Using Your Pizza Oven in a Canadian Winter

Every fall we get asked whether the oven will still be usable once the snow comes. Good news: it will. Plenty of our customers cook outside all winter, and it works well as long as you keep a few things in mind. Here's what we tell them on the phone.

Preheat longer

In cold weather, plan on roughly double: 30 to 40 minutes of preheating instead of 15 to 20. The stone heats more slowly, and bringing it up gradually avoids thermal shock. The real time depends on your oven, the cold and the wind, so go by an infrared thermometer rather than the clock: at 350 °C the crust stays soft; at 450 °C it puffs up and colours the way it should.

Propane in the deep cold

When it's very cold, the pressure in the tank drops and the flame can run weaker. Start with a full tank and keep it out of the wind. Never bring it into the house or garage to warm it up: propane tanks need to stay outside.

Shield the flame from the wind

Wind affects the bake more than the cold does: it pulls heat off the stone and moves the flame around. Turn the oven's opening away from the wind and, if you can, set up near a wall or fence, keeping to the clearances in your manual.

Prep inside, bake outside

Cold dough tears more easily (more on that here). Stretch and top your pizzas in the kitchen and only go out to launch them. A turning peel cuts down the time you spend at the oven.

Which oven for winter

The more thermal mass an oven has, the better it holds heat and the faster it recovers between pizzas. The Gozney Dome and Arc XL are among the most consistent ovens we sell. A lighter oven like the Koda 2 works too; just give it a bit more time between pizzas.

After you cook

Wait until the oven has cooled completely before you put the cover on, otherwise moisture gets trapped underneath. Between uses, keep it sheltered or covered, and clear off any snow before you light it.

If the stone is damp, start on low for a few minutes before turning up the heat. A wet stone that heats up too fast can crack.

Rather stay indoors?

The Ooni Volt 2 is electric and works indoors all year round.

Got a question about your oven and the cold? Write to us and we'll get back to you.