Two years on from my first review of Ninja's Woodfire Outdoor Oven, this is everything I've learned about owning a pizza oven long term – as well as the drawbacks
It’s an impressively versatile outdoor oven
Almost exactly two years ago I got my hands on the Ninja Woodfire Electric Outdoor Oven (was £349.99, now £299.99 at Ninja) to review for Ideal Home, which you can read my review of here.
As a Home Economist who specialises in appliance reviews, I get a lot of appliances passing through my home. I can’t keep hold of many, but this one is still a big player in my garden kitchen lineup.
Most people will never have used an outdoor oven like this, which also doubles as a pizza oven, so it’s hard to decide if you even need it. In all honesty, there are some functions on the dial that I never use. But the pizza settings were a standout for me when I originally reviewed it, so I ditched my wood fired pizza oven in favour of this instead.
There are several reasons why I think it’s a great addition to my garden, so if you want some extra insight two years on, I’ve outlined the main reasons why I still love it below. Furthermore, if you scroll to the bottom, I detail some of the downsides too.
Helen gave this oven 5 stars in her original review making it Ideal Home approved.
Things I love two years on
1. It really can be used year round
When I decided to keep hold of the Ninja Woodfire I immediately invested in the weather-resistant cover, which I think is pretty good value at just £25.99 (via Amazon). I knew I didn’t want to move the Woodfire into the shed over winter and this was the perfect solution.
The oven two years on in Helen's outdoor kitchen.
I can confirm that I’ve left the Ninja Woodfire Oven outside for the entire two years I’ve had it, whatever the weather, and the cover has protected it very well. The result of leaving it outside and ready to use, is that we do actually do use it in all seasons.
The oven under its cover.
Whether it’s smoked meats or pizza nights, the Ninja Woodfire still gets used in winter. It can be used in the rain, if you want, but I prefer to avoid the really miserable days. That said, dashing in and out of the garden to cook the perfect pizza on a cold dark night is always worth it.
2. It’s a great complement to a traditional BBQ
I frequently use it alongside a traditional BBQ. It allows everything that needs to be cooked or heated, to be cooked outside, so there’s less running between the kitchen and the garden. If we’re barbecuing meat skewers for example, we’ll often use the Ninja Woodfire pizza setting to cook a homemade flatbread to serve alongside the meat and salad.
Similarly, if we want crispy roasted potatoes or wedges with our BBQ meats, these can easily be cooked in the Ninja at the same time as barbecuing. It widens the scope of what can be cooked outside, and if you’re looking to create an outdoor kitchen area, I believe it's a must-have.
3. It’s ideal for entertaining
When it comes to cooking a whole chicken or a rack of ribs to impress guests, my traditional BBQ doesn’t get a look in. The smoker setting on the Ninja Woodfire allows you to put these bigger cuts of meat into the oven and forget about them.
The oven in Helen's outdoor kitchen.
It means you can get drinks for guests, or prepare sides, without having to tend to the meat. And the best bit is the occasional gentle waft of wood smoke, that for me, adds to the ambience of any outdoor gathering.
Then, when it’s time to dish up, guests are always impressed when you reveal a rich smokey creation that’s been gently cooking in the background. It’s easy and tasty, which is a win-win in my book.
4. I’ll never go back to a wood fired pizza oven
During my original review I made no secret of how much I loved cooking pizza in this oven. So-much-so that after the review, it replaced my wood fired pizza oven and I’ve never looked back.
The main reason is that it’s easy and consistent. A wood pellet pizza oven is a lot more high maintenance while you’re cooking, constantly requiring pellets, as well as lots of checking the temperature of the stone to make sure it’s hot enough to cook the pizza. Whereas, with the Ninja, I don’t have to do any of that.
It gets brilliantly hot, but it’s effortless to use, which is especially helpful when I want to do a pizza night on a dark, chilly autumn evening. And if I’m experimenting with a different style of dough, I love knowing that I can write down the settings I’ve used and easily replicate the results next time.
The downsides?
There really aren’t many downsides. Like I said, I don’t use all the functions, for example the dehydrate setting isn’t one I’d ever get use from. But with so many settings on offer, I think it’s natural to have your favourites.
The main downside for me is that when I make pizzas I use a lot of semolina on the peel to prevent sticking. This can end up clumping in the base of the oven below the lower heating element and it’s really tricky to clean.
I’ve been known to use a combination of a cleaning cloth and a handheld vacuum to get all of the semolina out of the base of the oven. Let’s just say, it’s fiddly working around the heating element.
