A Hands-On Test of the Model P
In the world of pizza making, consistency is king. We chase the perfect temperature, the even bake, and the repeatable results that turn good pizza into great pizza. So, when an electric pizza oven comes along promising effortless consistency and a “no-rotate” cooking experience, we’re naturally intrigued. But can an electric oven truly deliver a satisfying slice?
Full disclosure right up front: We received the Current Model P Smart Pizza Oven for free as part of Amazon’s Vine Program. This gave us the perfect mission: to test a high-end electric pizza oven and see how it compares against our experience with gas and wood-fired. Here’s what we found.
Unboxing and First Impressions
Our first impression of the Current Model P is that it’s a solid, well-built piece of equipment. The setup was straightforward, and it has a sleek, modern look that would fit well in any backyard kitchen setup.
Pro-Tip: Seasoning Your New Oven
Before our first cook, I performed a “burn-in” or seasoning cycle. While the manual didn’t require it, I’ve learned that new ovens can release some smoke and odors on their first firing. It’s also strongly recommended for other pizza ovens to break in the stone – so I figured this was a smart move for the Current as well. To do this, I gradually increased the heat up to 800°F over 45 minutes. Even with no food inside, a bit of smoke was produced, so I was glad I did this outdoors.
Pro-Tip: We strongly recommend doing a 30-45 minute burn-in cycle outdoors before your first cook to season the oven and burn off any manufacturing residues. Don’t forget to take off all of the stickers, tape and packaging materials – both inside and out!!
The Cooking Experience: Effortless and Consistent
This is where the Current oven starts to shine.
Preheating: The oven preheated to our target temperature of 800°F surprisingly fast—under 20 minutes. The large digital display is bright and clear, and our testing with a separate infrared laser thermometer confirmed the oven’s built-in thermometer was very accurately measuring the stone temperature – not just the air temperature, which is a very important and impressive thing.
The User Interface: The controls have a smart design that sort of offers both an “easy mode” and an “expert mode.” You turn the oven on with the power button, then rotate a large control knob to select a preset for the type of pizza you’re making (e.g., Neapolitan, New York). Pressing the knob confirms the selection.
From there, you can trust the preset or twist the knob again to fine-tune the temperature to your exact preference – this will allow you to dial in the exact temp you prefer, which might change slightly for specific pizza recipes. This was really important to me since there’s more than just 5 temperatures to use this oven at. We cooked our first Neapolitan at 775F (rather than 850) because I was using low moisture cheese on top.
App Control: Frankly, I’m not a big fan of app-controls for cooking appliances. And while it might be right up some people’s alley, the oven pre-heats quickly and cooks a pizza even faster. It just isn’t all that important.
Still, the app is easy, connected no problem, and if you’re doing 11 things at once, maybe this would come in handy.
The “No Rotation Needed” Promise: This is the headline feature in some of their promotional materials, and it absolutely works. Thanks to the consistent heat from the electric element, you can launch your pizza and confidently turn your attention to prepping the next one without worrying about a burnt side from a hot spot in the oven. For anyone who has struggled with the constant turning required in a wood- or gas-fired oven, this is a revolutionary feature.
Performance and Results: How Was the Pizza?
We tested the oven with a proper, high-hydration AVPN Neapolitan dough.
- The Cook: The pizza cooked beautifully and, most importantly, evenly. The consistency from front to back without any rotation was very impressive.
- You will still see some blackening of the cheese and that’s more my fault for using a low-moisture cheese at 775F. The default Neapolitan temperature is even higher, but knowing the cheese I was using I turned it down and still got a little bit of char.
- The Crust: This is where pizza purists should take note. While the crust had a great puffy spring and was perfectly cooked with gentle leopard spotting. It’s not the dramatic leopard spotting that you get from the intense, radiant flame of a wood or gas oven – but it is still there. This doesn’t seem to be a flaw, but rather a characteristic of the electric heat source. The bottom cooked very nicely and evenly in just 2 minutes.
Critiques and Missed Opportunities
No oven is perfect, and we found a couple of design quirks that could be improved.
- A Tight Squeeze: The mouth of the oven is a bit tight, and it really can’t accommodate a pizza larger than 12 inches.
- The Sliding Rack: The pizza stone sits on a metal rack that can slide in and out, but we found it didn’t slide very easily. This feels like a real missed opportunity. If the rack could smoothly extend the stone out just a few inches, it would make launching the pizza feel much safer and easier, especially for a beginner.
The Indoor/Outdoor Debate
While this oven is marketed as suitable for indoor/outdoor use, we have reservations. During our cooks, it produced a noticeable amount of smoke—not a huge plume, but certainly enough that we would expect it to set off a household smoke detector. We were not comfortable using this indoors unless it was in a very well-ventilated space, like under a powerful kitchen hood.
The Verdict: Who Should Buy the Current Electric Pizza Oven?
After a thorough test, our verdict is clear: The Current Model P Smart Pizza Oven is an excellent choice for the pizza maker who values consistency, convenience, and ease of use. From beginner to expert, this oven will do a great job with little fuss.
This oven is perfect for you if:
- You are tired of rotating pizzas and want a perfectly even bake every time.
- You love the idea of “set it and forget it” temperature control.
- You want to make great New York-style or other pizzas that cook at slightly lower temperatures. In fact, we believe this oven would be a phenomenal match for Tony Gemignani’s Master Dough recipe for New York style.
This oven might NOT be for you if:
- Your number one goal is achieving the classic, heavily leopard-spotted crust of a true Neapolitan pizza.
- You want to make big pizzas (i.e. bigger than 12″ in diameter).
- You plan to cook exclusively indoors without excellent ventilation.
It’s a fantastic piece of technology that makes delicious pizza with incredible ease. And yes, it was definitely a gift worth giving.
Todd’s cooking skills have revolved around the grill since about age 12, when he developed a love for grilling and took over for Mom at the BBQ. He worked at Wendy’s and at Earl’s Tin Palace (a restaurant chain in Canada) but never really did any sort of baking…until he and Heather started making pizza together! Now he’s often making dough in the mornings and pizza in the evenings.