Buying guide
Delta Heat 30‑inch
vs Blackstone Select
A dedicated oven station or a rotating-stone cart setup. Build pizza night around the way you want to cook.
The decision
Choose the pizza night you want to build.
The Delta Heat 30-inch pizza oven and Blackstone Select pizza oven solve two different outdoor-kitchen decisions. Delta Heat puts a fixed cordierite hearth and separately controlled hearth/dome burners in a countertop or built-in oven. Blackstone pairs a rotating lower stone with an upper radiant stone, then supplies the wheeled cart, side shelves and peel around it.
Choose Delta Heat for a dedicated oven station.
It makes sense when the oven belongs in your outdoor-kitchen plan and you want direct control over the heat under the hearth and in the dome. Choose the actual countertop or built-in model and fuel, then plan the supporting structure and working space around it.
Choose Blackstone Select for a complete cart setup.
It makes sense when you want a propane pizza station with its own shelves, storage and rotating stone. The cart and included peel make the starting package more complete. Allow for a propane cylinder, the required batteries or motor power, and tools for checking the stone.
Both need an attentive cook and a properly heated stone. The better choice is the one whose controls, setup and ownership routine suit the way you want to make pizza—not simply the one with the larger heat-input number.
At the controls
Two ways to work on the base and the topping.
Delta Heat’s hearth burner heats below the fixed cooking surface, while the separate dome burner adds heat above it. The distinction is useful when you want to adjust the balance between a base that needs more color and toppings that are already cooking quickly. Cordierite tiles form both the hearth and the dome; removable Ceran glass doors let you see into the chamber.
Blackstone’s lower 16-inch cordierite stone rotates beneath the upper stone. That movement carries the pizza around the chamber while the top stone radiates heat downward. Rotation takes over one part of handling the pizza; it does not decide when the crust or toppings are done.
Blackstone also has two front controls. Its instructions identify the right as the main cooking control and the left for preheating and finishing the crust. That is a different workflow from Delta Heat’s independent hearth/dome controls, rather than a comparison between an adjustable oven and one with no control over the bake.
Side by side
Compare the whole station.
| Decision | Delta Heat 30-inch | Blackstone Select |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking system | Fixed cordierite hearth and tiled dome | Rotating 16-inch lower stone and upper stone |
| Heat adjustments | Independent hearth and dome burners | Main cooking control plus Crust Control |
| Starting format | Countertop oven; built-in version also offered | Oven with wheeled cart and two side shelves |
| Fuel choices | Factory propane or natural gas | Propane; not natural-gas convertible |
| Tools / supply | Plan peel, prep counter and grounded 120V supply | Peel included; motor uses AC adapter or four AA batteries |
The cards below select propane for both ovens so you can start with the same fuel. They still represent different packages: Delta Heat’s countertop oven needs its own suitable supporting counter, while Blackstone includes the cart. Budget for the installation you will actually use, rather than treating the two displayed prices as complete, equivalent kitchens.
Inside the oven
Read the stone, not just the air temperature.
A dome thermometer and a cooking stone tell you different things. Blackstone’s manual explicitly says its thermometer measures oven air, not stone temperature, and recommends a separate infrared thermometer for checking the lower stone. Delta Heat’s instructions also use an infrared thermometer to check the hearth and dome stones. Make that tool part of the plan for either oven.
Picture the second or third pizza at a gathering: the oven can look hot while the stone is still recovering from the last base. Checking the cooking surface gives you a more useful next step than relying only on the air-temperature dial. Learn how your dough behaves on the heated stone, watch the pizza, and make the next launch a cooking decision rather than a race against an advertised bake time.
Keep the stones dry and use their prescribed cleaning routine. Delta Heat calls for brushing stubborn residue rather than wetting the stones. Blackstone specifies burning off residue and, once cool, flipping the stone to use the other side. Neither cooking surface should be treated like a washable kitchen worktop.
The Hearth Outpost view
Spend on the setup you will use often.
Where we like Delta Heat
We like it for the cook building pizza into a regular outdoor-kitchen routine. The separate hearth/dome controls, glass doors and dedicated oven format give that station a clear purpose. The premium makes more sense when the oven will be a regular cooking station and its integration, heat adjustments and long-term component coverage matter to you.
It adds less value if your main goal is simply to start making occasional pizzas without planning another built-in appliance. A countertop version is offered, but it still needs a suitable supporting surface, fuel and electrical supply.
Ratings cover the Delta Heat Pizza ovens family.
Where we like Blackstone Select
We like how much of the station comes together in one package: oven, rotating stone, cart, shelves and a perforated peel with its holster. That is a useful starting point for pizza nights without constructing a new island. The propane cylinder stores in the cabinet, and the casters let you reposition the cooled setup.
Choose differently if a natural-gas connection or a purpose-built island installation is central to the project. The Select is propane-only, and the rotating stone is a handling aid rather than a guarantee that every pizza will cook itself.
