Professional Plus Wood-Fired Oven: What You're Actually Paying For

 

A common question when comparing wood-fired oven models: what's the real difference between a base unit and the "Plus" version? In the case of the ilFornino Professional Plus, the cooking specs are unchanged from the standard Professional Series. What changes is everything around the oven — specifically, an adjustable cart and two side shelves.

Here's a practical breakdown of what that upgrade actually gets you.

1. Built-in prep space. The two stainless shelves flanking the oven measure roughly 12 by 43 inches apiece. Without them, most cooks end up setting up a separate table nearby for dough, sauce, and toppings — usually a table that isn't rated for high heat, doesn't clean easily, and can tip over in wind or with regular bumping. The built-in shelves eliminate that extra piece of equipment entirely.

2. A cart that adjusts from 30 to 42 inches. This is marketed mainly as a comfort feature, and it is one less bending for cooks of different heights. But two other uses are worth knowing:

• Matching the oven's height to an existing outdoor kitchen setup (grill, sink, or smoker already installed at a set height)
• Leveling on uneven ground, since either side of the cart can be raised independently

3. A sizable cooking surface. At around 1,007 square inches, it's large enough to handle regular multi-pizza sessions without moving into strictly commercial territory.

4. Rear ash box. Ash collects in a rear-mounted box rather than needing to be cleared from the cooking floor mid-session, which matters if you're cooking back-to-back pies.

5. One-piece flat cooking floor. A single thick surface is designed to hold consistent heat and let pizzas slide on and off cleanly, and it's easier to sweep clean than floors with seams or tile joints.

6. Stainless steel build. The unit is stainless steel throughout; the specific grade should be checked against the live product listing, since it can vary between models.

Bottom line: if you're cooking often enough that a wobbly folding table or an awkward oven height is a real annoyance, the Plus version is built to solve exactly that. If you're an occasional weekend user, the base Professional model covers the same core cooking performance for less.

Full specs and pricing: What Makes Professional Plus Oven So Special?