Burnhard TONY Review – 3 Compact Pizza Ovens in Comparison

Will the Burnhard TONY review mark an outsider in the test field? Perhaps. The Burnhard TONY does without frills, costs the least, and feels indestructible. Its mission is clear: less talk, more heat, more substance. And it works surprisingly well – without big marketing fanfare, but with the calm confidence of an oven that just gets on with it.

You can find an overview of this group test here: Compact Pizza Oven Group Test: Burnhard TONY, Gozney Tread, Ooni Koda 2.

Burnhard TONY Review: Heating Performance and Burner Design

An oven temperature of around 450 °C is essential for making authentic Pizza Napoletana, allowing the thin dough rise in less than two minutes and develop those typical charred blisters on the crust a.k.a. leopard spotting. Here, the TONY leaps ahead of the competition thanks to an L-shaped burner that runs along the left side and back of the chamber, evenly surrounding the pizza. With this burner design, the oven is the first to reach the ideal baking temperature, hitting 450 degrees celcius before the 15-minute mark. With the optionally available heat shield, it’ll heat up even quicker. By comparison: the Gozney Tread reaches the Neopolitan pizza zone at minute 15, while Ooni’s Koda 2 requires at least 20 minutes.

There’s no thermometer included – purism instead of nerding out on data. That forces you to engage with the oven, to “read” it and develop your own routine – something Ooni newcomers know less and Gozney enthusiasts almost expect.

The Burnhard TONY on Review

The L-burner isn’t just a hip marketing ploy, it delivers on performance too: once the baking stone is hot, one to two turns of the pizza should suffice for even leopard spotting. It also provides a good view of the entire crust, helping to achieve a consistent leopard pattern. However, the interior is somewhat narrow due to the L-shape, forcing you to be more careful than with the Ooni Koda 2, which offers the most room to manoeuvre the pizza thanks to its wide opening and the widest baking stone on test. The Gozney, on the other hand, has the narrowest opening in the test field, though that’s to be expected given its focus on maximum portability.

While the Ooni Koda 2 focuses on maximum user-friendliness and delivers good results even with little experience, the TONY has a slightly steeper learning curve. Compared to the Gozney, the flame can’t be adjusted as finely, especially for the top of the pizza. Once you’ve familiarised yourself with it, however, the TONY produces reliably convincing results without much tinkering. Anyone willing to get to know the oven will not be disappointed by the quality of the Mediterranean delight it produces.

Burnhard TONY Review: Handling and Everyday Convenience

Operation is child’s play: insert a battery into the ignition, open the gas, ignite the burner – no riddles, no hidden steps. Cleaning is done via incineration – that means letting the oven run at full power after baking so that any dough and topping residues are simply burnt away. The optional heat shield (€ 44.90) makes it even more comfortable, shortens heat-up time, improves wind protection and self-cleaning. Most residues burn away quickly, and the remaining ashes can simply be swept out of the chamber once everything’s cooled off.

One practical detail in our Burnhard TONY review: the working height. The TONY has no feet or stand, making it sit relatively low on most tables, so you end up looking at the opening from above instead of being allowed to see the interior, unless you bend down. On the upside, the baking stone fits very snuggly on its bed and doesn’t wobble at all – unlike the Ooni, where it rests on metal pins.

Finally, the Burnhard’s baking stone can even be flipped for better cleaning, offering increased longevity and convenience. In terms of feel and materials, it makes the most solid impression of the trio: nothing rattles, nothing wobbles, and the construction feels like a workhorse rather than a toy. Frequent bakers will want to give the TONY a stable base to compensate for the low height and get a better look inside.

Prices, Bundles, and Accessories

The basic pizza oven, including the baking stone and gas connection, comes in at just € 249. The starter set (consisting of the oven, a pizza peel, a turning peel) comes to € 338.80 – you’ll still need a gas bottle, though. For those who want more, the Burnhard shop also offers no-nonsense accessories like the previously mentioned heat shield (€ 44.90), a transport bag (€ 44.90), or dough containers (€ 44.90). The advantage: you can start with the basics and minimal investment, expanding the setup as needed.

To compare: the Ooni is noticeably more expensive and offers optional tech toys like the Temp-Hub – a digital thermometer connected to a smartphone, handy for those who don’t always want to measure with an IR gun. The Gozney costs the most, justifying this with excellent build quality and a wide range of accessories for mobile pizza enthusiasts. While Gozney will have you digging deep into your wallet, Burnhard take the sympathetic no-bullshit approach: simple, solid, fair.

Who Is the Burnhard TONY For?

The Burnhard TONY is for purists and enthusiasts who want an indestructible tool – no frills, but with substance. It is aimed at anyone who is willing to familiarise themselves with their oven and values functionality and quality. If you want to bake pizza on the go or are looking for maximum customisability, the Gozney is the better choice. However, if you value a spacious interior and particularly easy handling, you’ll be happiest with the Ooni.

Everyone else will find the TONY to be the ideal compact pizza oven – especially those who want to ease their way into the world of authentic Italian pizza without making a huge upfront investment, and who aren’t crammed for space on their terrace. Its greatest strengths, besides the solid build quality, are its heat-up speed and reliability, which is precisely what many Napoletana fans are looking for. And if you like the minimalist industrial look, you will also get your money’s worth in terms of design.

Conclusion

Minimal fuss, maximum oven: the Burnhard TONY is the pragmatic speedster of the trio. It reaches the critical pizza temperature first, bakes very evenly thanks to its L-burner, and is pleasantly down-to-earth in terms of price. Weak points? The low working height and narrower interior require a little practice. However, once you’ve mastered it, you’ll get reliably charred crusts – without burning your budget or patience. The solid build quality also makes a more robust impression than the Ooni and even the Gozney. The TONY is not a lifestyle toy, but a tool for pizza lovers.

You can find an overview of this group test here: Compact Pizza Oven Group Test: Burnhard TONY, Gozney Tread, Ooni Koda 2.

Words: Jonny Grapentin Photos: Lars Engmann