You’ve seen the ads. A golden, bubbly Neapolitan pizza sliding out of a sleek stainless steel dome while a fire crackles underneath. It looks effortless. It looks like the peak of backyard hosting. But if you’ve actually spent time wrestling with a Solo Stove, you know the reality of wood-fired cooking is usually a bit more chaotic than the Instagram reels suggest. The Solo Stove Pi Fire isn’t just another accessory; it’s a weird, ambitious attempt to turn a bonfire into a high-heat oven without the bulk of a standalone unit.
I’ve spent hours messing with fire pits. Sometimes it's great. Sometimes I end up with a charred frisbee and a face full of smoke.
The Pi Fire is basically a heavy-duty ceramic-coated attachment that sits right on top of your existing Ranger, Bonfire, or Yukon. It’s a clever design. Instead of buying a completely separate $400+ pizza oven, you’re using the heat your stove is already generating. But there are some serious quirks you need to know before you drop the cash. It’s not a "set it and forget it" tool. It requires a specific kind of babysitting that might drive some people crazy.
Why the Solo Stove Pi Fire is Kinda Genius (And Kinda Annoying)
Most pizza ovens are self-contained boxes. They have their own fuel source, their own airflow, and their own learning curve. The Pi Fire is different because it’s a parasite—in a good way. It lives off the secondary combustion of the Solo Stove. You get that signature smokeless burn, and the heat gets funneled upward into the stone.
The engineering here relies on a cordierite stone. This is the same stuff used in high-end kilns because it handles thermal shock like a pro. If you put a cheap kitchen stone over a Bonfire, it would probably crack in twenty minutes. The Pi Fire stone is thick. It holds heat.
However, here is the catch: your fire pit is now a chimney.
When you put the Pi Fire on top, you’re changing the airflow. You can’t just toss massive logs in there and hope for the best. You need to manage the flame height constantly. If the flames lick too high, you’ll burn the toppings before the crust even thinks about crisping. If the fire is too low, the stone stays cold, and you get a "soggy bottom." It’s a balancing act that requires a bit of practice. Honestly, the first three pizzas I ever made on one of these were disasters. One was raw in the middle. One looked like a coal briquette.
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The Heat Management Struggle
You need to aim for a stone temperature of about 500°F to 600°F. Solo Stove claims you can go higher, but in my experience, that’s where things get risky. To get there, you need a bed of hot embers first. Don't just light a fire and throw the Pi Fire on immediately.
- Start your fire 30 minutes early.
- Use kiln-dried hardwood. Seriously.
- Avoid oversized logs that block the "secondary burn" holes.
- Check the stone with an infrared thermometer. If you don't own one, buy one. Guessing the temperature of a stone over an open flame is a fool's errand.
Is It Better Than a Standalone Pi Oven?
This is the big question. If you already own a Bonfire, the Pi Fire is significantly cheaper than buying the standalone Solo Stove Pi Prime or the wood-fired Pi. It’s also way more portable. You can pack the Pi Fire into its carrying case and take it to a campsite. Try doing that with a 40-pound standalone oven.
But there’s a trade-off in visibility.
In a standalone oven, the opening is usually at eye level if you have it on a table. With the Pi Fire, it’s sitting on your fire pit, which is usually on the ground or a low stand. You’ll be crouching. You’ll be squinting through the heat waves to see if your crust is rising. Your knees will probably hurt by the time the fourth pizza is done.
Also, the "smokeless" claim of the Solo Stove is mostly true, but once you put a giant lid on it (which is what the Pi Fire is), the aerodynamics shift. You might get a bit more "puffy" smoke than usual if your wood isn't perfectly dry. It's just the physics of the thing.
Real Talk on Assembly and Build Quality
The thing is built like a tank. The stainless steel is thick. The legs are sturdy. Solo Stove didn't skimp on the materials here, which explains the price tag. It feels like it can survive a decade of backyard parties.
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Putting it together takes about five minutes. It’s basically just the dome and the legs. The legs are designed to fit the specific diameters of the three main Solo Stove sizes. Make sure you buy the right one. A Yukon Pi Fire won't fit a Bonfire. That sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people try to "make it work."
The Learning Curve: Don't Invite Guests for the First Run
Seriously. Do not make the Solo Stove Pi Fire the centerpiece of a dinner party the day it arrives. You will be embarrassed.
The heat comes from the bottom, which is the opposite of many high-end pizza ovens where the heat rolls over the top. This means the stone gets very hot, very fast. If you aren't rotating that pizza every 20 to 30 seconds, the side closest to the back or the bottom will scorch.
You need a good turning peel. A regular square launching peel is fine for getting the dough in there, but you need a small circular peel to keep it moving. If you leave it sitting still for 60 seconds, it's game over.
What About Other Foods?
People forget that this is basically a high-heat broiler. You don't have to just make pizza.
- Cast iron searing.
- Roasted veggies in a shallow pan.
- Searing a steak after sous-vide.
The "oven" environment created inside the dome is intense. Just remember that anything with a lot of fat or grease is going to create flare-ups because the fire is directly beneath the unit. Be careful with marinated meats.
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The Logistics of Cleanup
Once you're done, you can't just take it off. It’s a 500-degree piece of metal. You have to let the fire die down naturally, which means your pizza party ends, and then you wait two hours before you can actually pack the thing away.
The stone will get stained. That is normal. Do not try to scrub it with soap and water. Just burn off the residue next time you use it. It's the "self-cleaning" cycle of the pizza world. The stainless steel will also discolor. It’ll turn a sort of golden-blue hue. Some people hate this; I think it looks like a badge of honor. It shows you actually use your gear.
Final Verdict: Who Is This Actually For?
If you are a pizza purist who wants 90-second Neapolitan pies with perfect leopard spotting on the top crust, you might be better off with a dedicated gas-powered oven like the Ooni or the standalone Pi Prime. The control you get with a gas knob is just superior for precision.
However, if you love the experience of fire—the smell, the ritual of feeding logs, the crackle—then the Pi Fire is a blast. It turns a "sitting around" activity into a "doing something" activity. It’s for the person who already loves their Solo Stove and wants to justify spending more time using it.
It’s about the vibe. It’s about the "I made this over a literal campfire" bragging rights.
Actionable Steps for Your First Fire
- Buy the 00 Flour: Don't use standard all-purpose flour for this. AP flour burns at these temperatures. Use "00" flour (like Antimo Caputo) which is finely milled and handles high heat without turning into ash.
- Dry Your Wood: If your wood has been sitting outside in the humidity, the Pi Fire will struggle. Buy a small bag of kiln-dried mini-logs specifically for this.
- The Flour Test: Before putting your pizza in, throw a pinch of flour on the stone. If it turns black instantly, it’s too hot. If it turns brown in 5 seconds, you’re in the sweet spot.
- Launch Small: Don't try to make a 12-inch pizza on your first go. Make 8-inch "personal" pizzas. They are much easier to rotate and less likely to flop over the edge of the stone.
- Get the Gloves: High-temp grill gloves are mandatory. You'll need to adjust things, and the radiant heat coming off the stove is no joke.
The Solo Stove Pi Fire is a specialized tool. It’s not perfect, and it’s definitely not "easy" the first time. But once you nail that first perfect crust, sitting by the fire with a slice in hand, you’ll realize it’s one of the coolest backyard upgrades you can get. Just be prepared to work for it.