Igneus Classico pizza oven review

Available from:
Igneus (£689)
The Pizza Oven Shop (£689)

Read our round-up of the best pizza ovens

The Classico by British wood-fired oven brand, Igneus, is a beautifully designed and manufactured wood-fired pizza oven offering the ability to cook two large pizzas simultaneously in as little as 90 seconds. It sits fairly high in the price category due to the build quality – the ovens are hand-made in Portugal – but offers great results for a long time.

What are your first impressions of the Igneus Classico?

The oven came well packaged with mostly recyclable protection, however, there was some protective polystyrene that couldn’t be. The box is fairly heavy (45kg) and arrives on a pallet – be prepared to unpack at your front door if you've not got a wide doorway.

How easy is the Igneus Classico to assemble?

The oven was simple to assemble, although there were no instructions on installing the cowl. A screwdriver was needed to clamp the cowl to the chimney, even though the manual stated no tools were required. In total, it took 10 minutes to unpack and assemble

How easy is the Igneus Classico to use?

We found the instructions around materials and lighting methods were very clear. It took a maximum of 15 minutes from lighting to putting in the first pizzas. Being wood-fired makes it more involved than gas, but this more visceral interaction makes cooking the pizza a real event.

How easy is it to add the fuel?

Adding the firewood – we used kiln-dried silver birch, as recommended by the manufacturer – while the oven is alight is straightforward, explained in detail in the manual. Using the heat-proof gloves and the pizza peel is a must to avoid singed arms!

How hot does the Igneus Classico get?

The maximum temperature on the gauge is 500C and we managed to hit this.

How long does the it take to heat up?

The Igneus Classico takes a maximum of 15 minutes to heat up, however most of the time within 10-12 minutes.

How fuel-efficient is the Igneus Classico?

We found that the oven typically used four logs to make four pizzas – two split for kindling, the two added before the pizzas go in.

How many pizzas does it fit?

One big bonus of the Igneus Classico is the size – it fits two large pizzas without issue. The oven size is 60 x 60cm, which is very ample by home pizza oven standards. You could even cook a full roast dinner inside!

How long does it take to make a pizza?

This is a very quick-working oven that takes 90 seconds for either a solo pizza or two cooked together – the speed really is incredible.

How easy is it to add a pizza?

The large opening at the front of the oven and the pizza peel make it very simple to add and remove the pizzas.

How hot does the outside get?

With the door off, the front of the oven gets too hot to get too close to, the outer faces don’t get as hot, but would still give you a burn if you were to touch them. The chimney gets especially hot. We recommend keeping any children away from the oven in general.

What accessories come with the Igneus Classico?

The pizza oven alone costs £689 and comes with no added extras – things like the pizza peel (for adding the pizza to the oven), heat-proof gloves, flame guard and ember rake have to be bought separately from the Igneus website.

Is it all-weather or does it come with a cover?

The oven didn't include an all-weather cover, one is recommended by the supplier and is available to buy on the Igneus website.

How easily can the Igneus Classico be stored?

The oven measures 68 x 66cm, so takes up quite a lot of space – it can either be built-in, or moved when not in use (although it weighs 45kg fully assembled, this reduces to 20kg with the firebricks removed).

How was the finished pizza?

We scored 9/10 for the finished result – the oven produces the best pizza we've had outside of Italy.

How many people does it serve?

With the ability to cook two large pizzas every 90 seconds or so, this generous oven could serve a party-load of people.

How long does it take to cool down?

The oven takes about 2-3 hours to cool to pre-fire temperatures, so factor that in if you’re thinking of taking it somewhere.

Who is the Igneus Classico most useful for?

A family with space enough to install in the garden and who enjoy a wood fire.

What was your favourite thing about the Igneus Classico?

Without a doubt the pizza that it produces! The look and quality of the oven is fantastic as well.

Igneus Classico pizza oven star ratings

Ease of assembly 4/5
Overall build quality 5/5
Ease of use 4/5
Packaging 4/5
Value for money 4/5
Cooking results 5/5
Ease of storage 3/5

Overall rating: 4.1/5

Available from:
Igneus (£689)
The Pizza Oven Shop (£689)

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This review was last updated in May 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.