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Ooni 3 portable outdoor pizza oven and Gas burner attachment review

REVIEW – Back in April, I wrote about the Uuni 3 portable wood-fired pizza oven. Since then the company changed the spelling of their name, they’re now known by Ooni, and they’ve added a gas burner attachment to their lineup. I was extremely excited when Ooni sent me both units to try out for myself.

What is it?

The Ooni 3 is a portable outdoor wood-fired pizza oven that’s capable of reaching a temperature of 932-degrees in 10 minutes and cooking a pizza in 60 seconds. The Gas Burner for Ooni 3 attaches right onto the back of Ooni 3, providing a convenient and easy option to power the oven with gas.

What’s in the box?

Ooni 3:

  • Ooni 3 pizza oven
  • Wood pellet burner
  • Cordierite stone baking board
  • Pizza Peel
  • Manual and safety instructions

Gas burner for Ooni 3:

  • 11 WC regulator with gas hose
  • 2 x 10mm screws and Allen key
  • Extendable match holder
  • Instruction manual

Design and features

Both the Ooni 3 pizza oven and gas burner are made of 430 brushed stainless steel for heat and weather resistance. The oven body is insulated with ceramic fiber for improved heat retention. The units lightweight and clever design including hinged legs and a removable chimney make it incredibly portable. Perfect for tailgating, picnics, or camping. Ooni even sells a cover/bag so  you can easily transport your Uuni 3 wherever you like.

Setup

The oven is really easy to set up. Put the legs down, slide the cordierite pizza stone into the oven, and attach the gas burner onto the back of the oven. The video below shows how to attach the gas burner and hook it up to your propane tank.

Once set up its time to turn on the burner and preheat the oven. 

Since the oven gets really hot, it’s recommended to set it up on a wooden table. I used a small foldable table and just placed a piece of plywood on top. That worked nicely.

Let’s make a pizza

The Ooni 3 needs to preheat for 10-minutes which gives you time to prepare your pizza. Ooni recommends using their dough recipe for the best results. Unfortunately, I was unable to find the 00 flour needed to make the dough at any of my local grocery stores or specialty markets. Luckily I was able to find a small Italian bakery near me that made their own pizza dough fresh daily, so that’s what I used.

The toughest part of making a Neapolitan-style pizza is stretching the dough. It takes practice and a little patience. There’s a helpful video on Ooni’s website that shows how to stretch your dough. The website is a great resource, it has a lot of videos with tips, recipes, and FAQ’s, which I found very helpful. They even have their own YouTube channel which I recommend subscribing to.

It’s important to prep the Ooni pizza peel before stretching the dough. This is done by sprinkling flour onto the peel ( I recommend using semolina flour, it has a higher burn point then regular flour and creates a flavorful, crunchy bottom crust ). The biggest thing is to make sure that the pizza easily slides around on the peel.

I stretched the dough into a 10-inch pie and then put on my toppings. For my first pizza, I went simple with just cheese and pepperoni.

Launching the pizza into the oven is another thing that takes a little preparation and practice. I posted a short video below showing how to launch and cook your pizza.

The whole cooking process took just over a minute. I think the cooking time is dependent on toppings and thickness of the dough. It’s very important to keep an eye on your pizza and the time because this thing really cooks quick. Truth be told I burnt my first attempt, it was still edible but burnt more then I wanted.

Much like cooking with a grill, it takes practice and repetition to get the best results.

I found that taking the pizza out and rotating it on the peel every 20-25 seconds worked pretty well.

Time to mangiare!

Now that the hard part was over it was time to taste my pizza. In a word it was Delizioso! The crust had a nice outer crunch, but, was soft inside and the flavor was outstanding. Without question, the pizza I made in the Ooni 3 rivaled that of any I’ve had from a restaurant. 

I can’t wait to try cooking other things in the Ooni 3. That’s right the Ooni 3 can cook more than just pizza. With their cast iron Sizzler Pan you can cook vegetables, seafood, meat, and poultry. Guess what’s going to be on my Christmas list this year? Look for my further cooking adventures in a future review update.

Go gas or go home

The Gas Burner attachment for the Ooni 3 IMO is the perfect accessory for this oven. It’s easy to use and makes reaching the perfect temperature almost foolproof. And if you plan on using Ooni to cook other foods, it gives you better control over the ovens cooking temperature.

What I like

  • Portability
  • Easy to use
  • Makes a great tasting pizza in 60-90 seconds
  • Ability to cook other foods with purchased accessories

What needs to be improved

  • Would be nice if they included a cover/carry bag with purchase

Final thoughts

The Ooni 3 portable pizza oven and Gas Burner attachment are FANTASTIC! The ability to cook a great tasting pizza outdoors in 60-seconds is amazing. I had read good things about the Ooni 3 prior to receiving it but, I was amazed that it lived up to the hype. Great job Ooni! If you love pizza or just cooking outdoors in general then the Ooni 3 is a must have for your backyard. The Ooni 3 portable outdoor pizza oven – That’s Amore!

