Chicago Brick Oven CBO-750 Review: The Full Retailer Breakdown

What the CBO-750 Actually Is

The CBO-750 is a DIY pizza oven kit, not a finished appliance. Chicago Brick Oven ships you a pre-cast refractory cement dome, a hearth, a chimney, and a metal door. You set it on a base you build yourself (usually a block stand or a masonry island), then you either leave the dome exposed or finish it with stucco, stone veneer, or tile to match your outdoor kitchen. The 750 in the name refers to the interior floor area, roughly 750 square inches, which works out to a 32 inch by 24 inch cooking hearth. That is enough for two 12 inch pizzas at once, or one pizza plus a cast iron pan of vegetables on the side. Chicago Brick Oven has been building these in the U.S. since 2004, and the refractory formula is the same one they sell to restaurants.

Specs and Materials

Here is what matters: the dome and hearth are cast from proprietary refractory cement with stainless steel reinforcement, not clay and not fire brick assembled on site. That is why it holds heat the way it does. The oven weighs about 750 pounds assembled, has a 32 by 24 inch cooking floor, an interior dome height of roughly 15 inches, and a mouth opening around 19 inches wide. It ships with an 8 inch stainless chimney, insulation blanket, and a powder coated steel door.

Fuel options: 100 percent wood, gas only, or the hybrid kit that lets you preheat with gas and finish with wood for that live-fire char. The oven itself is rated for continuous use up to 1,000F. You will not exceed that.

Cook Performance: 900F Pizza in 60 to 90 Seconds

This is where the CBO-750 earns its price tag. Once it is fully heat-soaked, which takes about 45 to 60 minutes of live fire, the dome radiates evenly and the floor holds 750 to 900F. A properly stretched 12 inch Neapolitan pie cooks in 60 to 90 seconds with leopard-spotted char, a puffy cornicione, and a crisp bottom that does not go soggy under sauce. That is authentic wood-fired performance, not the 3 to 4 minute compromise you get from most home ovens.

Because the mass is so heavy, it also holds temperature between pies. You can cook 15 to 20 pizzas in a session without the floor sagging in temperature, which is why the same oven shows up in commercial pizzeria patios.

Gas vs Wood vs the Hybrid Kit

Straight wood gives you the best flavor and the highest ceiling temperature, but it takes an hour to come up and it takes practice to manage the fire. Gas-only is the convenience play: push button, 30 to 40 minutes to temp, no wood to buy or store, and consistent output for weeknight cooking. It will not quite match wood on char or aroma.

The hybrid is what we recommend to most buyers. You get a stainless gas burner that heat-soaks the dome quickly, then you add a small wood fire on top for the live flame roll across the ceiling that gives Neapolitan pizza its signature spotting. Best of both worlds, and the hybrid kit adds roughly $500 to $700 to the total depending on the configuration.

Installation and True Cost

The $3,500 sticker is the oven kit. It is not the finished project. Realistic total install budget: $5,000 on the low end if you build a simple block stand yourself and skip decorative finish, $8,000 to $12,000 if you have a mason build a stucco or stone island, and $15,000-plus if it goes into a full outdoor kitchen with counters, storage, and a matching grill.

Foundation requirements: the oven and stand together push 1,500 to 2,000 pounds, so you need a poured concrete pad or a structural masonry base. Install time is one to two days for a DIY block stand, one to two weeks with a mason. Plan on a gas line run if you are going hybrid or gas-only, which is another $300 to $800 depending on distance from the meter.

Pair the CBO-750 with a matching built-in gas grill for a full outdoor kitchen — these are the two most requested picks.

Companion built-in

Bull BBQ Angus 30" Built-In Grill

From $2,839

For bigger islands

Bull BBQ Brahma 38" Built-In Grill

From $3,789

Pros and Cons

Pros: authentic 900F Neapolitan performance, made in the U.S. with a real refractory formula, cooks pizza in 60 to 90 seconds, holds temperature for a full dinner party, hybrid option covers both weeknight convenience and weekend wood fire, will outlive the house if you build the base right.

Cons: it is a $3,500 kit before you have poured a foundation or hired a mason, it is permanent (this is not moving with you), the learning curve on managing a wood fire is real, and if you only cook pizza three or four times a year the math does not work. Also worth knowing: cure time. You have to run a graduated 5 to 7 day break-in fire schedule before the first real cook, or you risk cracking the dome.

Alternatives: Ooni, Roccbox, and Custom Brick

Honest comparison. Ooni Karu 16 or Koda 16 (~$600 to $800): portable, propane or wood, 60 second pizzas, but small (one pie at a time), thin steel body loses heat between cooks, and it will not last 20 years of outdoor exposure. Great starter oven, wrong tool if you are building an outdoor kitchen. Gozney Roccbox (~$500): similar profile to Ooni, better insulation, still a countertop unit. Traditional brick oven built from scratch by a mason: $10,000 to $25,000, gorgeous, but you are trusting the mason’s refractory knowledge and there is no manufacturer warranty. The CBO-750 sits in the sweet spot: real refractory mass and restaurant-grade performance at a fraction of a custom build, with a factory warranty and a proven cast dome.

The Verdict

If you want a permanent outdoor pizza oven that cooks like the ones in Naples, the CBO-750 is the one we recommend at bbqs.com. It is the right size for a family or entertaining, the refractory mass does what cheap ovens cannot, and the hybrid kit removes the biggest weeknight objection to a wood-fired oven. Buy it if you are building or already have an outdoor kitchen, if you cook pizza more than a few times a month, and if you are prepared to spend another $2,000 to $8,000 finishing it properly. Skip it if you want portable, if you have not committed to a permanent install spot, or if pizza is an occasional novelty. In that case, get an Ooni and revisit the CBO conversation when the kitchen build starts.