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Presto Pizzazz Plus Review

This oven is reminiscent of a hot-plate and is user-friendly but does not provide particularly quality results
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Presto Pizzazz Plus Review
Credit: Aaron Rice
Price:  $90 List
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Manufacturer:   Presto
By Aaron Rice ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Feb 14, 2022
39
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#15 of 16
  • Cooking Performance - 30% 3.0
  • Output Power - 30% 2.0
  • Control - 25% 4.0
  • Ease of Use - 15% 9.0

Our Verdict

If you love pizza but operate in a barebones, hot-plate type of kitchen, without much by way of kitchen appliances, then the Presto Pizzazz Plus might be your best option. This budget appliance doesn't quite fit the pizza “oven” mold — it is more designed for convenience cooking. To provide some comparison to the others in our best pizza oven review, even the instructions reference how to make a pizza from a box or wrapper well before mentioning the ability to bake a fresh pizza. Still, the Pizzazz is more than capable of baking one fresh pizza at a time. Just don't expect the same quality product as more expensive ovens.
REASONS TO BUY
Affordable
Small foot-print
Easy to use
REASONS TO AVOID
Long bake times
Sub-par quality pizza
Editor's Note: The Presto Pizzazz Plus review was updated on February 14th, 2022, with added notes on what we would buy and more information to better compare products.

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Overall Score Sort Icon
39
79
72
65
34
Star Rating
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Bottom Line An indoor electric option akin to the ease and quality of a "hot-plate" pizza makerThis price point pizza oven performs well above its weight class in terms of power and performanceAn affordable, but impressive indoor option for those not interested in investing in a new applianceThis steel is perfectly suited to create NY-style pizzas, just don't expect it to produce a Neapolitan-style pie in your ovenAffordability and convenience aside, there are much better options for easy pizza-making
Rating Categories Presto Pizzazz Plus BakerStone Original NerdChef 3/8" Steel... The Original Baking... Betty Crocker Count...
Cooking Performance (30%)
3.0
9.0
8.0
8.0
2.0
Output Power (30%)
2.0
7.0
7.0
5.0
3.0
Control (25%)
4.0
7.0
6.0
6.0
2.0
Ease of Use (15%)
9.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
9.0
Specs Presto Pizzazz Plus BakerStone Original NerdChef 3/8" Steel... The Original Baking... Betty Crocker Count...
Fuel Type Electric Gas N/A N/A Electric
Maximum Pizza Diameter 12'" 13" 14" 14" 12"
Average Pizza Cook Times 16 min 4 min 3.1 min 5.6 min 19 min
Average Stone Temperature 300 °F 732 °F 686 °F 479 °F 212 °F
Average Oven Temperature 425 °F 780 °F 637 °F 497 °F 208 °F
Size of Firebox N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Power Output 1235 W 25,000 BTU N/A N/A 1440 W
Footprint 229 sq. in. 345 sq. in. 228 sq. in. 228 sq. in. 219 sq. in.

Our Analysis and Test Results

It's tough to define the Pizzazz Plus as a pizza “oven.” An electrically heated pizza tin cooks the crust as it rotates underneath a second heating element that cooks the toppings. This convenient, indoor option requires no preheating, but don't expect to achieve artisan-quality pizza with this price-point alternative. While it will cook a fresh pizza up to 12", it is equally designed to cook pre-made frozen foods, like chicken nuggets and pizza rolls.

Performance Comparison


presto pizzazz plus - though capable of making fresh pizzas, the presto pizzazz is better...
Though capable of making fresh pizzas, the Presto Pizzazz is better suited to “baking” pre-made frozen pies.
Credit: Aaron Rice

Cooking Performance


The Pizzazz offers ease and convenience at the cost of quality pizza. The electric elements require no preheating — you can stretch out dough onto the nonstick, 12" pizza tin, top with ingredients, and start baking your pizza in a matter of minutes. The tin is dimpled to improve the reheating of frozen pizzas, but it's easy to end up with a soggy bottom due to condensation.