Price: Ooni 3 – $299  Gas burner – $85
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Ooni.

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Ooni 3 portable outdoor pizza oven and Gas burner attachment review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 2, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Ovie Smarterware tells you when your food is about to spoil

NEWS – Do you have science experiments growing in your refrigerator? Do you throw away food before its time because you just don’t want to risk it? Ovie’s Smarterware was developed to help us clean up our refrigerators, take the guess-work out of our food storage dilemma, waste less food, and save money.

Smarterware is a food storage system that works with Alexa and is made up of Ovie smart tags, Ovie lids and containers (6 cup capacity, made of BPA free Tritan plastic), Ovie clips, Ovie connects (which adhere to other containers), an Ovie hub, and the Ovie app. By pressing on the button on the Ovie tag, you can tell Alexa the identity of the item (or you can use the app to identify the item without Alexa). It then retrieves the food storage information from the Ovie database using the Ovie hub, thus starting the countdown. After that, you can place the Ovie tag in either the Ovie lid of the Ovie container, in the clip to affix to bagged food, or in the Ovie Connect to adhere to the top of any other food container.

The tags have LED light rings to indicate how old the stored food is. If the tag is green, then the food was recently opened or tagged. If it is yellow, it is halfway to its expiration date at which point it sends you a notification using the app. And if it is red, it is probably no longer safe to eat.

The app also allows you to search for recipes based on the food you’ve tagged.

The Ovie Smarterware food storage system is a preorder item (it was a Kickstarter project) and the estimated delivery date of current orders is February 2019. You may purchase any combination of the Smarterware items from Ovie. The basic “3-SmartTag Kit” (3 Ovie SmartTags, 3 Smarterware Universal Connectors, 1 Ovie Hub) sells for $95.

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Ovie Smarterware tells you when your food is about to spoil originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 2, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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WaterField’s new minimalist Sutter Tech Sling fits the new Apple iPad Pro, MacBook, Surface Pro 6

NEWS – WaterField just announced a new minimalist sling that’s perfect for carrying the new Apple iPad Pro, MacBook, or Surface Pro 6, with enough room for your other gear.  Inside the Sutter Tech Sling, you’ll find:

  • Padded tablet/laptop compartment – standard size fits 11” iPad and full size Sutter fits 12.9” iPad Pro (with or without Keyboard Folio); situated in very back to keep the sling flat against body
  • Swing around front pocket – accessible via the left or right side
  • Interior hand pocket – keeps small items easily accessible
  • Three interior pen pockets – stows Apple Pencil and your favorite sketching pens
  • Gold interior lining – in front pocket and main compartment for visibility
  • Inset waterproof front YKK zippers – keeps the zippers, which are most susceptible to water seepage, protected from rain
  • Interior key fob attachment – keeps keys quickly findable
  • Rear mesh padding – enhances airflow and cushioning

The strap is designed for comfortable wearing as a shoulder or crossbody bag.

  • D-ring-to-strap – 180-degree swivel strap attachment means the bag stays flat on your back, regardless of positioning
  • Flexible strap options – strap attaches to D-ring on left or right side for wearing over either shoulder
  • One-handed cam lock buckle – lets you quickly adjust how the bag rests against your body without moving it
  • Built-in shoulder pad – spreads weight evenly to give your back and shoulder a bit of relief

The Sutter bag is available in either 1050-denier black ballistic nylon or brown waxed canvas.  Both versions have a full-grain leather accent.  There are two sizes:  The standard size is 11.5″ x 8″ x 3″, weighs 1.25 lbs, and has a 4.5 liter capacity.  The full size is 14″ x 9.5″ x 3″, weighs 1.5 lbs, and has a 6.5 liter volume.

Sutter Tech Slings can be pre-ordered now.  The standard bag is $169.00, while the full-sized bag is $179.00.   Pre-orders placed through November 9 receive a complimentary Stylus Pencil Case – a modern pencil case with a dedicated pocket for the Apple Pencil (2nd generation) or a Surface Pen.

Learn more and pre-order the Sutter Tech Sling at WaterField.

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WaterField’s new minimalist Sutter Tech Sling fits the new Apple iPad Pro, MacBook, Surface Pro 6 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 1, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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iHealthLabs PT3 infrared thermometer review


REVIEW – I have 2 young kids who attend school, and colds and fever are a part of everyday life in my household. When I was a kid, my mom taught me to detect a fever by resting the back of my hand on the neck and observing the warmth. While over the years I have perfected that technique (my wife would beg to differ), I do not take any chances with my kids. Being able to not only detect a fever but to know the severity of the fever is very important. The methods of sticking a thermometer under an active kid’s armpit or trying to fight to get it inserted in the rectum become too challenging. The iHealthLabs PT3 Infrared Thermometer is designed to quickly ascertain a temperature without even touching my kids. Does it actually work? Let’s see!!

