Presto 03430 Pizzazz Pizza Oven

 

This 1,235-watt countertop oven makes pizza in about half the time required by a conventional oven. You don't need to preheat it--it begins rotating and baking the moment you plug it in. There are independently controlled top and bottom heating elements, so all types (frozen or fresh) and sizes (7 to 12 inches) of pizza can be custom baked. With a rising-crust pizza, for example, you should run the lower heating element for 10-12 minutes before turning on the top element. For a crisper crust, bake the pizza with both heating elements, then finish it off with a few minutes of bottom-only heating. For extra cooking time on your toppings, leave the top element on a little longer. A timer with automatic shutoff lets you set cooking times precisely, and a cooking-time guide for various pizza types is printed on the pizza maker. For safety, the appliance shuts off automatically if it overheats. With the 13-1/4-inch-diameter baking pan in place, the pizza maker is 13-1/4 inches wide, 9-1/2 inches high, and 17-1/2 inches deep. (The baking pan can be removed for more compact storage.) It carries a two-year warranty against defects. --Fred Brack

Product Description

The fast and easy way to bake fresh or frozen pizza. Great for frozen, homemade, take-and-bake, or deli pizza. The easy way to prepare chicken nuggets, quesadillas, fish fillets, even grilled sandwiches. Bakes egg rolls, pizza rolls, jalapeno poppers, cheese bread and more...even cookies and cinnamon rolls.

Review Product 

I was pretty excited to get this item. I never had any success with my oven and frozen pizza. I never could get the middle cooked and many reviews said the Pizzazz would do this.

Pros:
- Creates a crisp bottom crust
- Center of pizza and toppings cook better than with an oven
- Doesn't heat up the house
- Cleanup is a breeze

Cons:
- The outside crust is more breadlike (could be a pro for some)
- Turntable on mine seems slanted and crooked
- Doesn't perform miracles. Some reviewers imply that the Pizzazz transforms frozen pizza into real pizza. It improves frozen pizza, but you won't forget that you're eating frozen pizza.
- Rising dough frozen pizza works, but the dough itself doesn't seem to bake fully. It tends to taste doughy even when the bottom and top are done.
- 12" is too small considering the better tasting 16" fresh dough pizzas available now

I like this gadget, but I can't give it five stars. Presto created a pretty cool kitchen appliance here, but I think they could improve it. They should make a XL 16" model that would accomodate "Costco" take and bake. I think the heating elements could be designed better to improve coverage as well.

As far as frozen pizza goes, Freschetta baked better than Di Giorno for me. Tombstone tasted like Tombstone. Frozen is what it is. There's UNO in my local deli case and I plan on trying that.

I think the Pizzazz is worth it overall. I don't regret the purchase in any way, and I don't use my oven for pizza anymore.