whether a home has an electric or gas connection first. He recommends true convection, adjustable racks, solid construction and strong door seals in any new oven.
Pizza fans looking for more kitchen inspiration can also read about the best stuffed crust pizza at the big chains and the Domino’s secret menu pizzas we tried.
More detail on the Frigidaire test, including photos and the full verdict, is in the original Taste of Home article.