Firepod đPizza Oven
Muddy Madam and I were at the NEC the other month at the Garden & Leisure Exhibition, and amongst all the cool bits and pieces on show was the Firepod Pizza Oven. Immediately it grabbed our attention, for reasons such as: we love pizza and it is a very funky looking pizza oven.
After a good natter, the Firepod crew kindly dropped one off at Muddy Towers for us to review. Yes, I know what youâre all thinking, it's a terrible job, but someone has to do it!
When it arrived my first impression was that no corners had been cut during manufacture, the Firepod oozes quality. Itâs quite heavy, at 20kgs it isnât the kind of stove that weâd usually throw in the back of Deux Smurf for an alfresco lunch, especially with the long, hip height, Quadpod extension legs fitted. However, swapping over and fitting the smaller legs makes it much more manageable and easier to stow.
Cooking with the Firepod couldn't be easier, simply attach the gas, light it using the built-in ignition switch and wait for it to reach the correct temperature, which only takes around 6 minutes. Once the temperature has been reached, slide in your pizza, close the child proof door to keep the heat in and open a bottle of your favourite tipple while you wait.
There's an outside temperature gauge that takes the guess work out of when to start. Once in, I've found that the rear of the pizza towards the back of the Firepod cooks more quickly, so using their pizza paddle I turn the pizza around every so often. Depending on how much topping I've used, I have a tasty pizza ready within 5 minutes.
The Firepod isnât a one-trick-pony either as thereâs also a range of accessories on which pretty much anything can be cooked, from a reversible griddle for breakfasts and BBQs, to a Hot Rock cooking set.
Our Firepod has been in almost constant use since September when David kindly dropped it off at Muddy Towers. Weâve used it to cook some awesome pizzas both at home, and out and about. Most memorable was when we borrowed a Day Van from Mercedes-Benz, and went touring which entailed eating pizzas on the beaches at Black Rock Sands, Porthmadog, Abergele and Southport. Being the end of October they were really cold and windy days, despite the sun and blue sky, but with the child proof door closed, the wind slips around the curved sides and the firepod remains at a constant temperature. It cooked our pizzas perfectly.
When weâve been out in the either Deux Smurf or the beach buggy, Iâve swapped the Quadpod stand (longer legs) for the shorter legs for ease of transport and used a cam strap to secure the lid in place. If I have one suggestion for the Firepod crew it would be to engineer a couple of clips either side of the body to keep the lid secure whilst in transit, but as I said, a cheap cam strap does the trick.
Although we've mainly used it as a travel pizza oven, when on the Quadpod stand it's at a perfect height for using at home in the garden, and because of the quality of the manufacture, and the elegance of the design, it wouldn't look out of place in any setting, from the swankiest setting to a country cottage.
Four months on, and I really hope that David doesnât want it back, itâs been an absolute star and has created some of the best meals weâve ever had whilst out camping. Wherever we've stayed it has been quite the talking point too, oozing jealousy from other campers with our perfectly cooked pizzas. Its flexibility when swapping the pizza stone for the BBQ & Griddle (perfect for a fatty fry up in the morning, or breathtaking burgers for lunch) make it a great all rounder.
Your standard Firepod costs ÂŁ395, which I think is incredibly good value. This includes a Firepod oven on short legs, a Quadpod stand, 2 x pizza stones, Pizza peel (paddle), gas regulator, a pair of heat proof gloves and high quality rain cover.
You can then choose which of the other cooking sets that you may want:
ÂŁ145.00 - Hot Rock Cooking Set which includes: an oak board; 4 sauce cups, 4 bamboo tongs and 4 bamboo spatulas.
ÂŁ125.00 - BBQ & Griddle Set which includes: Reversible cast iron skillet and griddle, and a set of BBQ tools which include Tongs, Fork, Spatula, Brush and a Knife.
At the beginning I mentioned that it oozes quality, thatâs because as most BBQs are between 0.7 and 1.2mm, the Firepod is made from 2mm thick steel, and is coated with high temperature enamel, not powder coated like cheaper variants. The wooden legs are Malaysian Oak, which is one of the most eco-friendly woods in the world.
Overall, the Firepod is easy to use and has proven to be incredibly versatile, and who doesnât love a freshly cooked pizza?
Website: www.thefirepod.com
Price: From ÂŁ395.00