The wait is over for griddle owners who have been wanting to cook in a Blackstone pizza oven. Blackstone Products, makers of outdoor griddles, and cooking accessories have released a unique steel pizza oven conversion kit that transforms your existing 22-inch griddle into a fully functioning pizza oven in seconds. But is the new pizza oven insert worth it? Let's take a look at it before we jump to any conclusions.
The Blackstone Steel Outdoor Pizza Oven Add On is an insert that fits existing 22-inch tabletop griddle models. By simply removing the griddle plate from your 22-inch griddle and replacing it with the pizza insert you've transformed your outdoor griddle into a fully functioning pizza oven.
Assembling the Blackstone Steel Outdoor Pizza Oven Add On
Assembling the pizza oven is a relatively simple process.
Since it's designed to sit on top of (and inside) your existing 22" griddle there is nothing special you will need to do with the burners or internal components of the griddle.
Start by removing your griddle plate and grease catch and set that aside. You will remove the four rubber legs on your existing griddle and put a heat deflector plate underneath the bottom of the griddle. The deflector plate stays in place with a new set of rubber legs that are included with the oven. Its new legs are a bit taller. I appreciate how the legs are threaded so if you need to micro-adjust the leveling of your griddle it's just a few turns away.
The next step is to add the side handles for the Blackstone oven.
They mount quickly which I appreciate. These handles are quite sturdy and come with oversized, overbuilt grips. The grips remind me of old BMX bicycle grips from the 1980s but I guess that's really dating myself.
The remaining components are a pizza stone, an oven stone, and a door for the oven insert.
Blackstone oven insert with stones removed
Its pizza stone is a 15" round stone similar to the one you may use with your indoor oven. It sits at the base of the oven and can easily be removed for cleaning.
The second stone, a square stone slides into the top of the oven into oversized slots designed to hold it in place. This two-stone configuration allows the pizza to cook relatively evenly from both above and below the pizza.
Once you fire up the grill base and start to preheat your oven, there is an oven door that notches into place and keeps some of the heat from escaping during preheating and cooking.
Side view of oven insert with sturdy handles
Firing up the Blackstone pizza oven for the first time
With all-new grills, or in this case, grilling accessories it's important to do a sufficient burn-in before you start cooking.
This is important not only to learn how the Blackstone pizza oven will perform when you adjust temperatures but also to burn off any manufacturing residue that the oven or stones may have.
I recommend burning in the Blackstone pizza oven conversion kit for a minimum of 30-45 minutes. An hour would likely be better.
Ideally, do this after you've already had dinner so you're not waiting to get pizza in the oven. My oven did smoke and put off some unpleasant smells but they went away after some time and I did not smell them again when I started cooking in the oven the next day.
Your first cook with the Blackstone Pizza Oven
My first cook with the Blackstone pizza oven was a Detroit-style deep-dish pizza cooked in a pan. Don't judge, but my toppings were all leftover fixings from last night's bacon cheeseburgers and it tasted delicious.
Here are a few tips from my first cook that may help you with yours:
- If purchasing pizza dough, follow the directions on the package. If it says to cook at 400F that means it will most likely burn at 750F regardless of how much you enjoy pizza.
- Give your grill plenty of time to heat up and stabilize. Be sure it maintains your desired temperature for at least 10 minutes before cooking. As mentioned above, most premade dough balls and mixes have an optimal cooking temperature and you want to cook inside that zone.
- Don't overload your pie with toppings the first few times you make pizza. It makes the pizza more challenging to launch into the oven.
- Get a dedicated pizza peel that fits your oven.
- Launching a pizza with a pizza peel is not easy. It takes practice and is devastating when you mess it up. Get a cheap pizza pan or sheet tray that fits inside of your Blackstone and use that if you are new to launching pizzas with a peel.
- Parchment paper can also be your friend when launching pizzas. Building your pizza on parchment paper and then launching it into the oven is much easier than direct from the pizza peel.
- When you decide to try and launch a pizza from a pizza peel, use semolina flour to help it stick less.
- Give the pizza a jiggle while it's still on the pizza peel to make sure nothing sticks. If you have a small sticky area, sprinkle a little semolina flour under that area before attempting to launch.
- Save money and time and use Urban Slicers Pizza Mix for making dough at home. It's ready to use in just a few hours and makes delicious pizzas.
- If you get serious about pizza, get yourself a pizza turner so you can rotate your pizza during the cook.
Is the Blackstone Pizza Oven Insert Worth It?
Chances are that if you're reading this article, you probably get a lot of use out of your Blackstone griddle.
If you already have the 22" griddle the pizza oven insert is definitely worth it. If you travel, camp, or just have a small space for using the griddle it's worth it. The ability to make consistently delicious pizzas with a Blackstone product you already own is truly amazing.