Although this appliance requires no preheating, expect bake times much longer than the suggested 12 minutes — we regularly had to add 4-8 more minutes, using just the lower unit to get the crust to bake through. Even with the added baking time, we were continually unimpressed with the quality of the pizza. It isn't altogether bad for those who enjoy soft crust pizzas, but you will have to navigate switching between the upper and lower heating units to keep the cheese from burning.

presto pizzazz plus - it is difficult to push the crust much past the point of being soft...
It is difficult to push the crust much past the point of being soft to achieve any sort of crispy bottom.
Credit: Aaron Rice

Output Power


A primary issue with the Pizzazz Plus that undoubtedly relates directly to pizza quality is that the two cooking units heat at different temperatures. While the pizza tin maintains a consistent 350°F, the upper unit works closer to 500°F. Initially, we were impressed with how quickly this appliance baked a fresh pizza, only to lift it from the tray to find that the crust was still very undercooked.

The fact that this is an entirely open-air oven means that your pizza is at the whim of only these two heating coils. To its benefit, the rotating pizza tin's design does a nice job of keeping the top baked evenly. A thoughtful safety feature — more for the safety of your pizza than your kitchen — requires the tray to be in the correct position before the heating elements turn on. For the forgetful among us, this ensures that it won't just overcook one-eighth of your pizza while the rest remains in its original, raw state.

presto pizzazz plus - though still not exactly satisfactory, the electric heating elements...
Though still not exactly satisfactory, the electric heating elements cook the top of a pizza surprisingly quickly.
Credit: Aaron Rice

Control


Even though there is no way to adjust the power output of the heating coils on the Pizzazz, you can at least choose between using just the upper heating coil, the lower heating unit for the tray, or both. This feature provides a certain level of control over how each portion of your pizza bakes — if you hope to achieve any level of crispy crust for fresh-dough pizzas, we suggest pre-baking the bottom crust before turning on the upper heating unit.

But even after an additional 6 minutes using only the lower element — half the amount of time the manufacturer suggests for total cooking time — it is difficult to achieve much more than a soft, only slightly toasted crust. For an oven based on convenience, it takes a fair number of attempts to dial in the baking process and timing.

presto pizzazz plus - it is possible to adjust how the pizza cooks with a dial (top of the...
It is possible to adjust how the pizza cooks with a dial (top of the image), alternating between the lower or upper units individually, or both in the “Dual” setting.
Credit: Aaron Rice

Ease of Use


At this point, you may have noticed that we haven't yet referred to the Presto Pizzazz as a “pizza oven.” While it may achieve the same goal of a cooked pizza, it is difficult to argue that this appliance is playing the same game as the other pizza ovens included in this review. However, it is incredibly user-friendly and would make a fine addition to “hot-plate” style kitchens that have no other baking units to speak of.

We consider the Pizzazz to be the "Easy Bake Oven'' option — it is electric, super easy to set up, and safe and simple enough for even a child to operate. Only the nonstick baking tin needs to be washed and wiped dry when you are finished. One of the biggest disappointments relative to versatility is that it isn't really designed to keep pizzas warm either because the timer runs out after only 20 minutes.

presto pizzazz plus - the pizza tin is a convenient, easy-to-clean surface that does a...
The pizza tin is a convenient, easy-to-clean surface that does a nice job of cooking the pizza crust based on the circumstances.
Credit: Aaron Rice

Should You Buy the Presto Pizzazz Plus?


The Presto Pizzazz Plus is convenient and purposefully designed to bake frozen pizzas and other convenience foods. It is an affordable, easy-to-use option for those with minimal space and the inability to cook outdoors. But at this price point, just don't expect to produce the same quality of pizza that some of the other true ovens offer. We recommend it to those who don't have a full kitchen and need a temporary appliance to make simple meals, but in the end, it doesn't compare to any of the best pizza ovens we tested.

presto pizzazz plus - if you prefer soft-crust pizzas, perhaps the presto pizzazz is a...
If you prefer soft-crust pizzas, perhaps the Presto Pizzazz is a reasonable option at an affordable price point.
Credit: Aaron Rice

What Other Pizza Ovens Should You Consider?


The price point is undoubtedly the draw for this appliance — it lists at nearly one-fifth of the cost of most of the ovens included in this review. It is also one of the few electric options suitable for indoor use, particularly when no type of oven is available. However, if you hope to grow your culinary skills or make drool-worthy pizzas, you may want to look elsewhere. The NerdChef 3/8" Steel Stone is a pizza accessory that you can use to elevate your home oven pizzas without spending a fortune or having to store an additional kitchen appliance. If you want a standalone option, the BakerStone Original is a top-rated option at a more-than-fair price.

Aaron Rice