Price: $6.00 (on sale)
Serving: 1/3 pizza, 4.78 oz.
Calories: 360
Fat: 20%, 13g
Cholesterol: 12%, 35mg
Sodium: 28%, 660mg
Protein: 17g
Carbs: 15%, 45g
Fiber: 8%, 2g
Sugar: 13g
Weight Watchers Points: 8 points

Wolfgang Puck says: Mozzarella, seasoned chicken, roasted red onions

Abi says: Recently enamored of the six-word memoir, I challenged myself to write a six word review of this pizza. While that may be enough for a life, it was too brief a description for pizza. Sure, I tried:

But in the end, I decided to write a real review. I had one of those nights where I didn’t want to have a side salad or steamed vegetables or even carrots drowned in ranch. No, I wanted to eat an entire pizza by myself.

I did not accomplish this task. Instead, I ate 3/4 of this pizza, accepting defeat when I finally got to the pool of watery cheese and too-soft crust at the center. Now, this watery center problem may just be an issue with the ovens of friends in Southeast DC. Here in my Northern California oven (and previously in my Northwest DC oven) I never had this watery-center issue.

Examining this pizza from the top down, the chunks of chicken were plentiful and peppery, with just one featuring the gristle that we’ve all come to know and love from animals made into foodstuffs. The cheese is one-note mozzarella. There’s plenty of it, but it is also boring. I’d really like to see a more interesting set of flavor profiles from a pizza that claims to be designed by Wolfgang Puck. Just a little nutty gruyere or a tangy cheddar could make a world of difference. I’m sure that Wolfgang could figure out something fun. The red onion was largely absent, a lack I overlooked because I was so pleased about the amount of chicken on this pizza. A well-balanced meal this is not.

The barbecue sauce here was fantastically light, hinting at the essence of barbecue sauce rather than gumming up the works with loads of sugary goo. I thought I’d be disappointed with the absence of thick sauce, but this version definitely has me rethinking my ideas on barbecue pizzas. The crust is right up there with the magnificently crisp and light (but not crackery or dry) crusts from Amy’s Kitchen.

The wet center and lack of onions aside (issue 1 was my fault, issue 2 was Mr. Puck’s), this is a solid contender for frozen BBQ chicken pizza. The chicken is miles ahead of similar store-brand offerings, but I still need to try the California Pizza Kitchen version. At $6.00 on sale, this pizza is selling for a whole lot more than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $5.99. But considering that this pizza with a side salad could easily satisfy two adults, I’d rate this a good buy so long as it was on sale.

Price: $4.99 (yikes!)
Serving: 1/2 crisp, 2.25oz.
Calories: 250
Fat: 28%, 18g
Cholesterol: 17%, 50mg
Sodium: 9%, 220mg
Protein: 7g
Carbohydrates: 5%, 15g
Fiber: 4%, <1g
Sugar: 0g
Weight Watchers Points: 6 per 1/2 crisp

Olive Street Table says: The fromage en provence crisp is topped with goat and other cheeses, onions, and our special mix of herbs de provence

Abi says: Last weekend, while at a party celebrating the fact that my friend Josh didn’t have to travel anywhere for work for awhile (he’d been out of town 27 of the previous 30 days or something ridiculous like that), fellow reviewer Nicole sidled up to me and asked “What would you rather live without, cheese or meat?”

Of course, I misheard her and thought that she’d said “Cheese or me” and for a moment I panicked about what it would mean to eliminate either Nicole or cheese from my life. Fortunately, she then went on to weigh the merits of bacon versus the versatility of cheese and I realized that I wasn’t being asked one of those friendship-testing questions but rather being given an opportunity to relish the thought of a great many delicious cheese and meat-containing items.

For those of you who do not wish to give up cheese but will gladly forego meat, I offer you a review of Olive Street Table’s Provence Crisp. I know, I know, it has a ridiculous language-mixing name and really doesn’t it just sound so snooty?

Fortunately, this item has a degree of deliciousness to back up that snootiness. If you like love flaky pastry, goat cheese, and a smattering of red onion, then I have the snack for you. Okay, snack or part of a meal that must involve something including roughage or fiber because you are not going to find it here. This utterly decadent frozen item heated quickly in the oven (just ten minutes or so) and emerged redolent of herbs and cheese. Oh, it was a divine purchase, a purchase that I do not regret one bit.

Though, if I ate this more than once in a blue moon, I could see that my thighs would start to regret it fairly quickly. This little item (pizza? flatbread?) is made with a whole lot of butter, butter which translates into light-as-air pastry, but butter nonetheless.

In other downsides, there were fewer herbs than pictured on the box. Upside: the goat cheese was plentiful as was the other cheese that appeared in the form of shreds but is described only as “other cheeses” on the box blurb. I’d guess that it was the French version of Parmesan-Reggiano. This item is not for the faint-of-cheese-heart but is perfect for those who would toss aside bacon any day.

Price: $2.50 (sale at Safeway)
Serving: 1 pizza, 5.4oz.
Calories: 350
Fat: 23%, 15g
Cholesterol: 10%, 30mg
Sodium: 46%, 1090mg
Protein: 15g
Carbs: 14%, 41g
Fiber: 7%, 2g
Weight Watchers Points: 8 Points

Red Baron says: Introducing delicious Red Baron singles made with the finest ingredients, quality toppings and real cheeses. They make the perfect addition to lunch or dinner, or as a wholesome snack on the go.

