Don't Pack Away Your Pizza Oven Yet – This $19 Cast Iron Skillet Turns It Into a Cozy-Season Baking Essential
It's the cheat code to truly indulgent desserts this fall
A good pizza oven is a significant investment, and unless you live somewhere sunny year-round, it can spend much of the colder months gathering dust and cobwebs.
This year, however, I’m determined to make mine work harder, using the best cast-iron cookware to turn a summer pizza oven into a cozy-season baking hub.
The Victoria 8-Inch Cast Iron Skillet is perfect for the job. From gooey brownies and crisp-edged cookies to s’mores and bubbling fruit crisps, it turns your pizza oven into a dessert station that’s made for evenings around the fire.
I was blown away by the Victoria cast iron skillet when I reviewed it a few months ago. It is one of the most affordable cast-iron pans on the market, but delivers spectacular results across both sweet and savoury meals.
Any cast-iron skillet small enough to fit comfortably inside your pizza oven will do the trick, but I am a particular fan of the Victoria Cookware eight-inch pan. Of all the non-toxic cookware I have tried, it is one of the most affordable, and, as someone who was new to cast-iron cooking, it was practically foolproof, arriving pre-seasoned and low-stick.
Burgers crisped, eggs cooked evenly and slid straight out without breaking, and skillet cookies developed a satisfying crust while staying gooey in the center. It was all I could have hoped for and more.
Safe for use up to 1,000°F, it is the ideal pick for using a pizza oven in winter. The small base (also available in 6.5 inches and 4 inches at Amazon) means it slots into the oven neatly, making it easy to manage a whole host of bakes from brownies to fruit crisps. Yes, you could use your conventional indoor oven, but the best pizza ovens offer faster baking times, creating a crisp, caramelised exterior and a molten interior, perfect for thick cookies, brownies, and s'mores.
Depending on the type of oven, it can also impart a smoky, rustic flavor you cannot achieve in a fan oven, making cozy season feel that much cozier. Don't just take my word for it. Our expert Laura Honey made brownies when reviewing the Gozney Arc Pizza Oven, dubbing the final result 'incredible', with the entire tray quickly devoured.
It’s an easy way to get more from your pizza oven long after peak pizza season has passed.
What Else to Shop
From convenient utensils to the essentials for cleaning and caring for cookware, these are the tools I keep on hand to maintain my cast iron and make pizza oven cooking as simple as possible.
All prices were correct at the time of publication.
Silicone tools have become my go-to, being easier to maintain than wood, and safe for all cookware. This Bella set features everything you need from flipping to stirring, and come in a compact crock for easy counter storage.
This lodge cast iron care kit comes with everything you need to quickly restore damaged cast iron, including a scrubbing brush to remove debris, a scraper for removing food residue, and 100% vegetable spray oil for easy seasoning application.
These erasers restore damaged cast iron, removing rust and tarnish from family heirlooms and grill pans accidentally left outside. The versatile cleaners can also be used on knives, tools and grill grates.
Cast-iron pan handles get hot, both on the stove and in the oven. These handy pot holders by Le Creuset protect your skin without being bulky, allowing for easier manoeuvrability.
Grapeseed oil is often touted as the best seasoning oil for cast iron, recommended by chefs for its high smoke point, neutral flavor, and affordability.
Know exactly when your pizza oven’s thick stone floor is ready to cook a perfect pizza and dessert. It features an LED backlit screen, the ability to switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit measurements, and single or continuous temperature read options.
Come summer or fall, be sure to avoid these common pizza oven mistakes for the best results time and time again.
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