What is it?

The iHealthLabs infrared Thermometer utilizes no-touch infrared technology to get an immediate temperature reading without having to touch the skin and possibly wake up a sleeping child.

What’s in the box


1 x iHealthLabs infrared Thermometer
1 x Manual
1 x Instruction Leaflet
2 x AAA Batteries

Design and features

Features:

  • High precision: ultra-sensitive infrared sensor measures IR energy emitted from the forehead and collects more than 100 data points per second.
  • Fast testing in just 1 second, get reading instantly.
  • Safe & Hygienic. No-Touch design, non-invasive measurement.
  • Gentle vibration to alert when a reading completed. No annoying beeps.
  • Hold. Aim. Press. Only 3 steps to test, easy for self-measurement.
  • Readable at night with LED backlit.

The iHealthlabs Infrared Thermometer is small and compact measuring 5″ long x 1 1/2″ wide. It is about 0.5″ thick on the body and about 1 1/4″ at the head. On the front surface, there is the control button in the middle and the name branding on the bottom.


On the opposite side there is the “head” that is used to read the temperature, and on the bottom half, there is the battery compartment that holds 2 AAA batteries.


Performance

How to use:

• Aim the probe of the iHealth at the center of the forehead and keep it there approximately 1.0” away from the
skin.
• Press the button to start to measure the temperature
• The thermometer will vibrate once it obtains the temperature, and the reading is displayed on the LED display

• If it fails to read the temperature, dashes (—-) will appear instead.


• The thermometer will switch off after 8 seconds of no use

I tested this thermometer side by side with a conventional thermometer with the armpit as the testing area of choice for the conventional thermometer. Each time the readings of the thermometers were within 2 degrees of each other. Considering that the armpit would conceivably be slightly warmer, I consider the iHealthlabs thermometer surprisingly accurate and consistent. I say surprisingly because prior to testing this thermometer, I had always believed that the $400 plus thermometers that I would see at my medical center were the best bang for the buck. While I do believe that in urgent cases each degree is critical, it is my opinion that the iHealthlabs Infrared Thermometer is generally fine for daily use as long as the immediate surroundings are within “normal” temps. I say this because I did notice that if I am in an air-conditioned room this thermometer does seem to read the skin temp which may be lower than the internal body temperature.

What I like

  • The size
  • The ease and speed of use

What can be improved

  • A brightly colored LED display for the temperature would make it easy to read in any kind of lighting

Final thoughts

As I mentioned earlier in this review, I was quite surprised at the performance of this thermometer when I tested and compared it to my usual daily use thermometer. For the price, I honestly expected erratic readings but they were very close and consistent. The thermometer is made of plastic, and I only tested it for one month, so I will post an update if anything changes. But for now, it works.

Price: $19.99
Where to buy: iHealthlabs website and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by iHealthlabs.

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iHealthLabs PT3 infrared thermometer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 1, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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The Vuff adjustable collar and strong dog leash work, feel, and smell better

NEWS – As a dog owner, one of my favorite things to do this time of year is take my dog Zoey for a walk. What I don’t like however is how smelly and dirty her collar and leash get. Vuff has designed both a collar and leash that are stain, moisture, and odor-proof.

Both leash and collar are made using braided monofilament plastic. The material is ultra lightweight (weighing just 1oz.), flexible, quick-drying, and breathable, which makes the collar extremely comfortable for your pooch.

As an added benefit it won’t harbor moisture or dirt.

When the collar and leash get dirty, just rinse them with warm water and mild soap to clean.

The easily adjustable collar uses a fixed loop design and stays in place thanks to its locking closure.

The collar adjusts from 4” to up to 8” in diameter and will fit dogs with a neck that measures 12”-22” around.

Vuff’s strong dog leash is made to be comfortable for both you and your dog. The leash has a unique handle that is made to work with, not against, motion. This, in turn, means there isn’t any pulling or friction on your hand.

The responsive material the leash is made from tenses when it’s pulled on, but, when the leash is slack, it feels like it’s barely there.

The leash measures 5-feet in length and the 3D braided PET plastic filaments are tested to withstand 1000 lbs. of pull force.

The Vuff Odor-Resistant Ultra Lightweight Adjustable Dog Collar and leash are available in 3 colors – Orange, Tweed, and Charcoal.

They can be purchased separately, the collar for $37 and the leash for $48 or in a set for $80 from The Grommet.

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The Vuff adjustable collar and strong dog leash work, feel, and smell better originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 1, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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