Chicago Brick Oven CBO 750 Hybrid DIY Kit (Residential) review

The Chicago Brick Oven CBO 750 Hybrid DIY Kit (Residential) is the factory-configured, gas-and-wood member of the company’s 750 built-in family. It is a different native U.S. product from the wood-only CBO 750 DIY kit and from the preassembled CBO 750 Countertop. The Hybrid-R manual and product page identify this model for outdoor residential installation; do not treat the commercial Hybrid-C burner package, a countertop model, or a later field conversion as interchangeable.

A permanent outdoor-kitchen project, not a portable oven

The manufacturer’s 750 Hybrid sheet lists a 38-by-28-inch cooking hearth and an oven weight of 890 pounds. Its kit includes the dome and three-piece hearth, insulation, anchor plate, installation materials, arch and decorative door; the specification drawing notes that the arch and door are not installed. A peel, cleaning brush and handheld infrared thermometer are listed in the accessory package. The support island, finished surround and site work are not the oven: they must be planned and built separately. The 890-pound figure describes the oven, not the complete structure or finished kitchen.

This is the right direction for a homeowner who already wants a built-in oven and can plan the base, gas supply, clearances and construction before delivery. It is a poor fit for a renter, a patio cook who needs to move an oven after each session, or anyone looking for a plug-in countertop appliance. If you want a simpler package, the wood-only 750 Countertop is preassembled but still needs a separate, correctly rated support; if mobility matters more than a permanent hearth, a compact portable gas oven is a more appropriate category.

Gas convenience without losing the wood-fired option

The Hybrid package combines an infrared burner below the hearth with an ambient burner at the back. The manufacturer publishes separate switches for those burners and lists 78,000 total BTU for natural gas or 69,500 for propane. Those are input ratings, not measured cooking results or a promise about preheat time. The product page also describes wood firing, so this is not a gas-only box with a decorative wood label; a cook may choose a gas or wood routine, but has to tend the fire and turn food by hand when using wood.

Gas and altitude are factory choices. The native product offers four exact U.S. variants: natural gas or propane, each in an under-4,000-foot or over-4,000-foot installation version. Confirm the utility and site elevation before ordering. The manufacturer says the burner configuration ships complete and cannot be converted in the field. The two burner controls are for the under-hearth and rear ambient burners—not left and right cooking zones—so a request for independent left/right burner control is not supported by this layout.

Useful room, with limits the drawing does not settle

The manufacturer’s dimension-based cooking illustration shows two 12-inch pizzas together on the 750 hearth. That is helpful evidence for a shared meal, but the same page says its layouts are examples rather than maximum-capacity guarantees. It does not establish a maximum pizza diameter or three 10-inch arrangement. The 750’s useful distinction is the cooking floor, not a rotating stone, automatic turner or measured throughput.

The included infrared thermometer is a point-and-check tool, not a built-in temperature display, food probe, thermostat or phone monitor. The product page and manual do not establish named pizza presets, stored settings or remote flame control. If those are essential, this oven will not satisfy them merely because its gas burners have their own switches.

Installation rules are a central buying constraint

The current Hybrid-R manual says residential use is outdoors only. It specifies 10 inches at the sides, 10 inches at the back and 18 inches above, and permits installation only over a noncombustible floor or counter. It also says to keep the area in front of and above the oven clear for combustion and ventilation air. The gas work must follow the applicable local code; the maker’s manual should go to the installer before the support and enclosure are designed. The questionnaire’s largest-direction clearance number cannot replace the full drawing, gas plan, local approvals or an installer’s assessment.

First use is also not a one-button appliance routine: the current manual includes separate curing directions for gas and charcoal/wood, and the product page stresses curing before use. Follow the exact Hybrid-R procedure and use the selected fuel only as its instructions allow. The maker’s high-temperature marketing is not an independent test result or a selectable thermostat range.

Who should choose it

Choose the CBO 750 Hybrid DIY Kit if the permanent outdoor build is already part of the plan, the 750 cooking area is useful, and a factory-selected natural-gas or propane burner plus optional wood firing suits the way you cook. Choose the wood-only 750 DIY kit if gas hardware is unnecessary; choose the 750 Countertop if you prefer the assembled oven format and can provide its support. For a small, movable oven with little construction, choose a portable model instead. In every case, verify the exact package, fuel SKU, elevation variant and installation manual rather than relying on the shared “750” name.

Manufacturer sources: CBO 750 Hybrid DIY product page; current Hybrid-R residential manual; CBO 750 Hybrid kit specification sheet.