Fontana Gusto wood-fired dual-chamber oven review

A cooking chamber and a separate firebox

The useful distinction is the Gusto’s two-chamber layout: wood burns in the lower fire chamber, while the upper cooking chamber holds the racks and pans. Fontana lists pizza, bread, roasts and chicken among its uses, and the specification page describes three stainless-steel racks, one large pan, two small pans, a side shelf and a food-safe brick floor. The product page also lists a portable cart, chimney and cap, standard stones, cooking trays and a heat-resistant glove. It is a substantial outdoor cooking station, not a tabletop oven that happens to burn wood.

The product page preserves three native size variants: Gusto 80 (SKU GUSTO80AV), Gusto 80x54 (GUSTO80X54AV) and Gusto 80x65 (GUSTO80X65AV). The linked specification page gives the 80x54 an external envelope of 50 by 50 by 83 inches and a cooking-chamber interior of 20 by 30 by 18 inches. The 80x65 is listed at 54 by 50 by 90 inches outside and 24 by 30 by 18 inches inside. Those are manufacturer dimensions, not promises about how many pizzas fit. The linked index does not give a dimension sheet for the variant simply called “Gusto 80,” so I would not assume that it is interchangeable with either x54 or x65.

Plan the install before choosing the size

Fontana’s specification table prints 900 pounds for the 80x54 and 925 pounds for the 80x65. It does not say whether each value covers the oven alone or the complete cart-mounted arrangement; the Gusto 80 has no weight listed in that table. The old assembly instructions describe lifting or hoisting the oven onto its cart, including a multi-person lifting method. “Portable cart” therefore means a supplied wheeled support, not an easy appliance to move around a patio. Ask the seller for the exact delivered mass and a current installation drawing before deciding whether the path, support and destination can take it.

The 2019 Gusto instructions say outdoor use only, prohibit commercial use, and warn against direct contact with combustible surfaces, moving the oven while it is burning, and using artificial fuels or lighter fluid. They describe dry hardwood in the fire chamber, with pieces no more than three inches across, and warn that the chimney and handles become very hot. The first firing is a separate seasoning process: the manual calls for a gradually built small fire, about two hours around 500°F, and a 600°F ceiling during that first cure. The specification page separately rates the oven at 800°F. Neither number is an independent test, and the seasoning limit is not a normal cooking setpoint.

The same manual describes a supplied transformer that plugs into an ordinary 110-volt outlet to power a 12-volt fan and light. That auxiliary power does not make this an electric-heated oven; the cooking fuel is wood. The maker’s gallery shows dial indicators on the oven, but does not state a calibrated accuracy or a selectable temperature range. No phone monitoring, remote flame control, powered rotation or dedicated dough-proofing mode is documented. The chamber sizes also do not establish a maximum pizza diameter or a simultaneous pizza count, so a firm 12-inch or two-pizza requirement should not be treated as met without written confirmation for the exact variant.

Two source details to settle in writing

The product page says the chimney and cap may vary after design updates, while the available user instructions are dated 2019. Check which flue arrangement and instructions ship with the selected size; do not use an old drawing as a substitute for current clearances. The general instructions prohibit direct contact with combustibles but provide no model-specific numerical installation clearance in the available document. Get the current written clearance instructions and have the planned location checked against applicable local requirements.

Warranty wording also conflicts. The current Gusto specification page lists two years against manufacturer defects and four years on the cooking-chamber dome. The 2019 instructions state one year for the unit and four years for the dome. Treat the dome period as the common wording, but confirm the general coverage, exclusions and start date for the purchase in writing rather than assuming the longer term applies.

Who should consider it?

Gusto makes sense for a household that has a permanent outdoor cooking area, wants a wood fire and will actually use a second chamber for baking or roasting. Its included cart and broad accessory list reduce the need to assemble a separate outdoor oven station, but they do not remove the work of unloading, installation, wood management or fire tending. A buyer who needs a verified pizza diameter, a light assembled package, indoor placement or a low-effort turn-on-and-cook routine should look elsewhere or obtain stronger model-specific documentation first.

For a smaller Fontana wood-fired setup, compare the Margherita and Mangiafuoco assessments; for a portable gas oven, compare a propane model such as the Ooni Koda 2. Those solve different jobs: Gusto’s appeal is its dual chamber and listed cooking accessories, while the smaller ovens trade that breadth for less demanding placement. Before ordering, match the exact Gusto size code to a current spec sheet, confirm the actual shipping weight and cart configuration, and get the current clearance and warranty terms. The image on this page represents the Gusto family; it does not identify which of the three size variants is shown.