This review was ghost-written. George ate the pizza, then Abi asked him about it and put together the text. Then George checked it and said “I write pretty good reviews.”

George says: Grad school isn’t easy. What’s even tougher is living with someone who takes up most of the freezer with off-limits frozen food. Fortunately, Red Baron was on sale at Safeway and I picked up a couple of boxes for just $2.50 each.

One of the features that differentiates this pizza from others is the no-hassle crisping tray. I don’t have to mess around with assembling the tray or unwrapping the pizza and placing it on a poorly constructed tray. I just have to unwrap the pizza, replace the pepperonis that came off when I turned the box upside down, and throw the pizza in the microwave.

Speaking of pepperoni, the pieces on this pizza are ample, ensuring a bit of pepperoni in almost every bite. The cheese is fine, nothing special, but contributing to the making of an overall decent pizza. The sauce is pretty great, but the real highlight of this pizza is the crust. The bread isn’t watery, a hallmark of many cheap pizzas. Instead it tastes like crusty, crispy French Bread, which is very good considering that this is a French Bread Pizza.

A single French Bread pizza isn’t a big meal, but it has just as much volume (maybe more) as one of those 79¢ party pizzas. And those have much sparser cheese and nearly non-existent toppings.

I recommend picking up a box or two whenever you see them on sale. You really can’t beat the price of $1.25 each for reliable, satisfying French Bread pizza.

Regular Price: $70.00
On Sale at Amazon.com $39.79
Average Amazon Review: 4/5 stars

Presto says: Fresh or frozen, regular or rising crust, exclusive RotaBake(TM) technology assures great tasting pizza every time. Freezer to perfect in minutes with no preheating. Special control lets you make toppings as bubbly and crusts as crispy as you like.

Tiff says: This oven is fabulous. It does take a bit of experimenting but do not worry: no amount of experimenting will make your pizza inedible.

Getting Started

Reading the instruction booklet was necessary, because there is a special way to place the pizza pan on the rotating spindle, so it rotates and cooks correctly. There are two heating elements on this oven. One above the pizza (upper), and one that is underneath the pizza pan as it is spinning (lower). There are 3 settings on the oven. Lower, Dual and Upper.The booklet also includes a pizza dough recipe, as well as a guide that tells you how long to cook pizza depending on it’s thickness and preparation. For example:

Rising Crust Frozen Pizza: 9-12 minutes on Lower, then 9-12 minutes on Dual.

Regular Frozen Pizza: 9-12 minutes on Dual.

You’ll want to experiment to find the right times for your preferred pizza doneness.

Baking Pizzas

I have used two kinds of pizza with this oven, Freschetta PizzAmore Pepperoni Duo Pizza (a non-rising variety) and Freschetta Naturally Rising Pepperoni Pizza. Each had different cooking methods.

The Freschetta PizzAmore pizza was the first pizza I cooked with the Presto Pizzazz. I did as instructed and used the dual setting only. I found this particular pizza difficult to cook because it is already cut into slices. This made placing the pizza on the pan difficult and the end result, though thoroughly cooked, was unattractive. I won’t use the PizzAmore variety again; it tasted okay, but not great. Considering this was the first time I used the oven, it is possible I didn’t cook the pizza to my taste.

The rising crust pizza was a much, much better eating experience. The first time I cooked the rising crust pizza I cooked it exactly as the instructions suggested. The end result was great: melty, hot and tasty, but not as crispy as I would like. Luckily, you can adjust the settings for the oven as you prefer. My second round with a rising crust pizza involved 14 minutes of bake time on the lower setting (2 minutes longer than the recommended time) and 12 minutes on the dual setting. I found this was the perfect setting for this pizza! I was in heaven. It was exactly as crispy as I like, and the pepperonis were cooked as crispy as I like.

Counter Space

Since receiving the Presto Pizzazz oven as a gift, every time I go to the store I buy 2-3 frozen pizzas. I know whichever brand is on sale will turn out great. I will never again use a normal oven to cook pizza. Ovens (especially in apartments) can be shady, while this device is straight-forward and effective.

Our George Foreman Grill used to take permanent residence in the corner counter space with the only open outlet in the kitchen. The Foreman is now under the counter and the Presto now lives there. Sure, we still take old Georgie for a spin once or twice a week, but knowing that there are frozen pizzas in the freezer, and a quick snack can be made easily at any time, the Pizzazz is now our staple kitchen item.

Frozen vs. Delivery

You are probably wondering if the frozen pizzas taste as good as pizzerias. Well, yes and no. I found it especially hard to compare the two, because pizzas vary so much from place to place. If the thing that makes your pizzeria special is the sauce recipe, you can’t replicate that with this oven. I will say that I will NEVER EVER order Domino’s, Papa John’s or Pizza Hut again as long as I live and while this oven is around. There there is absolutely no reason to waste 15-20 dollars on delivery from an average place with this oven in your kitchen. Frozen pizzas on sale are 2 for 7 dollars, 3 for $10.00, etc. That is some serious cash in your pocket if you simply have this oven and some pizza on hand - and no tips required! I recommend it to people who cook frozen pizzas often. I wish I could vouch for how homemade pizza bakes - but I assume it could only taste better that store bought pizzas.

Final Thoughts

The Presto Pizzazz Pizza Oven earns 4 stars. The reason for the missing star is that one can only cook up to a 12 inch pizza (round) on this oven. This is fine for most frozen pizzas - but I am afraid to experiment with the square, brick oven style for fear I may need to use the real oven. That would be a tragedy!