REASONS TO BUY
Affordable
Convenient preset option
REASONS TO AVOID
Lack of control
Poor pizza quality
Slow cook time
Betty Crocker Countertop Review
Aside from the affordability, this is an extraneous gadget for making pizzas
This basic, countertop pizza maker doesn't offer much outside of convenience of making pizzas at home.
Credit: Aaron Rice
RELATED: Best Pizza Ovens of 2024
Our Verdict
The Betty Crocker Countertop is undoubtedly a convenient solution to making pizzas at home. However, convenience without quality is often not worth the investment. This electric, hot-plate-style pizza pan is capable of cooking fresh and frozen pizza, as well as an array of easy-to-make foods. But even for small kitchens, it is a bulky appliance that doesn't lend itself well to storage. The sub-par quality of the pizzas coming from this pan, combined with the questionable quality of construction, gives us pause. Affordability aside, if you want the best pizza oven to make pies at home, there are much better options, even for small, barebones kitchens.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Betty Crocker Countertop | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Multi-Fuel Oven |  Best Bang for Your Buck | Best Overall Value | ||
| Price | $54 List $42.99 at Amazon | $429 List $399.00 at Amazon | $320 List $269.00 at Amazon | $130 List $129.95 at Amazon | $130 List $129.00 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Affordability and convenience aside, there are much better options for easy pizza-making | If you want to make excellent woodfired pizza at home, this redesigned oven makes that dream a reality | This price point pizza oven performs well above its weight class in terms of power and performance | An affordable, but impressive indoor option for those not interested in investing in a new appliance | This steel is perfectly suited to create NY-style pizzas, just don't expect it to produce a Neapolitan-style pie in your oven |
| Rating Categories | Betty Crocker Count... | Ooni Karu 12G Multi... | BakerStone Original | NerdChef 3/8" Steel... | The Original Baking... |
| Cooking Performance (30%) | |||||
| Output Power (30%) | |||||
| Control (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Betty Crocker Count... | Ooni Karu 12G Multi... | BakerStone Original | NerdChef 3/8" Steel... | The Original Baking... |
| Fuel Type | Electric | Wood, Gas (w/ conversion) | Gas | N/A | N/A |
| Maximum Pizza Diameter | 12" | 12" | 13" | 14" | 14" |
| Average Pizza Cook Times | 19 min | 1.8 min | 4 min | 3.1 min | 5.6 min |
| Average Stone Temperature | 212 °F | 825 °F | 732 °F | 686 °F | 479 °F |
| Average Oven Temperature | 208 °F | 776 °F | 780 °F | 637 °F | 497 °F |
| Size of Firebox | N/A | 275 cu. in. | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Power Output | 1440 W | 18,084 BTU | 25,000 BTU | N/A | N/A |
| Footprint | 219 sq. in. | 471 sq. in. 503 sq. in. (w/ gas attachment) |
345 sq. in. | 228 sq. in. | 228 sq. in. |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Betty Crocker Countertop is an electric, hot-plate-style pizza maker with convenience at the forefront. The non-stick surface can bake 12-inch pies, and the 5-inch inset even allows you to bake deep-dish pizzas. Although the footprint is relatively large — which isn't great for small kitchens — the compact, turtle-shell design does help with storage.
Performance Comparison
Even though it can accept up to 12" pies, it was difficult to get the size just right to maximize the space.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Cooking Performance
The Betty Crocker pizza maker is more of a baking appliance capable of baking fresh pizzas in your kitchen than a true pizza oven. It operates like a hot plate, and a preset “power-on” indicator light tells you exactly when to load and when it is finished. It is certainly versatile and could easily double as a panini press or quesadilla maker. It simply lacks the performance we hope for to produce pizzas with any semblance of quality.
We tested this pizza maker side-by-side with a high-end outdoor oven, using the same dough recipe and process for the fresh pizza. While the outcome of the other oven was a respectable pizza from any angle, the Betty Crocker oven managed to reduce that same pie to something akin to a subpar frozen pizza. The convenience of this oven is undeniable, but one of the joys of baking pizza at home comes from producing a pie you're proud of, and that simply isn't the case with this pizza maker.
A side-by-side comparison of the same dough recipe, from the Betty Crocker (left) and the Ooni Karu 12G (right.) Aside from the leopard-charring, characteristic of a Neapolitan-style pizza, notice how much fluffier the crust is on the right.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Output Power
Power is not exactly the word of choice to describe the output of the Betty Crocker pizza maker. It's tough to judge against other comparable options because everything is run on a single preset — even the other hot-plate style pizza maker we tested can be slightly adjusted. We regularly had to bake pies for a bit longer than the allotted 15-minute timer. The oven could be hotter and may even benefit from the decreased cook times by improving the quality of a fresh crust.
Despite the posted caution sign, we had no problem lifting the lid of this oven with our bare hands, an obvious sign that it doesn't heat up very well.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Control
Control, or the lack thereof, is the most frustrating part about this preset pizza maker. We find great joy in having a hand in the baking process — from making dough through tweaking the temperature of an oven to baking the crust and toppings exactly to our liking. Due to the preset nature of this oven — and a single preset, at that — all of that joy is eliminated. We would trade a bit of convenience back for some of that joy any day.
Aside from pitching a pie and removing it once it's finished cooking, this pizza maker doesn't require much input.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Ease of Use
Despite any other hesitancy in recommending this electric oven, we can admit it is easy to use. As long as it is packed away clean, all you have to do is pull it out, plug it in, allow it to preheat, and bake until the indicator light lets you know it's finished.
Scrubbing a pan clean while avoiding water is an awkward assignment.
Credit: Aaron Rice
Clearing this appliance is the one point of contention. Instructions explicitly state that you shouldn't immerse in any liquid, making scrubbing awkward. Although bulky, its compact design makes it easy to store in places like the drawer underneath an oven. However, if you have an oven, we highly recommend considering a pizza steel for a much more satisfying experience.
Should You Buy the Betty Crocker Countertop?
If affordability is your primary concern, with the secondary caveat of a lack of an oven, then the Betty Crocker pizza maker may find a place in your kitchen. But despite its undeniable user-friendliness, the complete lack of performance across the rest of the board makes it difficult to recommend this appliance.
For convenience, this pizza maker is unbeatable. For everything else, we suggest looking elsewhere.
Credit: Aaron Rice
What Other Pizza Ovens Should You Consider?
If your kitchen, or lack of kitchen, dictates buying an electric pizza maker, even the Presto Pizzazz Plus is an improvement over the Betty Crocker Countertop. But if you do have an oven and can step up to that next price point, then you should consider investing in a pizza steel like the NerdChef 3/8" Steel Stone or slightly more affordable Original Baking Steel. These steels can produce high-quality pies on par with the high-end outdoor ovens.
—
Aaron Rice
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