Spice Diavola Pro V2: my opinion - laurenceel blog

In the world of electric pizza ovens there are very expensive and high-performance high-end models such as the Effeuno P134H. There are also extremely cheap models with limited performance such as the Ariete 909. The Spice Diavola Pro V2 arrives like a cannonball with l The aim is to combine the best of both worlds: to offer a formidable oven for making Neapolitan pizza, at a reasonable price. Is the promise kept? Let's see it in this full review!

CONTENTS OF THE BOX

The Spice Diavola Pro V2 is delivered very well protected, in a box that contains the bare essentials:

• A Spice Diavola Pro V2 electric pizza oven
• A power cord
• A 34 cm diameter Casapulla biscuit refractory stone
• A user manual

DESIGN AND FEATURES

When you receive the oven, you will need to break the baking stone before first use. Running in means removing any humidity that may be contained in the stone to avoid explosions during the first heating.

A HIGH END REFRACTORY STONE

Most pizza ovens on the market are equipped with cordierite stones. Here we are making a handmade artisan stone. This magnificent disc of 34 cm in diameter, produced by the Italian company SORRENTO, is composed of clay and volcanic sandstone.

You should know that in the pizzerias of Naples these are the types of stones that are installed in professional ovens. The secret lies in thermal conduction which allows the bottom of the dough to be cooked to perfection without burning it.

SMALL SIZE, BIG POWER

The Spice Diavola Pro V2 is a so-called clamshell oven because it opens like a shell. This shape allows it to be compact and easy to store. With its 9 kilos, you can easily transport it to your friends' house for a pizza party.

Inside we find 2 resistors of 2000W total. The high resistance is 1400W and the low resistance is 600W. This is a very good power that allows the oven to reach 450 degrees hand in hand. You understand, this oven has only one objective: to offer professional cooking, in a compact format. A real feat.

OVEN CONTROLS

Operating this oven is quite simple. On the left there is a potentiometer adjustable to 4 power levels, plus a boost mode. Each notch corresponds to a very specific temperature, indicated in the manual.

On the right we find the resistance control. You can choose: start the resistance from the top, from the bottom or from both at the same time. Total control!

Finally, in the center of the oven there is a thermometer graduated up to 550 degrees. It measures the temperature in the center of the oven and is quite reliable.

COOK NEAPOLITAN PIZZAS WITH SPICE DIAVOLA PRO V2

For cooking Neapolitan pizzas I will follow the advice in the user manual to the letter (which no one ever reads, rightly!).

Turn the thermostat to 4, close the oven and wait half an hour. Easy! I love the electric oven for this: no worries, you focus on the pizza, not the oven. We use it as an ally rather than as an element to master. Anyone who has a wood-fired pizza oven will understand what I'm talking about!

PIZZA HEATING AND COOKING PROCEDURE

In 30 minutes I take the measurement of the refractory stone: 461 degrees. Hot in front!

The thermometer shows me a difference of about plus or minus 10 degrees, so I can count on that. The stone is hot, let's bake the first margherita pizza!

To do this, I will apply the following procedure:

• Temperature potentiometer in Boost mode. This will turn on the glow resistors.
• Leave ONLY the upper resistor on.
• I quickly put the pizza in the oven and close the lid. Despite extreme temperatures, the Spice Diavola Pro V2 is perfectly insulated. I touch the shell while cooking and it doesn't burn me.

Of course we will make sure that children do not touch the oven, but rest assured, they will not be able to burn themselves.

After 70 seconds of cooking I open the lid and the pizza is still too white. On the other hand, it fit perfectly! I close the lid and after 20 seconds I reopen it.

The pizza is cooked superbly. I only notice a slightly whiter point, which corresponds to the point where the resistance cannot reach. Then I turn the pizza half a turn, close the lid for 10 seconds and out comes a magnificent Neapolitan pizza cooked to perfection.

It's simply amazing. Never before had a Shell oven given me such exceptional results, especially on the first try!

CHAIN THE PIZZAS

My first pizza out of the oven, I reset the power thermostat to 4 and set the heating elements to HIGH and LOW. This procedure will allow the temperature of the refractory stone to rise, time to prepare a new pizza.

Not being a person with manual dexterity, I don't prepare my pizzas at the speed of light like a professional pizza chef. I estimate it takes me about 3 minutes to make a new pizza. These 3 minutes are more than enough because the oven thermometer reads 450 degrees.

This time I don't measure the baking stone but put it directly into the oven. I will repeat this process for my four pizzas today and they will all be cooked to perfection.

In general it will take 90 to 120 seconds to get a perfectly cooked Neapolitan. I repeat but it is amazing for this type of oven... If you have had a (bad) experience with an Ariete 909, forget it, it's night and day.

Source: https://www.laurenceel.com/spice-diavola-pro-v2-test-avis/