Not to mention I'm sure people will be hacking these ovens and making more than pizza. I can see myself making twice-baked potatoes, bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers, and even grilled S'mores in this oven.
The ability to bake things outdoors in the summer months without heating up the kitchen is priceless.
If you don't already have the 22" griddle the pizza oven insert the decision likely comes down to budget.
It's currently only available at WalMart and is retailing for $227. You will still need a 22" griddle to power the oven. I suggest the Blackstone Adventure-Ready 22" Griddle with Stand and Adapter Hose because it comes with a stand and can connect to a large propane bottle for cooking multiple pizzas over time. The Adventure-ready 22" griddle is on rollback for $187, so purchasing them both at the same time will set you back $414.
However- if you do purchase both of them at the same time, you are getting one fantastic outdoor cooking system. Between the griddle and pizza oven insert, there's practically nothing you wouldn't be capable of cooking.
And if you ever run out of ideas of things to cook on your griddle, I have 50 recipes in my griddle cookbook to keep you motivated.
pizza oven door is to big for the oven opening. Oven door is 16 inches and the opening in the oven base is 15 15/16 inches First answer BS gave me had to much paint on it that they had a patch go out like this. They sent me a new one. same problem with new one Second excuse it is made like that to be snug. nothing they will do about . But the next patch they made adjustment to the door . i could buy one then. LOL oven is only days old. They should make it right. Took it to a fabrication shop had them measure them. came up with same thing i did . Oven door to big by 1/16 of a inch.
I don't disagree with you, Mark. My door is extremely snug but it still goes on and off without issue. Sometimes it takes a little jiggling. Have you tried wiping the perimeter or outside edge with some cooking oil?
Same problem with mine - way too snug and scratches the crap out of my oven. Very disappointed with the quality.
How about pizza oven for 36 inch blackstone?
I have not heard of anything yet for the 36".
I have a 22" in out travel trailer which I woud definitely use this for. I also have a 28" at home. Will it work on the 28"? I know the sides won't set but maybe the front and back will be enough to hold it on.
Hey Gary- I don't have a 28 but my best guess is not a chance for a few reasons. The configuration is meant to align with the burners as it has slots that prevent the oven from sitting on the burners. Also, I would doubt the airflow would draw from back to front as it does with the 22".
I'm thinking the same thing with my 36". Even if I have to make a steal plate with a hole of the 22"
footprint and use 3 burners.
I'll try it on my 22" first.
Hi can the heat deflecting plate be left on after using the pizza oven when you transition back to using the griddle? Thank you.
Hey Amy-
The heat-deflecting plate can be left on without incident. It should not affect the performance of the unit operating as a griddle.
Do the heat plate legs line up with the old leg locations? The stand I have for my 22” would require the legs to line up the same.
Hey David- I'm not exactly sure what you're asking me. But mine did come with new legs and a metal deflector plate for the bottom I assume is a heat sync. I'd suggest you call Blackstone directly and check with them if compatability is an issue.
Does it work with the 22 inch electric griddle?
Sadly no- not even a little 🙂
We already have the Adventure Ready 22", If we purchase the pizza oven conversion kit, once you install the new heat shield, do you need to put the old heat shield back on when you want to revert back to using it as just a griddle?
I'd check with Blackstone directly, but I did not swap the old heat shield back once it was installed.
Great post. How tricky/time consuming is it to convert back and forth between pizza oven and griddle?
Thanks.
Hey Kevin-
It's not tricky at all. Remove the griddle top and set aside, then insert the pizza oven insert. The insert is designed to fit within the cavity of the 22".
However- it is cumbursome and a bit heavy at 70lbs.
Can the pizza oven remain outside in the elements? Or should it be brought into the house after every use?
Hey Scott-
My oven insert has never been back inside the house since the day I bought it. There has been zero compromise to the oven insert and it still looks and works great! I will say tho, that it has also lived inside my 22" griddle as it's quite heavy and a bit cumbersome for the small size. I've had mine since day 1 and it's endured all kinds of weather here in Montana without being covered-
Do you have to remove the attached lid on the adventure ready set up or does it fit with the lid still attached?
Thanks
Sorry Amanda, I don't own that unit. Best bet is to call Blackstone directly. I understood that the insert works with all 22" griddles and would be surprised if the Adventure series is an exception. Although I'm not aware of the adventure setup, I assume the cover is hinged into the griddle surface.The gridde is completely removed so if the lid is attached it will go with the griddle elsewhere making room for some delicious pizzas-
Can I use a 1 pound propane bottle with the pizza oven or do I have to buy a bigger bottle?
If your griddle can accommodate that fuel bottle (as mine can) then yes- no problem. But definitely consider having some spare(s) on hand.