Ratings cover the Blackstone Select pizza oven family.
What owners say
Owners praise the cooking results and substantial construction. The feedback also mentions a learning curve, more assembly than expected, and isolated missing-hardware or hinge issues. We would allow time to assemble, inspect and practice before the first gathering.
Plan the place
The oven is only part of the working room.
Delta Heat: countertop or built-in
- Choose the freestanding/countertop oven or the distinct built-in model. The countertop oven is not supplied on a cart.
- Select the factory propane or natural-gas configuration for your site.
- Plan grounded 120V power for the normal ignition/lighting setup, plus the specified gas connection.
- Use the exact model’s drawing for the support, clearances and vent/flue requirements.
Blackstone Select: cart first
- The cart, side shelves, locking casters and perforated peel are included. Propane cylinder and ignition battery are separate.
- Power the rotating-stone motor with the supplied AC adapter or four AA batteries; do not use both at once.
- Allow the manual’s 36-inch side/rear clearance to combustible materials and keep overhead combustible construction clear.
- The manual also provides a tabletop conversion using the supplied feet. Check that procedure and the complete placement requirements before removing the cart.
For either setup, leave a clear approach for the peel and a place to put the finished pizza. Keep the route for guests and drinks out of that hot-food path. The side shelves help with tools and staging, but think separately about where you will stretch dough, add toppings and serve the meal.
The Delta Heat built-in opening is not the countertop model’s overall dimensions. Ask the installer to work from the built-in specification sheet or countertop specification sheet as appropriate. These are outdoor cooking appliances; local requirements and the full manual govern the final location.
Shop the ranges
Continue with the exact configuration.
Both cards select propane. Compare the complete package: a countertop oven needs its own support; the Blackstone Select includes the cart.
Delta Heat
Delta Heat 30-inch — propane countertop oven
$6,169.00 $7,173.26
Propane countertop oven selected. Supporting counter, peel, thermometer and installation are separate. Built-in and factory natural-gas versions are also offered.
Blackstone
Blackstone Select — propane oven with cart
Blackstone Select pizza oven family rating
$1,499.00 $1,799.00
Propane oven with cart, shelves, stones and peel. Propane cylinder, ignition battery, optional motor batteries, cover and thermometer are separate.
The coverage
Different strengths behind the purchase.
Delta Heat 30-inch
The rear burner and fabricated stainless-steel components carry limited lifetime coverage for qualifying defects under normal residential use. The hearth burner has five years of limited coverage, and the hearth support and other oven components have two years. A one-year full warranty adds useful initial support through an authorized service representative.
- Rear burner / fabricated stainless
- Lifetime limited
- Hearth burner
- 5 years
- Initial full warranty
- 1 year
The original-owner terms cover products purchased and located in the continental United States and Canada. Registration and proof of purchase are required. Beyond the full period, labor, shipping and handling are the owner’s responsibility. Stones and other components should not be assumed to have lifetime coverage. Read the Delta Heat oven manual and complete warranty
Blackstone Select
The exact Select pizza-oven manual provides a three-year limited warranty against qualifying defects in materials and workmanship, with appropriate replacement parts supplied at Blackstone’s discretion. That is a meaningful benefit to include when weighing the complete cart package.
- Covered defects
- 3 years
- Covered remedy
- Parts
- Original owner
- Home use
Register the product and retain the receipt. The warranty is nontransferable and excludes inspection/replacement labor, normal wear, corrosion/rust, improper installation or use and other listed conditions. It is not a promise of three years of free service calls. Read the Blackstone Select manual and complete warranty
Before ordering
Set up for the second pizza, too.
Let’s plan your pizza station.
Tell us whether you are adding to an island or making room for a cart, which fuel you have and how you like to entertain. We can help you match the oven, useful tools and supporting setup.
Speak to an Expert
Good questions
Choose the cooking routine, then the oven.
Does the Blackstone Select need pizza turning?
Its motor rotates the lower stone, handling that part of the cook. You still need to watch the bake and use the heat controls; rotation does not judge when the pizza is done.
Does only Delta Heat let me adjust the crust?
No. Delta Heat has independent hearth and dome burner controls. Blackstone Select also has a main cooking control and a separate control used for preheating and crust finishing, following its manual.
Can I connect Blackstone Select to natural gas?
No. Blackstone lists the Select pizza oven among models that are not compatible with its natural-gas conversion kit. Delta Heat offers factory propane and natural-gas oven configurations.
Is Delta Heat supplied with a cart?
The freestanding model discussed here is a countertop oven, not a cart package. A separate built-in version is also offered. Plan the supporting structure, preparation space and correct installation for the actual version.
Do both ovens need household power?
Delta Heat specifies a grounded 120V supply for normal ignition and lighting. Blackstone’s stone motor can use its supplied AC adapter or four AA batteries, never both at once; ignition requires a separate AA battery.